Charles Busch

Personal Information
Charles Busch is the author and star of such plays as Psycho Beach Party, Times Square Angel, The Lady in Question, Red Scare on Sunset, You Should Be So Lucky, Queen Amarantha, Shanghai Moon and Flipping My Wig. He wrote the book for the musical The Green Heart, which was produced by Manhattan Theatre Club. His Off-Broadway play Vampire Lesbians in Sodom ran for five years. He wrote a new libretto for the 1955 musical Ankles Aweigh for Goodspeed Opera and adapted the book of the Truman Capote/Harold Arlen musical House of Flowers for a tour with Patti LaBelle. In 1996, Mr. Busch starred in the Off-Broadway musical Swingtime Canteen, which he also co-authored. He has written the screenplay and is appearing in the film version of his play Psycho Beach Party, which opened this past summer. He has appeared in a recurring role in the HBO series "Oz." His novel Whores of Lost Atlantis was published in hardcover by Hyperion Press and as a Penguin paperback. For The Tale of the Allergist's Wife, Mr. Busch won the Outer Critics Circle John Gassner Award for Playwrighting. Mr. Busch graduated from Northwestern University and is member of the Dramatist's Guild. If you would like to know even more about Mr. Busch, please check out his website at: www.CharlesBusch.com.
 
External Links: Internet Broadway Database
Internet Movie Database
Official Website
Live at the Lortel Podcast
Primary Stages Oral History Project
Playwrights' Sidewalk: Charles Busch has a star on the Playwrights' Sidewalk.
Credits

Author
Production Theatre Opened Credit
1 Ibsen’s Ghost: An Irresponsible Biographical Fantasy 59E59 Theaters/ Theater A 03/14/2024 Playwright
2 The Confession of Lily Dare Cherry Lane Theatre 01/29/2020 Playwright
3 The Tribute Artist 59E59 Theaters/ Theater A 02/09/2014 Playwright
4 Olive and the Bitter Herbs 59E59 Theaters/ Theater A 08/16/2011 Playwright
5 The Divine Sister SoHo Playhouse 09/22/2010 Playwright
6 The Third Story Lucille Lortel Theatre 02/02/2009 Playwright
7 Die Mommie Die! New World Stages/ Stage I 10/21/2007 Playwright
8 Our Leading Lady New York City Center/ Stage II 03/15/2007 Playwright
9 Shanghai Moon Greenwich House 01/15/2003 Playwright
10 The Tale of the Allergist's Wife New York City Center/ Stage II 02/29/2000 Playwright
11 Queen Amarantha WPA Theatre 10/23/1997 Playwright
12 The Green Heart Variety Arts Theatre 04/10/1997 Book
13 Flipping My Wig WPA Theatre 12/19/1996 Playwright
14 Swingtime Canteen Blue Angel 02/24/1995 Playwright
15 You Should Be So Lucky Primary Stages 11/02/1994 Playwright
16 Red Scare on Sunset Lucille Lortel Theatre 06/21/1991 Playwright
17 Red Scare on Sunset WPA Theatre 03/19/1991 Playwright
18 The Lady in Question WPA Theatre 11/18/1988 Playwright
19 Psycho Beach Party Players Theatre 07/20/1987 Playwright
20 Times Square Angel Provincetown Playhouse 12/11/1985 Playwright
21 Vampire Lesbians of Sodom Provincetown Playhouse 06/19/1985 Playwright
22 Sleeping Beauty or Coma Provincetown Playhouse 06/19/1985 Playwright

Actor
Production Theatre Opened Credit
1 Ibsen’s Ghost: An Irresponsible Biographical Fantasy 59E59 Theaters/ Theater A 03/14/2024 Suzannah Ibsen
2 The Confession of Lily Dare Cherry Lane Theatre 01/29/2020 Lily Dare
3 The Tribute Artist 59E59 Theaters/ Theater A 02/09/2014 Jimmy
4 The Divine Sister SoHo Playhouse 09/22/2010 Mother Superior
5 The Third Story Lucille Lortel Theatre 02/02/2009 Queenie Bartlett / Baba Yaga
6 Die Mommie Die! New World Stages/ Stage I 10/21/2007 Angela Arden
7 Spalding Gray: Stories Left to Tell Minetta Lane Theatre 03/06/2007 N/A REPLACEMENT
8 an oak tree Barrow Street Theatre 11/04/2006 Father REPLACEMENT
9 Shanghai Moon Greenwich House 01/15/2003 Lady Sylvia Allington
10 Queen Amarantha WPA Theatre 10/23/1997 N/A
11 Flipping My Wig WPA Theatre 12/19/1996 N/A
12 You Should Be So Lucky Primary Stages 11/02/1994 Christopher
13 The Maids East 13th Street/CSC Theatre 09/21/1993 Solange
14 Red Scare on Sunset Lucille Lortel Theatre 06/21/1991 Mary Dale
15 Red Scare on Sunset WPA Theatre 03/19/1991 Mary Dale
16 The Lady in Question WPA Theatre 11/18/1988 Gertrude Garnet
17 Psycho Beach Party Players Theatre 07/20/1987 Chicklet
18 Times Square Angel Provincetown Playhouse 12/11/1985 Irish O'Flanagan
19 Vampire Lesbians of Sodom Provincetown Playhouse 06/19/1985 Virgin Sacrifice/Madeleine Asarte
20 Sleeping Beauty or Coma Provincetown Playhouse 06/19/1985 Fauna Alexander
21 Elephant Woman One Sheridan Square 06/01/1979 N/A REPLACEMENT

Director
Production Theatre Opened Credit
1 Queen Amarantha WPA Theatre 10/23/1997 Director
Awards
Award Production Function
1 NOMINATED 2020 Lucille Lortel Award, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play The Confession of Lily Dare Actor
2 NOMINATED 2020 Drama Desk Award, Outstanding Actor in a Play The Confession of Lily Dare Actor
3 NOMINATED 2011 Drama Desk Award, Outstanding Actor in a Play The Divine Sister Actor
4 NOMINATED 2011 Drama League Award, Distinguished Performance The Divine Sister Actor
5 NOMINATED 2008 Drama League Award, Distinguished Performance Die Mommie Die! Actor
6 NOMINATED 2003 Lucille Lortel Award, Outstanding Lead Actor Shanghai Moon Actor
7 WON 2000 Lucille Lortel Award, Playwrights' Sidewalk Inductee    
8 WON 2000 Outer Critics Circle Award, John Gassner Award The Tale of the Allergist's Wife Playwright