by While many people were in church, I spent my Sunday morning on the phone with playwright Del Shores.
During our conversation, he was getting ready to visit his Aunt Sissy, the inspiration for the popular character Sissy Hickey in Shores’ cult hit, Sordid Lives.
Shores was headed to Sissy’s to get a taste of her unique blend of Southern-fried wisdom captured on film to share with his fans.
“She loves that she has become a kind of celebrity,” he says with a laugh. “She turned 80 this year, just quit smoking, and speaks her mind, for sure.”
For over 25 years, Del has used his relatives as inspiration to shape the conservative Southern sensibilities and the conflicts they entail in a host of hilarious, colorful, and often lovable characters in his plays and films.
Southern Baptist Sissies, Shores’ successful 2000 play and upcoming film, brings back the unique blend of comedy and wry social commentary of Sordid Lives and adds a message of love and acceptance vital in the current social and political climate.
“There is a lot of anticipation with this project,” Shores, who wrote the screenplay and is involved with nearly every aspect of the film’s creation, told me. “I think we need this movie right now, which is funny, since I wrote it back in 2000.”
Centering on the dilemma of growing up gay in a church environment where homosexuality is viewed as sin, the film is a faithful adaptation of the 2000 play.
See Del and actors from the film talking about the message of Southern Baptist Sissies here!
“Leslie Jordan said that when a lot of progress is made, you see a response to that progress,” Shores said. “The religious right is going crazy right now holding onto those five scriptures that they use to support their homophobia.”
Shores will be here in St. Louis this weekend to spread the word about the upcoming film and raise money for its release.
“I have been so lucky over the years to have worked with so many great actors and told so many great stories, but I have to say (this) is the closest piece to my heart,” Shores said. “It is my story.”
The playwright, actor, television writer, stand-up comedian, and film director and producer already had several plays and a film (Daddy’s Dyin’…Who’s Got The Will?) under his belt when his 1996 play Sordid Lives began gaining a loyal and fanatical following, eventually winning 14 Drama League awards. It was followed by a film version in 2000, which has since become a cult hit, and the short-lived series on LOGO in 2008.
His latest play, Yellow, took some by surprise by its somber tone and heavy subject matter, with critics calling it “a departure from his previous work.” Del doesn’t mince words when he talks about how much critics shape and influence his work as compared to the people he listens to-those who come to see his work.
“You have to grow, and so does your work. With your characters, it’s the same thing. When I was writing for Queer as Folk, the kids grew up, and it wasn’t just fucking and doing ecstasy in a club. Fans want you to grow, and they want the characters they care about to grow.”
“When it comes to critics who want to make it personal, the best revenge is success,” he told me in a voice rife with passion. “I have had critics viciously attack (the Dallas performance of) Yellow, and yet the audience gives standing ovations night after night.
“The true critic is the person who says watching my work affects their life in a positive way. In the end, that is what is really important.”
Side note: not all critics “harshed on Shores’ Yellow”…the L.A. Drama Critics Circle gave it Best World Premiere and Best Production in 2010.
When it comes to his legacy, Del wants to be known as someone who brings humanity to a world where people often still treat each other less than humanely.
“We are all human beings, and we are all a part of this pool of humanity. When we forget that, that is when it gets sad, i think.”
He also doesn’t like to be pigeonholed, either about his life or his writing.
“I am a proud gay man, but to define me as a ‘gay playwright’ is insulting, honestly,” he said. “I write characters that people can relate to. There is a level of humanity there, and love and acceptance are themes of my work. There is hope at the end of nearly all of my plays.
“Even in Yellow, there is hope for this family.”
And hope, fueled with humor, just might save a life…and change the world.
I think I got my Sunday morning message loud and clear.
See a classic moment from Sordid Lives: The Series here!
Click here to find out more about Del’s event this weekend in St. Louis!
