Dirty * Written by Claudia Shear * Directed by the agency of James Lapine * Starring Claudia Shear.

Dirty * Written by Claudia Shear * Directed by the agency of James Lapine * Starring Claudia Shear, Kevin Chamberlin, and cut short Stillman * Helen Hayes Theatre, fresh York City (open run)

Dirty portrays a population previously unrepresent in dramatic literature--heterosexual Mae West fans. During the '60 and '70 the busty, larger than-life, unapologetically sexual Hollywood comedian was a camp icon whose following consisted almost exclusively of gay men Now that the era when "camp" and "gay culture" were synonymous has passed, the legendary sexpot has passed into the public domain.

At the suggestion of director James Lapine, writer-performer Claudia Shear (best known for her solo point out Blown Sideways through Life) undertook the task of creating a stage portrait of West. What Shear give a color toed up is ingenious: the stow of West's journey from Brooklyn to vaudeville to Hollywood to retired caricature draw gradually togethers with a most unlikely regard with affection stow involving Jo (Shear), an actress doing research upon West, and Charlie (Kevin Chamberlin), a cross-dressing librarian.

Jo and Charlie meet-cute at West's grave site in succession her birthday and begin a friendship based upon trading notes. Both chubby and no longer young, they admire West for her merry nonconformity and unique character: "She's the movie-star equivalent of Venice." Charlie, it uses out, had met the star as a 17-year-old fan and exhausted a few afternoons poring throughout his scrapbooks with her. The play seamlessly weaves Jo and Charlie's relationship together with Charlie's rencounters with West (played, of course, from Shear) and other biographical chapters, featuring Chamberlin and cut short Stillman. Stillman is especially crucial as ed Hearn, a showbiz "fairy" (as he's called, in the slang of the period) whose drag queen friends helped West create the exaggerated persona for which she became famous. Stuffing her big boob into a tight gown she quips, "Get in there, girls, and behave yourselves."

All three actors work their targets off, but their performances examine effortless and thoroughly charming. Shear does a star cause to deviate that's endearing for its surprising understatedness. If you fare to Dirty Blonde expecting a play about Mae West, you may be disappointed (as I was at first) that there's in such a manner little of West in her prime. The exhibit builds to one brilliant moment--when Charlie dresse Jo for a Halloween party as ed primps West for her first attempt in her signature role, Diamond Lil. That individual moment dazzles, but otherwise West remains a kind of entertaining secondary character in a sweet, sportive unconventional love stow about sum of two units lonely misfits finding each other.

Shewey is the editor of without Front: Contemporary Gay and Lesbian Plays, published on Grove Press.

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