The time; the fifties; the place; Hollywood, where film star, Mary Dale, finds the Red Menace invading her own Beverly Hills backyard. When she discovers that her husband has been lured into the local Communist party by way of a method acting class and that there is a left wing plot afoot to abolish the star system, Mary wages a private war to save her husband, her country and billing over the title. The McCarthy era is turned on its head in this novel take on a serious subject.

“Mr. Busch is a first-class satirist and farceur and “Red Scare on Sunset” is definitely Busch at his best.”   Mimi Kramer, The New Yorker

“You have to champion the ingenuity of Busch’s writing which twirls twist upon twist and spins into Comedy heaven.”  Newsday

Red Scare on Sunset originally opened at The WPA Theatre in March, 1991 (Kyle Renick, Artistic Director).  It subsequently opened at the Lucille Lortel Theatre in June, 1991.

CREDITS

Written by Charles Busch, directed by Kenneth Elliott, set design by B.T. Whitehill, costumes by Debra Tennenbaum, wig design by Elizabeth Katherine Carr, lighting design by Vivien Leone, sound design by Aural Fixation, production stage manager T.L. Boston.

From left to right, Roy Cockrum as
Bertram Barker, Ralph Buckley as
Mitchell Drake, CB as mary Dale and
Arnie Kolodner as Frank Taggart.

CB as Mary Dale (right) with Julie 
Halston as Pat Pilford.

From left to right, Julie Halston as Pat
Pilford, CB as Mary Dale and Judith
Hansen as Marta Towers.