Del Shores: My Sordid Life

The spotlight in this one-man show filmed in Los Angeles in 2011 is on Texas-born playwright/screenwriter Del Shores, who may not be as infamous as transgressive fave John Waters, but has a similar vibe, having created the stage-to-screen productions Daddy's Dyin? (Who's Got the Will?), Sordid Lives, and The Trials and Tribulations of a Trailer Trash Housewife, as well as working on the American adaptation of Queer as Folk, and various sitcoms. Much of his work draws upon his Southern Baptist relatives' dramas involving drinking, divorces, jail time, and Jesus. Here he speaks candidly about his belated coming out—after he had married and fathered two daughters—and the subsequent reactions of certain family members. He also dishes venomously on star actors he dislikes, praises those with whom he's worked with successfully (Beau Bridges shows up in the live audience), and expresses much love for the late gay icon Rue McClanahan. Although the dramatist's wit is abundant, so is his anger: he closes with a monologue that he himself censored from his play Southern Baptist Sissies, a Lenny Bruce–type rant equating homophobic conservative Christianity with obesity and then citing Gospel passages damning gluttony (let's just say that his decision to cut the speech was a good one). DVD extras include behind-the-scenes featurettes, deleted scenes, and a photo montage. Nicely fitting in both LGBT and standup comedy collections, this is recommended. Aud: P. (C. Cassady)