The Last "Die Mommie Die!" Post

Well, I finally got a disc that worked and as promised, here are some pictures from dress rehearsal. There are a few minor costume accessories that were still missing and Angela's wig hadn't been styled, but I you get the idea. Click the pics for larger versions.

That's Kathy Garofano (L) and Kelly Reilly as Bootsie and Edith, on your left. I  love that adorable dress on Kelly.

Kelly and Damian Gaeta as Tony.

We used the screens in the back for our production of The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told, as well. They're really quite effective.

Kelly, David C. Hamm (C) as Angela and Damian. 

Putting a 6' 1" man in 3" heels and a bee-hive wig makes for a rather gigantic woman.

David, Damian, John Devennie (as Sol) and Kelly.

John and Matty Daley (R, as Lance).

Poor Matty spent the show with his hair in his eyes so he could look more like a Flower Child.

David in Angela's tennis whites and Matty, holding one of the best props ever: "Angela Arden's 1954 Christmas Album." If you enlarge it, you can see it actually has David's picture on it. We let him keep it, after the show.

John, Kelly, David and Matty.

David was so enamored of the kimono, he commissioned our costumer to make one for him in black. We also let him keep the black pumps and the rhinestone flip-flops. 

Angela inserts the poisoned suppository, much to Sol's discomfort.

This scene got howls from our audiences, especially when the suppository slipped out of its hiding place on Opening Night and they had to re-insert it.

Tony seducing Edith...

Tony seducing Lance.

And yes, we put a giant rubber phallus in Damian's pants. The things I ask my actors to do.

Lance and Edith plot their revenge...

Edith with a cheek full of scissors!

Angela takes a little acid trip...

Lance and Edie fighting over Tony and his package...

Sol confronts Barbara with the truth!

Bootsie's alive, too!

One last time - the amazing cast of the JTMF 2011 production of "Die Mommie Die!" (from L to R):

John Devennie; Matty Daley; Damian Gaeta; David Hamm; Kelly Reilly and Kathy Garofano. 

More, anon.

Prospero

It's a Good Kind of Tired

Well, as promised, I'm back... just not without tons of pictures. And really, really tired. But the pics are forthcoming (as soon as I figure out how to open the files the photographer sent me). For now, you'll have to do with a repeat of our publicity photo of the cast.

And what a cast! I know I already crowed about them, but I have to give credit where its due... these six amazing actors deserve 80% of the credit for the artistic success of Die Mommie Die! The other twenty percent is probably evenly divided between my lighting designer, sound designer, costume designer and myself (I have to take some credit - it would be disingenuous not to).

The Friday night house was good. They were ready to laugh and ready to give, scarfing up most of the silent auction items offered that night. They found the show hilarious (a co-worker told me her face hurt from laughing so much) and were generous at the donation jar, too.

But Friday's real highlight came after the show at the 'official' cast party. First, some background: You all know Dear D by now (by reputation, if not by face). He's a truly gifted actor and all-around great human being. He's always ready to help out with carpentry (his bread and butter) and goes along with whatever crazy idea we have for him (this year it was a huge rubber "appliance" stuffed down the right leg of his very tight costumes). D set a new JTMF record this year with 7 consecutive performances, starting with 2005's production of The Altruists.  Because of all that, Tracy and I wanted to do something special for our dear friend. D is almost as obsessed with movies as I am (though our ideas of a "good" movie aren't always the same). D's favorite movie of all time is Rocky. In fact, he'll watch almost anything with Stallone, over and over again (except maybe Judge Dredd or Stop, or My Mom Will Shoot, which even he admits is awful). Anyway, at the party we (Tracy and I) presented him with a token of our appreciation: a boxing glove signed by Stallone, complete with Certificate of Authenticity. He cried. We cried. Everyone else cheered.

Sadly, Saturday night's crowd was the polar opposite of Friday's: small, unwilling to laugh out loud and cheap. Only one silent auction item went and the donation jar was pitifully low on cash. The cast carried on, working their asses off for whatever laughs they could garner from the tiny crowd. I felt terrible for them, working so hard for such little response. Highly dispirited, we left the theatre early and while a few of us stopped for a drink, most just went home.

Then came the Sunday matinee. The crowd was huge! We decided to run the silent auction (not something we normally do on Sunday) and sold 6 big-ticket items. The audience was massively responsive and my cast got to close the show on a very high note. So, like every JTMF benefit, Die Mommie Die! was a mixed bag containing artistic satisfaction for myself, my cast and my crew, while raising funds for three important causes. As soon as I figure out what's wrong, I'll post photos, so I suppose this is actually the penultimate Die Mommie Die! post.

Because they deserve to be recognized again, the people in the picture above are: [standing, L to R] David Hamm (Angela Arden); Kathy Garofano (Bootsie Carp) and John Devennie, Sr,. (Sol P. Sussman), [seated, L to R] Matty Daley (Lance Sussman); Damian Gaeta (Tony Parker) and Kelly Reilly (Edith Sussman).

It's still not too late to help. You can make a safe and secure donation via PayPal at www.jtmf.org or buy a ticket in December when we present A Christmas Carol: The Radio Play.

More, anon.

Prospero

It's Officially Opening Night! - My Last (?) Pitch for Your Money...

Well, we all made it through another Hell Week. And trust me, a lot of it was hell and nonsense (and not in the good Monty Python/Lewis Carroll/Mel Brooks kinds of way). But that's all gone and will never be
spoken of or written about in a single iota of detail. It's just all part of the drama that is depicted in every movie about Show Business ever made. Could there be anything more appropriate for a parody of 1960's Bette Davis thrillers, then? In any event, I find myself really wanting to brag about everything in this show that had very little to do with me.

Yes, I may have told the actors where to stand; when and how to walk (and to where); when to sit; when to and how to turn. But that's just mechanics. They did the hard work - creating real people behaving very badly in absurdly exaggerated circumstances. And they have. And not only that, they have mastered some very complicated comic stage business and... unusual costume challenges while creating these very real (though outrageously dysfunctional) people. I love each and every one of them (actors and characters) very, very much! D: D.C.: Matty; Kelly; John and K -- "Thank You" isn't enough!

Then there's our Costumer, Ruth Rittman of Ritzy Costumes, who always understands exactly what I want and how to find and/or make it so brilliantly. Her 60's Mod Glam costumes are spot on - colorful, amusing and just gorgeous! Ruth's costumes not only evoke the period, but the actors look gorgeous in them. And there is my genius Sound Designer Judi Parrish, who always managed to stay 3 steps ahead of me, taking her own notes that matched mine exactly. Next, my Tech Director/Lighting Designer, Bob Terrano who also always knows what I want and delivers even more. And even though he already got thanked, to Dear D again, for the so very lovely and super-appreciated carpentry work. And Amy Bessalieu, who never seems to never be confounded by how to build the props ask for, no matter how unusual they may be. And anyone else who contributed; is contributing or will contribute to this year's event.

Finally, but oh-so-far from least, my Producer and friend Tracy Antozzeski, founder of the JTMF. She makes herself crazy while I and the cast always make her even crazier. She may bitch and complain (half real and half joking) but she does so much for so many people... and I think  -- no, I know -- we are each other's voices  of sanity every year (though our definitions of "sanity" may not always be the same). I want to be her when I grow up.

And to be completely honest, Uncle P isn't afraid of eternal suffering by taking pride in yet another  hilarious and intensely satisfying JTMF show. So in celebration of the end of my duties as director, here's a potentially hyperbolic (though heartfelt and really true) bit of copy:

"Die Mommie Die!" is HILARIOUS! The cast is AMAZE-BALLS! Spend a week of sex; drugs; murder; mayhem and innuendo in Hollywood during the 'Summer of Love!' Don't miss this insanely warped comic thriller from Tony-nominee Charles Busch, author of "The Tale of the Allergist's Wife;" "Vampire Lesbians of Sodom" and "Psycho Beach Party."

Performances are tonight and tomorrow, June 24th  & 25th and Sunday, June 26th. The Friday and Saturday performances include a catered reception and Silent Auction, featuring items donated by both local and national merchants and artists. This year's items include designer handbags, original works of art and signed celebrity memorabilia. The Friday &; Saturday reception and bidding open at 7:00 PM; Curtain is at 8:00.  Curtain for the Sunday performance is at 2:00, and does not include the reception or silent auction.

Tickets are $25.00 for the Friday & Saturday shows; $12.00- $16.00 for the matinee. Tickets can purchased online at http://www.kelseyatmccc.org/; by phone at 609-570-3333 or at the Kelsey Box Office, one hour before curtain. If you can't attend but want to support the JTMF and our beneficiaries, you can make a safe and secure donation via PayPal at our website: http://www.jtmf.org/.

Now the serious reasons why you should attend or contribute:

HIV/AIDS is still a pandemic. Arts education funding in is being cut. Children are literally being bullied to death. 100% of our ticket sales go to our beneficiaries: The Opens Arms Foundation, The James Tolin Memorial Scholarship and The Trevor Project. Besides, parades and debauchery can be had almost any time of the year. Celebrating Pride with the JTMF is always a good time.

I'll be back on Monday with (hopefully) lots of pictures to share with those of you who couldn't be there. But if you can, see it live. I promise you'll never forget this one. I know I won't.

More, anon.

Prospero

Hell Week

I know at least a few of my regular readers are "theatre folk" who understand the phrase "Hell Week" all too well. For the uninitiated, Hell Week is the last week of rehearsal before a stage show opens. This is the week when everything we've been working towards for the last few months has to come together in a cohesive piece which can be both understood and appreciated by the audience members who have plunked down their hard-dollars and expect to be entertained in exchange for said hard-earned dollars.

It's when the acting; scenery; props; costumes; sound; lighting and makeup all have to line up to create a play. And its when a director (in this case, Uncle P) finds himself torn in a thousand directions at the same time; answering questions from dozens of collaborators while still trying to make sure his or her actors are still doing what he or she wants them to do; not to mention stroking the egos of said collaborators and actors so no one goes ballistic and sends the whole production into the toilet.

Of course, Hell Week for a JTMF show is a little different. In a JTMF show, egos are set aside because everyone knows the reason we're doing what we're doing isn't the show but rather the causes that the show supports.  100% of our ticket sales go to support the thee charities we hold dear to hearts: The Open Arms Foundation, The James Tolin Memorial Scholarship and The Trevor Project. The proceeds from our silent auction (and cash donations) are used to fund the upcoming year's show.

After nine years, we (the JTMF family) are pretty good at managing Hell Week, though it's still a stressful and occasionally painful time period. As they say, "The Devil's in the details" (hehe).

Hopefully, Hell Week for Die Mommie Die! will not be as painful as this movie seems to be from its trailer:

Yeah, it looks like that movie was made in a week. Yikes!

Tickets to the JTMF production of Charles Busch's comic thriller Die Mommie Die! are available at www.kelseyatmccc.org or by calling the Kelsey Theatre box office at 609-570-3333.  If you cannot attend but want to help, a secure online donation can be made via PayPal at www.jtmf.org.

More, eventually...
Prospero

By the way, did anyone see this week's "Law and Order: Criminal Intent"? If you've been following the Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark nonsense for the past year or so, you'll appreciate it.

P

A Night of R&R

That cutie-pie looks well-rested, doesn't he? Tonight is the first of my last 2 nights off before "hell week" begins for Die Mommie Die! I caught up on my guilty pleasure, "America's Got Talent" (three weeks in, and still no successor to Prince Poppycock, but there's still time) and not-as-guilty pleasure "The Glades," a Florida-set police procedural starring the very adorable Matt Passmore on A&E. 

Tomorrow will be a day for shopping, housework and more mind-clearing entertainment. I had flirted with the idea of seeing Green Lantern but after reading numerous bad reviews, I decided to wait for it OnDemand. I mean, why bother seeing the Sexiest Man Alive when his perfect physique is covered up in a CGI costume?

Most of my work with the cast of Die Mommie Die is done... There will be some minor tweaking here and there, but the bulk of my attention will now be on the technical aspects of the show: lighting, sound, set, costumes and makeup. Of course, most of the actors are ready - they just need an audience to feed them energy. The set will go up Sunday and Monday. My lighting designer is a genius who I trust implicitly (and who, after several years of working  together, knows exactly what I want) and the sound designer has been three steps ahead of me all the way. The costumer is a genius with needle and thread and I'm doing the main character's makeup myself, so I think we're pretty good to go. Directing a show is probably the closest a man can come to giving birth... While my physical pain is certainly far less than a woman's in labor, my angst is probably off the charts. At this point, I just have to breathe.. 

I'll leave you with this, apropos of nothing, except that it makes me smile (and a little angry):

More, anon.

Prospero

The Final Stretch

Are you sick of seeing that poster yet? 

Tomorrow starts the last two weeks of rehearsal before Die Mommie Die! opens on June 24th. I'm frantically trying to find appropriate music for the show as well as Mid-Century furniture for the set. Props are being gathered, purchased and/or made; lighting is being designed and costumes finalized. 

In other words, don't expect to hear much from me in the next two weeks, except maybe on the JTMF blog (though I may pop up on another blogger's blog -- more on that when and if it happens).

If you're in the Philadelphia/Trenton area and want to see a very funny show and support several very good causes, try and see Die Mommie Die! If you're a reader of mine, you're sure to love it.

Tickets are available at www.kelseyatmccc.org. If you can't make it to the show (though we'd much prefer you did) but want to make a donation, you can do so via PayPal at our website www.jtmf.org.

I'll drop a note or two when I can. You know I'm not one who can keep his mouth shut for long.

More, anon.

Prospero

My Talented Cast

Here they are folks -- my talented and gorgeous cast for the James Tolin Memorial Fund's production of Charles Busch's comic thriller Die Mommie Die!

Standing from L: D.C. Hamm, Kathy Garofano and John Devennie. Seated from L: Matty Daley, Damian Geata and Kelly Reilly.

As of today we are exactly 24 days away from Opening Night. Rehearsals are going well and most of them are almost completely off book. And there's a lot of wonderful creative energy in the room when they get going (at least until they devolve into fits of giggling over something hilarious one of them does).

But that's all part of the process: Discovering new ways to say a line; new faces to make; new poses to take or new bits of shtick to throw in. The plot (as in so many of Busch's shows) is completely ridiculous and completely hilarious. Busch's love of old movies and his ability to parody them is unparalleled and his take on the Southern Gothic genre is no exception. Honestly, who else would kill off a character with a poisoned suppository?

For me, directing a small ensemble cast is always a joy. The camaraderie that develops is like bottled magic and the performances that come out that kind of group dynamic are priceless. If you are within driving distance of Central New Jersey, you owe it to yourself to see this hilarious play (and help out more than one good cause). For tickets, visit www.kelseyatmccc.org or call the Kelsey Theatre Box Office at 609-570-3333. For more information about The James Tolin Memorial Fund, visit www.jtmf.org.

Shameless Self Promotion # 128 is now concluded. Back to our regularly scheduled nonsense, soon.

More anon.

Prospero

DMD Rehearsal Update

So, after an emergency re-casting and another actor's bout of Epstein-Barr, we've finally finished the basic blocking for Die Mommie Die! (for those unfamiliar -- 'blocking' is the actors' movement about the stage -- who walks, stands or sits and when and where they do so). For my shows the basic blocking usually doesn't change much after it's been set (unless I find that something doesn't work at all), but details can change either a little or a lot, depending on what we discover during the rest of the rehearsal process. Adding the real furniture and props can also make for some minor (and sometimes major) adjustments. Most experienced actors are used to this process and these changes prove no problem for them. One of my actors, however, is making her stage debut and just getting her used to the basics is proving challenging, though I am sure she'll be fine.

We did a little character work tonight, as well. I ask the actors questions about their characters and let them come up with their own ideas about who they are playing, gently prompting them in another direction, of need be. Of course, four of my six cast members have worked with me before. K and I have been doing theatre together since 1989, directing each other and acting together in more shows than I care to remember. And D is appearing in his 8th performance for me. I barely need to direct either of them at all. They know what I want and how to get there practically by instinct alone. And my angel Matty has already created an entire history for his character, sharing some hilarious details tonight that had all of us laughing. Then there's my "Leading Lady," who previously appeared as Steve in the JTMF production of The Most Fabulous Story... D.C. has gone all out with the character and after Fabulous, trusts me enough to give the performance we both know is needed. That leaves John and Kelly. John has tons of experience and has dived right in, fitting into the JTMF experience (truly unlike any other theatre company I have ever worked with) like he's been a part of the group from the beginning. Which leaves Kelly. A very talented young lady with plenty of camera experience, Kelly has never appeared on stage before. But her eagerness to please and learn is paying off and I have no doubts that she'll be wonderful.

Die Mommie Die! is probably one of the more outrageous shows we've ever done. It's also one of the most tech-heavy, requiring all sorts of sound and lighting effects, not to mention late-60's period costumes and a particularly tricky illusion in the second act. But I have no doubt that my very talented team is more than capable of pulling it off. They always have. 

Tickets for Die Mommie Die! are available now at www.kelseytheatre.net or on the JTMF website. If you are on the East Coast and within driving distance of central NJ, I urge not to miss what is certain to be the funniest and most outrageous show of the season. And you'll be helping to raise money for three terrific causes. 

OK - enough shameless self-promotion. Back to our regularly scheduled nonsense, soon.

More, anon.
Prospero

Dress, Voice, Style, Movement...

Does anyone do drag better than RuPaul? I mean, just at her. Gorgeous, no? And Ru is not only fabulous, but hilarious. From her appearances in The Brady Bunch movies to "RuPaul's Drag Race" on Logo, Ru never lets us forget that she's in on the joke. America's most visible Gender Illusionist, Ru is without doubt the most famous drag performer in the world.

My challenge this summer is to turn a straight actor into Ru. Or a 1967 White version of Ru.

My 'Leading Lady' and I went to our costumer's warehouse last night to find pieces for him to wear in the photos for the Prologue to Die Mommie Die!, which call for him to appear in various period shots as Peter Pan, Eliza Doolittle, Marie Antoinette and various incarnations of Angela Arden, the murderous vixen he's playing in the show. The two hours or so we spent there were both productive and hilarious, especially after he donned the onesie that gave him "breasts" which helped fill out the costumes he was trying on.

Of course, the broad-shouldered actor had size issues with many of the costumes we would have liked to use, but we managed to put together quite a few pieces that work for both the photo shoot and the actual production. And our brilliant costumer has assured me that she can alter existing pieces and/or build new pieces that will work for him. She's never let me down before, so I have full confidence in her abilities to turn this into this.

Tickets for the JTMF production of Charles Busch's comic thriller Die Mommie Die! are on sale now at www.kelseytheatre.net or by calling the Kelsey box office at 609-570-3333. 100% of our ticket sales go to The Open Arms Foundation, The James Tolin Memorial Scholarship and The Trevor Project. Proceeds from our Silent Auction - this year featuring items autographed by Cher; Elton John; Art Carney; Charles Shulz and Tim Burton - go towards the production costs of next year's benefit. If you can't attend, then please consider making a secure donation via PayPal at our website, www.jtmf.org.

Here are some excerpts from the original production starring author Charles Busch as Angela:

Die Mommie Die! runs for three performances only, June 24th, 25th & 26th at the Kelsey Theatre on the campus of Mercer County Community College in West Windsor, NJ. We hope to see you there. It's not only the funniest show you'll see this season, but an opportunity to make a difference and help people in need.

More, anon.

Prospero

Eyes, Hair, Mouth, Figure...

That's the amazing and hilarious playwright/actor Charles Busch as Angela Arden in Die Mommie Die!, the play I am currently directing for the James Tolin Memorial Fund's annual AIDS benefit, June 24th - 26th. Charles is a very handsome man who knows how to wield a makeup brush (and it helps that he has great bone structure).

Thankfully, I have been able to cast an equally handsome actor with great bone structure. David previously appeared as Steve in our production of The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told and I am thrilled that he agreed to play the role. Still, cheekbones aside, David isn't quite the 'petite flower' that Mr. Busch is. 6' 1" tall, broad-shouldered with an athletic build and size 12 feet, costuming him is going to be a challenge, to say the least.

I've been Googling "Transvestite Supplies;" "Transvestite Clothing" and "Transvestite Shoes" with limited success. When I played Arnold in Torch Song Trilogy, our producer found a Trans Clothing store on EBay, where she was able to procure a pair of black patent pumps with 3" heels for me. I'm hoping she'll be able to do the same for him. I'm planning a trip to M*A*C counter at Macy's for cosmetics and our costumer is going to do her best to find clothes in her stock, but finding late-60's period pieces in his size is going to be a challenge, at best.

So I am turning to you, dear readers, for help. If you know of any Trans clothing suppliers in the Philadelphia/New York/New Jersey area, please let me know. I'll even give you a "Special Thanks" nod in our program. You'll be helping a great cause, too.

Here are some clips from the 2003 movie version starring Busch; Natasha Lyonne; Jason Priestley; Frances Conroy and Philip Baker Hall:

PS - 10 points if you know the reference in this post's Musical Theatre-inspired title...

More, anon.
Prospero

And So It Begins, Again

I know the JTMF summer show is right around the corner when our brilliant graphic designer, Brian Valachovic presents us with his always amazing poster. And this year's is no exception. Brian designed our gorgeously simple posters for The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told and Sordid Lives.

Brian always manages to capture the show's essence in his posters and this year's poster carries on the tradition of excellence we've come to appreciate so very much. The scissors, the gun, the hot pink legs and the sploogy/bloody comma are all perfectly in tune with the show and what it's about. For those unfamiliar, Die Mommie Die! is Charles Busch's parody of soapy 1960's thrillers, most notably the 1964 Bette Davis movie Dead Ringer, co-starring Peter Lawford and Karl Malden.

Set in 1967 (during the so-called "Summer of Love"), Die Mommie Die! tells the story of former musical star Angela Arden, a has-been from the 40's and 50's who dropped out of the limelight to raise her children Edith (a spoiled Daddy's girl) and Lance (a gay hippie). When her husband, movie producer Sol Sussman dies under mysterious circumstances, Edith and Lance conspire to get the truth out of the woman they think is their mother. Angela's alcoholic maid Bootsie and gigolo Tony Parker also have their suspicions, but it's up to Lance, Edith and a tab of LSD to get to the truth. Inspired insanity from the author of Vampire Lesbians of Sodom; Psycho Beach Party and The Tale of the Allergist's Wife, Die Mommie Die may well be the funniest and most twisted JTMF production yet.

For newer readers, The James Tolin Memorial Fund is an organization with which I have have been proud to be associated since its inception in 2003. We produce events which feature shows with an LGBT theme to raise money for AIDS, Arts Education and Suicide Prevention charities. Our beneficiaries include The Open Arms Foundation of Hilssborough, NJ: The James Tolin memorial Scholarship at Mercer County Community Collge and The Trevor Project. James was a local actor in NJ and a former Theatrer student at MCCC. Some of our past productions have included Jeffrey; Torch Song Trilogy; The Altruists; Psycho Beach Party; What the Butler Saw and Sordid Lives. Our annual June gala includes a catered reception and silent auction. Last year, we added a Winter Event with our December production of It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play and will present a staged radio version of A Christmas Carol this coming December. Yours truly appeared in our first two productions and has directed every production since, including this one and I will make an appearance as a few characters in A Christmas Carol.

Tickets are now available for Die Mommie Die! at www.kelseyatmccc.org. You can also visit our blog (where you can also see a super-scary pic of Uncle P in drag) for updates or join us on Facebook (search "James Tolin Memorial Fund"). You only have three chances to catch the show: June 24th & 25th at 8:00 PM (Silent Auction opens at 7:00) and June 26th at 2:00 PM (does not include reception or Silent Auction). If you are unable to attend (though we would love to see you there), you can always make a safe and secure donation via PayPal at our website, www.jtmf.org.

Here's a little video about who we are, from last year:

Okay - enough shameless plugging for tonight. Join me tomorrow when I let you into the deepest depths of Uncle P's psyche and share one of the strangest dreams I've ever had... (bet you're chomping at the bit to attempt to psychoanalyze this particular psycho... or not. I don't really care, as long as you keep reading).

More, anon.

Prospero

It's Official

I've just met with our producer... the rights are paid for and the scripts have been ordered; Charles Busch's hilarious send-up of 1960's potboilers Die! Mommie! Die! is the official 2011 JTMF fundraiser show.

We had one of our best successes with another Busch show in 2006 with Psycho Beach Party and hope that DMD will have the same kind of impact. Most of the cast is already in place (4 JTMF regulars - including my Dear D, plus a newbie who was so amazingly brilliant in my production of Top Girls last fall) and we're about to start gathering our production crew. And even though the show is 4 and a half months away, I'm already starting to get excited. A JTMF show is the tonic I need each Spring to remind  me of why I love theatre, and why it's so important to do things that benefit others. It renews my faith in performing arts and humanity, especially when I see how supportive our audiences are.

For those unfamiliar, Die! Mommie! Die! tells the story of Angela Arden, a once-famous singer and movie star who left the spotlight to raise her children from a loveless marriage to mobster Sol Sussman. When Sol cuts off her credit cards, Angela poisons him with an arsenic-laced suppository. In an effort to elicit a confession from her, her children Lance and Edith slip LSD into her evening coffee, only to be shocked to learn that Angela is really her twin sister Barbara, who killed Angela and took her place many years ago. An homage to and spoof of films like Dead Ringer; Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? and Portrait in Black, Die! Mommie! Die! continues the JTMF tradition of presenting edgy, LGBT-themed comedies that appeal to a broad spectrum of audiences. 

Here's the trailer for the hilarious 2003 film version, starring Busch; Jason Priestly; Natasha Lyonne and the always brilliant Frances Conroy as the maid, Bootsie:

JTMF is also about to release our own video for the It Gets Better Project and has recently added The Trevor Project (a suicide prevention hotline for GLBT and questioning youth) to our beneficiaries. Keep watching for updates about Die! Mommie! Die! and our upcoming 10th Anniversary Gala project in 2012.

We hope to see you there.

More, anon.
Prospero