From Playhouse615
Sordid Lives: A Captivating Production
“A tale of Southern pride,” Del Shores’ 1996 play Sordid Lives is affectionately described as a white-trash black comedy. It juxtaposes conflicting, often humorous themes that reflect Southern life. While not literally based on Shores’ life, the play is autobiographical regarding his experiences growing up gay in rural Texas.
Winters, Texas, the play’s setting and Shores’ hometown, represents many segments of rural America that struggle to accept the LGBTQ+ community. This creates a stark juxtaposition: a culture known for strong community bonds and warm hospitality are yet often intertwined with prejudice and discrimination, often stemming from American evangelical Christian influence. Shores’ work, including Sordid Lives, uses comedy to highlight the uncomfortable and nuanced maneuvering required when families must reconcile differences around issues of morality, including sexual orientation.
Playhouse615 in Mt. Juliet recently delivered a captivating production of Sordid Lives. Housed in a cozy theater within a strip mall on Lebanon Road, the venue welcomed us with friendly staff and a warm atmosphere. The rustic charm of the space seamlessly blended into the setting, transporting us to the bar The Two Wooden Legs. Fitting was a recording of Tammy Wynette’s “Stand by Your Man” crooning throughout the house before the show, foreshadowing Brother Boy’s obsession with the country icon. The opportunity to speak with the cast members, specifically Bel Stuart (who played Noletta), revealed the joy and camaraderie that permeated the Sordid Lives experience. Director Erin-Grave Bailey echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the cast’s remarkable unity, evident in their compelling August 4, 2024 performance.
The story begins with the death of Peggy Ingram, the family matriarch, and a self-proclaimed “good Christian woman.” However, she had a secret. Peggy had an affair with her friend Noletta’s husband, G.W., and it all came out when they were in a cheap motel: Peggy tripped over G.W.’s prosthetic legs, fell, and hit her head on a table. She died and everyone in Winters is talking about it.
Noletta and LaVonda (Peggy’s daughter) together set out to get even with the men in their lives who have betrayed them. Noletta confronts her husband G.W., highlighting his chauvinistic ways. LaVonda addresses her grudge with Wardell and Odell Owens. LaVonda and Wardell were a couple twenty years ago, but their relationship ended when the Owens brothers beat up her gay brother (nicknamed Brother Boy) for having a crush on Wardell and dressing like Tammy Wynette. This led to Peggy committing Brother Boy to an institution for “dehomosexualization” treatment.
The cast expertly balances comedic performances with serious themes like death, adultery, homophobia, assault, and the psychological abuse of gay conversion therapy. At the institution, Dr. Eve Bolinger exposes herself to Brother Boy and coaxes him to have sex as a last resort treatment attempt. When this fails, she verbally assaults him, calling him a “fool” and a “hopeless pathetic freak.” The audience’s laughter momentarily stops. For some, maybe it was Dr. Bolinger’s audacity, or perhaps the scene evoked memories of being called similar names. However, Raimo as Brother Boy finds inner strength: “I’m not doing nothing else you say, Dr. Eve. Do you hear me? Nothing.” The tension of Dr. Eve’s abusiveness breaks and the audience applauds.
Notable characters include another of Peggy’s kids, Latrelle Williamson, and her son Ty. Latrelle, somewhat self-righteous, follows in her mother’s footsteps. She is concerned about her mother being buried in an ugly mink stole. She lies about her mother having a fling with G.W. saying it was due to a brain tumor affecting the “sexual” part of her brain. She forbids Brother Boy from attending the funeral, ashamed of him, while her son Ty comes out to her as gay. Many in the queer community, especially those from similar family dynamics, can relate to this awkward conversation with their mothers or parental figures. Vinson convincingly portrays a mother disappointed and reconciling with her son’s sexuality. The sense of relief in the audience when Latrelle utters, “I know you’re gay, Ty. I’ve always known, but could we please just bury your grandmother and get on with life!” is palpable. I had to wipe away tears during this scene.
My favorite moment in the play features Sissy Hickey, whom I admire. Before the funeral, with Peggy’s body in a coffin, Sissy enters and bids farewell to her sister. Bearden’s powerful performance reveals much about Sissy. Despite life’s challenges, she retains some innocence. She doesn’t judge her sister. Her grievances aren’t about Peggy’s adultery, but rather her lack of caution: “I mean, you turn on a light when you get up to go to the bathroom!!…. If you are gonna have affairs, you have got to be more careful!” A poignant moment occurs when Sissy touches up her sister’s lipstick – misty rose, naturally – before saying goodbye: “You look real good. I loved you, Sister. I did. I do.” This scene embodies the heart of Sordid Lives: even amidst hardship, love and kindness endure.
In addition to putting on play productions, Playhouse615 teaches acting classes and hosts events. While their run of Sordid Lives is now over, October 18 will begin Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors, and will run until November 3. For tickets and more information, see Playhouse 615.
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A Georgia native, Stephen D. Turner moved to Nashville in 2023 with his partner of over thirteen years. When he isn’t hiking in the woods or enjoying the ocean, Stephen is a musicologist and tubist who teaches music at Tennessee State University.
