{"product_id":"beyond-ridiculous-making-gay-theatre-with-charles-busch-in-1980s-new-york-9781609389192","title":"Beyond Ridiculous: Making Gay Theatre with Charles Busch in 1980s New York","description":"\u003ci\u003eBeyond Ridiculous\u003c\/i\u003e tells the story of Theatre-in-Limbo, a downtown band of actors formed in 1984 by director Kenneth Elliott and playwright and drag legend Charles Busch. They launched \u003ci\u003eVampire Lesbians of Sodom\u003c\/i\u003e at the Limbo Lounge, a raffish club in the fringes of the East Village, but it would later become the longest-running non-musical in off-Broadway history. From 1984 to 1991, Busch starred in eight Limbo productions, always in outrageously fabulous drag. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e In \u003ci\u003eBeyond Ridiculous\u003c\/i\u003e, Elliott narrates in first-person the company's Cinderella tale of fun, heartbreak, and dishy drama. At the center of the book is a young Charles Busch, an unforgettable personality fighting to be seen, be heard, and express his unique style as a writer-performer in plays such as \u003ci\u003ePsycho Beach Party\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eThe Lady in Question\u003c\/i\u003e. The tragedy of AIDS among treasured friends in the company, the struggle for mainstream acceptance of LGBTQ] theatre during the reign of President Ronald Reagan, and the exploration of new ways of being a gay theatre artist make the book a bittersweet and joyous ride.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eKenneth Elliott\u003c\/b\u003e has directed off-Broadway plays and musicals at New York theatres such as the Public, Primary Stages, and Manhattan Theatre Club. He is associate professor of theatre at Rutgers University-Camden, and chair of the Department of Visual, Media, and Performing Arts. He lives in Collingswood, New Jersey. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"University of Iowa Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50727478624530,"sku":"9781609389192","price":25.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_a8da6b0a-7639-4856-9428-df9350092239.jpg?v=1734909150","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/beyond-ridiculous-making-gay-theatre-with-charles-busch-in-1980s-new-york-9781609389192","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}