Psycho Beach Party

This year's JTMF production is Charles Busch's "Psycho Beach Party." Best known for the long-running Off Broadway hit, "Vampire Lesbians of Sodom" and the Tony nominated Broadway smash, "Tale of the Allergist's Wife," Charles Busch started writing plays to provide himself with work as an actor. His other plays include "Coma or Sleeping Beauty;" "Theodora, She-Bitch of Byzantium;" "Pardon My Inquisition;" the Bette Davis spoof, "Die, Mommy, Die!" and the McCarthyism-themed "Red Menace on Sunset."

Originally titled "Gidget Goes Psycho," "Psycho Beach Party" tells the story of Florence "Chicklet" Forrest, a teenager in Malibu, circa 1962, who wants nothing more than to be a surfer chick. Her best friend, the somewhat nerdy Berdine, and she spend hours talking in "teen speak" when they are not down on the beach helping the man-hungry Marvel Ann find a boyfriend. Meanwhile, surfers YoYo and Provolone are helping the surf king, Kanaka, prepare for the annual luau even as Chicklet begs Kanaka to teach her how to surf. But things aren't quite right in Malibu. Some one is attacking innocent beach-goers, knocking them unconscious and shaving ALL the hair off their bodies. Could it be the glamorous B-movie actress, Bettina Barnes, hiding incognito to avoid a studio contract which will ensure yet another stinker? Or is it Mrs. Forrest, Chicklet's obviously disturbed mother, who tells Chicklet that men are "coarse, hairy beasts" who only want one thing from a girl. And just who is the mysterious Ann Bowman?

To find out the answers to these and more questions, you'll have to attend the 5th Annual JTMF AIDS fund-raiser production of "Psycho Beach Party," June 22nd and 23rd at the Kelsey Theatre on the campus of Mercer County Community College in West Windsor, NJ. For more information, ticket reservations or to make a secure donation via PayPal, visit http://www.jtmf.org/.

Thanks for reading and come back for our next entry - The Cast.