This Side Of Crazy

Critics

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Reviews: 12

Audience

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This Side Of Crazy

Written and Directed by Del Shores

THE CRAZY BEGINS FRIDAY, JANUARY 31

AT THE ZEPHYR THEATRE IN WEST HOLLYWOOD!

Beard Collins Shores Productions is thrilled to present the Los Angeles premiere of Dale Dickey, Bobbie Eakes, Sharon Garrison and Rachel Sorsa starring in the Los Angeles premiere of THIS SIDE OF CRAZY, written and directed by Del Shores. THIS SIDE OF CRAZY will preview on Thursday, January 30, 2020; will open on Friday, January 31 and run through Sunday, March 8 at the Zephyr Theatre, 7456 Melrose Ave., in West Hollywood.

Ditty Blaylock, the most prolific singer in gospel music history, is being honored by “Gospel Music Network.”  All the stars are aligning to sing Ditty’s songs on her TV special.  But there is one glitch.  A little hiccup.  Ditty has promised a reunion of The Blaylock Sisters, her three adult daughters who were once national sensations – “little superstars for Jesus.” Rachel, the oldest sister, who lives with Ditty, is furious when she finds out that her baby sister Bethany, an atheist and lesbian, and Abigail, her middle sister, who has “anger issues” and is currently confined to a mental facility, are headed home. What the public is unaware of is that these complicated sisters have been estranged for over twenty-five years – and extreme past circumstances, including a husband left in a coma, have made reconciliation impossible.  Once reunited, secrets are revealed, tempers flare and family wounds are exposed.

But…the show must go on!

ABOUT THE CREATIVE TEAM AND CAST

 DEL SHORES (Playwright/Director/Producer) is the writer/director/producer of the films “Sordid Lives,” “Blues for Willadean,” “Southern Baptist Sissies” and “A Very Sordid Wedding.” He wrote and executive produced the MGM feature “Daddy’s Dyin’…Who’s Got The Will?” He has written seven previous plays, all published by Samuel French, produced thousands of times worldwide with four adapted for the screen which have run collectively for over seven years in Los Angeles. Southern Baptist Sissies, won the GLAAD Award, The Trials and Tribulations of a Trailer Trash Housewife won the NAACP Theatre Award, and both Yellow and Trailer Trash won the LADCC Award for Best Original Play and Best Production.  In television, Del wrote, directed, executive produced and created the LOGO series, “Sordid Lives: The Series.” He also wrote and executive produced on the last three seasons of Showtime’s “Queer As Folk,” and wrote and produced for “Dharma & Greg” and “Ned & Stacey.” Shores has performed in hundreds of standup gigs in three national tours, all filmed for DVD.  His new one-man play Six Characters In Search Of A Play has performed in 33 cities, seven film festivals and won three film festival awards.  It premieres on BroadwayHD in December.  Shores was given the Lifetime Achievement Award from LA Weekly.

EMERSON COLLINS (Producer) is a producer, director and actor best known for four seasons of BRAVO’s “The People’s Couch” and “RENT” on FOX.  He produced and starred in “A Very Sordid Wedding” and “Southern Baptist Sissies,” winning Best Actor at the Red Dirt International Film Festival, and the national tour of the play of Sissies. Emerson won the Desert Theatre League Award for Best Actor in a Comedy for the one-man show Buyer & Cellar with Coyote Stageworks. Collins co-produced and recurred in LOGO’s “Sordid Lives: The Series” and produced “Blues For Willadean.”  He directed all three of Del Shores’ standup comedy DVD specials and directed Shores’ one-man play “Six Characters In Search Of a Play” on stage and for film where it won awards at three film festivals before it streams exclusively on BroadwayHD in December.

LOUISE H. BEARD (Producer) is a Tony Award-winning producer for A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder in 2013. Other Tony-nominated shows she produced include A Christmas Story, The Musical and Dames at Sea.

In London, Olivier-nominated shows she produced on include Dreamgirls (2017) and Company (2019) which won The Olivier Award for Best Revival of a Musical.  Louise co-produced “Blues For Willadean” and executive produced the films “Southern Baptist Sissies,” “A Very Sordid Wedding,” and all of Shores’ standup comedy specials including “Del Shores: Sordid Confessions,” “Del Shores: Naked. Sordid. Reality.,” and “Six Characters In Search of a Play.” Beard also executive produced the world premiere production of Del Shores’ play Yellow.

The cast of THIS SIDE OF CRAZY will feature (in alphabetical order): DALE DICKEY (“Unbelievable,” “Claws,” Spirit Award winner for  “Winter’s Bone”) as “Abigail Blaylock,” BOBBIE EAKES (“The Bold and the Beautiful,” “All My Children”) as “Rachel Blaylock,” SHARON GARRISON (“Game of Silence,” “Preacher”) as “Ditty Blaylock” and RACHEL SORSA (Ovation nominee Billy Boy, “Blues For Willadean”) as “Bethany Blaylock.”

THIS SIDE OF CRAZY has assembled an award-winning design team; The Scenic Design is by Tom Buderwitz. The Lighting Design is by Matthew Brian Denman. The Costume Design is by Shon LeBlanc. The Stage Manager is Letitia Chang. THIS SIDE OF CRAZY is produced by Emerson Collins, Louise Beard & Del Shores.

ABOUT THE SCHEDULE AND PRICING

 THIS SIDE OF CRAZY will preview on Thursday, January 30 at 8pm; will open on Friday, January 31at 8pm and run through Sunday, March 8 at 7pm at the Zephyr Theatre, 7456 Melrose Ave., in West Hollywood.

Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm; Sundays at 2pm & 7pm. 

Ticket prices are $39.00 for all performances.  Opening Night; $49.00. Preview: $20.00.

For tickets, please visit www.delshores.com to purchase tickets online or to view complete schedule. 

Buy One, Get One tickets for Friday and Sunday 7pm performances. Just mention Buy One, Get One, and you’ll get it. No code needed.

 

Reviews

Brilliant writing and direction from Del Shores and sensational performances from Sharon Garrison, Bobbie Eakes, Dale Dickey and Rachel Sorsa. Don't miss this laugh.out.loud dramedy about Southern women who enjoy making life miserable for one another.

sweet - Don Grigware - Grigware Reviews - ...read full review


Del Shores was born in Winters, Texas, and raised by his mother, a former high school drama teacher and the quirky members of her Southern Baptist family. He makes no bones about the fact most, if not all, his brilliantly written female characters are based, in part, on real women who populated his early life in small town America. The popular American film director and producer, television writer and producer, playwright and actor is an expert at creating mid-twentieth century lowbrow female characters, salt of the earth Southern women on the surface who bubble with peppery torment beneath the surface, just waiting to explode, on display to perfection by four incredibly talented performers.

sweet - Shari Barrett - Broadway World - ...read full review


THIS SIDE OF CRAZY is faultlessly written and directed by Del Shores with the invaluable aid of four very talented performers – one better than the next. Playwright Shores has managed to elegantly parse these women’s personalities and dig into their individual deep-rooted drives with compassion, humor, and flashes of the poignant. Tom Buderwitz’s scenic design fits right in, as do Shon Le Blanc’s costumes, Matthew Brian Denman’s lighting, and Drew Dalzell’s sound. As the Blaylock Sisters sing their signature song, it’s obvious that musical director Blake McIver is having fun with the gospel scene. THIS SIDE OF CRAZY is a not-to-be-missed production which showcases the talents of everyone involved.

sweet - Elaine Mura - Splash Magazines - ...read full review


The trick with Shores writing is the fine line walked between schtick and the reality of the lives of his characters. Directing the production himself, these actors rise to the occasion beautifully.
For playgoers who have enjoyed Del Shores' writing and his many productions (including film versions of at least two of his plays) this is a must see.

sweet - Michael Sheehan - On Stage Los Angeles - ...read full review


As director, Shores extracts in-depth performances from the ensemble, while keeping the action flowing at just the right pace.

The actors are uniformly splendid.

RECOMMENDED

sweet - Iris Mann - Stage Raw - ...read full review


Religion, homosexuality, sibling rivalry, celebrity—all are topics Shores knows well, and his characters never disappoint. The small Zephyr Theatre makes a perfect intimate showcase allowing the audience to get up close and personal with the actors, making it a very satisfying evening.

sweet - Melinda Schupmann - ShowMag - ...read full review


Shores’ latest offering, “This Side of Crazy,” now in its L.A. premiere at the Zephyr, straddles the line between the comedic and the serious — not always successfully.

sweet-sour - F. Kathleen Foley - LA Times - ...read full review


Del Shores, who also directs as he does many of his productions, is an old hand at writing about dysfunctional religiously-obsessed southerners with families who should all get a group discount on psychotropic medications. This is hardly a genre not excessively explored to the point of artistic redundancy, yet no one does it quite like he does.

sweet - Travis Michael Holder - Ticket Holders LA - ...read full review


In signature Shores style, Southern family dysfunction, religion, and homosexuality are interwoven into this hilarious, heart-rending work. One thing this son-of-a-pastor excels at — and this work proves no exception — is illuminating the complexities of humanity, warts and all. Whether through drama or humor (his works employ both), Shores’ plays showcase his keen observations of the human condition, even as he heightens them for theatricality. And while Crazy is diminished at times with expository dialog, it nevertheless succeeds in presenting three-dimensional characters who mirror our deepest challenges and provide a provocative journey into the heart of forgiveness.

sweet-sour - Marc Wheeler - Stage and Cinema - ...read full review


Uproariously funny, devastatingly authentic, and resolutely moving–practically beyond words, this latest chapter in the ‘Gospel according to Shores’ is a spot-on, slice-of-life ‘dramedy’ that returns to ground well-traversed by way of his previous stage endeavors…“This Side Of Crazy” lives up to that high standard set by Shores’ previous works. He knows this territory and these people and that’s how he so capably is able to introduce us to them here.

sweet - Leo Buck - Bucking Trends - ...read full review


As usual with Shores’ writing, he has you near tears laughing hysterically one moment and then trying to hold back the tears as he rips out your heart with gut-wrenchingly heartfelt deeply human moments....Shores skillfully directs his play, eliciting every emotional moment while making sure every laugh line delivers the laughs. His superb quartet of actresses...

sweet - Rob Stevens - Haines His Way - ...read full review


No one writes about the sordid lives of Southern Baptist women with more vinegar-laced love and affection than Del Shores, once again delighting Zephyr Theatre audiences with his latest dramedic treat, a rib-tickling, tear-jerking Kentucky-fried feast appropriately dubbed This Side Of Crazy.

sweet - Steven Stanley - StageSceneLA - ...read full review


Brilliant writing and direction from Del Shores and sensational performances from Sharon Garrison, Bobbie Eakes, Dale Dickey and Rachel Sorsa. Don't miss this laugh.out.loud dramedy about Southern women who enjoy making life miserable for one another.

sweet - Don Grigware - Grigware Reviews - ...read full review


Del Shores was born in Winters, Texas, and raised by his mother, a former high school drama teacher and the quirky members of her Southern Baptist family. He makes no bones about the fact most, if not all, his brilliantly written female characters are based, in part, on real women who populated his early life in small town America. The popular American film director and producer, television writer and producer, playwright and actor is an expert at creating mid-twentieth century lowbrow female characters, salt of the earth Southern women on the surface who bubble with peppery torment beneath the surface, just waiting to explode, on display to perfection by four incredibly talented performers.

sweet - Shari Barrett - Broadway World - ...read full review


THIS SIDE OF CRAZY is faultlessly written and directed by Del Shores with the invaluable aid of four very talented performers – one better than the next. Playwright Shores has managed to elegantly parse these women’s personalities and dig into their individual deep-rooted drives with compassion, humor, and flashes of the poignant. Tom Buderwitz’s scenic design fits right in, as do Shon Le Blanc’s costumes, Matthew Brian Denman’s lighting, and Drew Dalzell’s sound. As the Blaylock Sisters sing their signature song, it’s obvious that musical director Blake McIver is having fun with the gospel scene. THIS SIDE OF CRAZY is a not-to-be-missed production which showcases the talents of everyone involved.

sweet - Elaine Mura - Splash Magazines - ...read full review


The trick with Shores writing is the fine line walked between schtick and the reality of the lives of his characters. Directing the production himself, these actors rise to the occasion beautifully.
For playgoers who have enjoyed Del Shores' writing and his many productions (including film versions of at least two of his plays) this is a must see.

sweet - Michael Sheehan - On Stage Los Angeles - ...read full review


As director, Shores extracts in-depth performances from the ensemble, while keeping the action flowing at just the right pace.

The actors are uniformly splendid.

RECOMMENDED

sweet - Iris Mann - Stage Raw - ...read full review


Religion, homosexuality, sibling rivalry, celebrity—all are topics Shores knows well, and his characters never disappoint. The small Zephyr Theatre makes a perfect intimate showcase allowing the audience to get up close and personal with the actors, making it a very satisfying evening.

sweet - Melinda Schupmann - ShowMag - ...read full review


Shores’ latest offering, “This Side of Crazy,” now in its L.A. premiere at the Zephyr, straddles the line between the comedic and the serious — not always successfully.

sweet-sour - F. Kathleen Foley - LA Times - ...read full review


Del Shores, who also directs as he does many of his productions, is an old hand at writing about dysfunctional religiously-obsessed southerners with families who should all get a group discount on psychotropic medications. This is hardly a genre not excessively explored to the point of artistic redundancy, yet no one does it quite like he does.

sweet - Travis Michael Holder - Ticket Holders LA - ...read full review


In signature Shores style, Southern family dysfunction, religion, and homosexuality are interwoven into this hilarious, heart-rending work. One thing this son-of-a-pastor excels at — and this work proves no exception — is illuminating the complexities of humanity, warts and all. Whether through drama or humor (his works employ both), Shores’ plays showcase his keen observations of the human condition, even as he heightens them for theatricality. And while Crazy is diminished at times with expository dialog, it nevertheless succeeds in presenting three-dimensional characters who mirror our deepest challenges and provide a provocative journey into the heart of forgiveness.

sweet-sour - Marc Wheeler - Stage and Cinema - ...read full review


Uproariously funny, devastatingly authentic, and resolutely moving–practically beyond words, this latest chapter in the ‘Gospel according to Shores’ is a spot-on, slice-of-life ‘dramedy’ that returns to ground well-traversed by way of his previous stage endeavors…“This Side Of Crazy” lives up to that high standard set by Shores’ previous works. He knows this territory and these people and that’s how he so capably is able to introduce us to them here.

sweet - Leo Buck - Bucking Trends - ...read full review


As usual with Shores’ writing, he has you near tears laughing hysterically one moment and then trying to hold back the tears as he rips out your heart with gut-wrenchingly heartfelt deeply human moments....Shores skillfully directs his play, eliciting every emotional moment while making sure every laugh line delivers the laughs. His superb quartet of actresses...

sweet - Rob Stevens - Haines His Way - ...read full review


No one writes about the sordid lives of Southern Baptist women with more vinegar-laced love and affection than Del Shores, once again delighting Zephyr Theatre audiences with his latest dramedic treat, a rib-tickling, tear-jerking Kentucky-fried feast appropriately dubbed This Side Of Crazy.

sweet - Steven Stanley - StageSceneLA - ...read full review