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San Pedro Actor’s Troupe Playhouse on American Ave. in Oracle presents the Tribute Artist
Go see The Tribute Artist, the latest production of the SPATS Theater. It is a fun filled, gender bending, cross dressing romp in a Greenwich Village townhouse full of ribald humor, sexual suggestiveness and scheming men and women and girls that are boys and men that are women who love men and women who love women and are all confused and suffer the frailties of being human.
But leave the kids at home. This is definitely an adult comedy.
The play by Charles Busch is about an out of work female impersonator, Jimmy who takes on the persona of Adriana his elderly landlady who dies in her sleep. Adriana had no living relatives or friends. Jimmy pretends to be Adrianna to keep the townhouse long enough to sell it and share the profits with Rita his lesbian friend and a real estate agent. Some say the worst real estate agent in New York.
Their “fool proof” plan runs into problems along the way when three characters with an interest in the townhouse show up. Christina, out of work, depressed with very low self-esteem. If it wasn’t for bad luck, she wouldn’t have any luck at all. Christina, played very well by Christine Oberth, is the heir to the townhouse but there is a catch, Adriana can live in the townhouse until she dies which means it can’t be sold for the millions it is worth unless some type of agreement is made.
Rachel/Oliver is Christina’s daughter turning son who is dealing with being transgender and her mother’s depressing attitude. Rachel/Oliver is played by Becky Greer. Rodney, played by M. Van Howell is Adriana’s much younger ex-lover from many years ago with dark secrets of his own. Will he discover Adriana’s not who or what she used to be?
The whole cast does a wonderful job. Melissa Sears does a good job as Rita. Rose Ann Weaver played Adriana before she dies and lets you know why she had no friends. Imo Baird does a remarkable job as Jimmy/Adriana. Seeing him in drag is worth the price of admission. Imo pulls off not only having to play a woman, Adriana, but channeling other characters he has impersonated in the past such as Marilyn Monroe, Katherine Hepburn and Bette Davis when the time calls for it. Don’t call Jimmy a female impersonator, he hates that term. He prefers being known as a Tribute Artist.
The Tribute Artist has one more weekend to go. Shows are on Friday, Saturday and Sunday April 7,8, and 9. Be sure to get your tickets by calling 520-896-2017.
On the set of the Tribute Artist.
John Hernandez lives in Oracle. He is retired and enjoys writing and traveling. He is active in the Oracle Historical Society. He covers numerous public events, researches historical features and writes business/artist profiles.
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