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Bitches

Reviewed by Neal Weaver

Acting Artists Theater

Through November 2

This farce, written and directed by Sean Abley, belongs to that subset of gay theater which specializes in sending up (or cannibalizing) the plots and themes of more conventional works for its own deliberately trashy purposes. It’s set in the Susan B. Anthony School for Girls, and though all the characters are female, they’re played by male actors. Since the actors are not costumed as women, and make no serious attempt to appear feminine (one has a full beard), the result is a drag show without the drag.

Sindee Sandstone (a strenuously campy Drew Droege) is the Big Bitch on Campus, used to getting her own way in everything, including leading the cheer-leading squad and being queen of the prom. When tough athletic coach Lila Dench (a stylish James Jaeger) demotes her to an alternate on the pep squad, she’s histrionically out for revenge against Angelatina Vindechi (Matt Valle), who has supplanted her on the team. Too shrewd to act on her own behalf, Sindee presses her minions, Pepper and Carmelle (Timothy Joshua Hearl and Michael Vaccaro) to act in her stead. An attempt to dose Angelatina with Gatorade spiked with ipecac fails when Sindee drinks the doctored drink by mistake. Further enraged, Sindee demands that Angelatina be shot, and her hench-women comply, providing Angelatina with an athletically hammy death scene. But you can’t keep a good girl down and Angelatina returns as a ghost, shrouded in black veiling, to haunt her assassin.

Abley’s script and direction are vulgar, obvious, derivative, and misogynistic, but that’s apparently a winning combination for his audience, which giggled and guffawed throughout.

The Magnum Players and Brandon Clark at The Acting Artists Theater, 7313 Santa Monica Boulevard, West Hollywood; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m., (added perfs Sunday, Nov. 2, 5 p.m.; no perf Oct. 31); through Nov. 2. Suggested for adult audience, 16 and over. (800) 838-3006 or https://bitchesplay.brownpapertickets.com