Frameline 29: The Lady in Question is Charles Busch

As a young actor, Charles found it tough to get work as an impersonater of classic film stars. So he turned to writing, creating plays like "Vampire Lesbians of Sodom," which allowed him to enact the melodramatic leading lady roles that he couldn't find elsewhere. Eventually, the audiences at these shows grew, and someone realized that they might be able to make a living off of their campy productions. Hysterical performances and dialogue abounded in those shows -- our favorite example being a girl character who boasts of her maturity, "I'm bleeding regularly!" There's a wealth of archival footage from Charles' mid-80s stage productions; thank God someone had the presence of mind to videotape them, because this collection makes fascinating viewing.