EDGE Chicago

It’s funny how sometimes just a taste of Busch can convert you for life, as William Rogers can likely attest to.

The 28-year-old director and producer was first whacked by the work of the Tony-nominated playwright and drag icon Charles Busch while directing two of his early plays - Sleeping Beauty of Coma and Theodora She-Bitch of Byzantium - during his senior year as an undergrad at an art school in Savannah, Ga. And today, just over a half-decade later, Rogers is at the helm of Busch Fest, a four-play homage to Busch, playing at Mary’s Attic for a limited run through February 20.

In addition to Sleeping Beauty and Theodora, Busch Fest features the lesser-known Pardon My Inquisition or Kiss The Blood Off My Castanets and the infamous Vampire Lesbians of Sodom. The production is intended to reflect how the plays were originally written and performed by Busch and his "rag-tag" crew of performers in seedier, off-off-off-Broadway years before he was on the Tony committee’s radar.

And, Rogers said, it still manages to carry a distinctively Chicago air, which makes sense considering Busch’s own Chicagoland roots, having attended Northwestern University, and the city’s more recent embracing of the avant-garde.

"We wanted to pay homage to those early days of Busch’s work with a Chicago twist," Rogers told EDGE. "This is an ensemble-centric, improv-friendly community and this is a tight-knit ensemble that all play multiple characters in the four shows. The cast brings a freshness and a danger of not knowing what’s going to happen next in each show."

The cast’s tightness owes back to Rogers’ original roots with Busch. One ensemble member - Ashleigh Ross - is a college friend of Rogers’ and will be reprising the same roles she played in his original staging, alongside other actors Rogers said he handpicked from other productions, including EDGE favorite Ed Jones. The rest of the cast matches the collaborative nature of the project, arriving via the show’s other directors - The New Colony’s Andrew Hobgood and Bare Boned Theatre’s Jeff Bouthiette.

Together, they bring a raucous energy - which Rogers described as "herding cats at times" - that would make Busch proud. Rogers met with the playwright in his home last year, spending some time discussing the project and gaining his blessing before Busch stopped in the Windy City for another event last December. Then, the cast met with Busch and the original "vampire lesbian" Julie Halston.

"We went to dinner and they both answered our questions on how the shows were originally done, and it was exciting to see what they’re doing now," Rogers shared. "They were willing to answer anything and were really curious about our cast. It was a dream come true."

Throughout the rehearsal process, Rogers has kept in touch with Busch, who would have come to the show were he not prepping to open a new production of his own - The Divine Sister - in New York early this month. But for all those Busch fans in Chicago, you can rest assured his presence will be very much felt as Mary’s Attic is transformed from 1960’s mod London to a vampire paradise and everything in between - and the printed program even features a drinking game to encourage "audience participation."

"Everyone leaves smiling and a little drunker," Rogers said. "You won’t have to think and mull it over, but just come, grab a drink and laugh and play with the cast."

Busch Fest runs through February 20 with the four shows split between two programs which alternate performances on Fridays and Saturdays at Mary’s Attic, 5400 N. Clark. For a schedule, tickets or more information, visit www.buschfest.com or call 800-838-3006.