Psycho Beach Party is so bad, its fun
Starting Thursday, April 17, and continuing through Sunday, April 20 and the weekend of April 24 to 26, with all shows at 10 p.m., the free performance is decidedly not for everyone, warns director Greg London, an adjunct theater professor who also plays Kanaka, the greatest surfer in the world.
This character spoof of the early 60s beach movies (think Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello) is rowdy with bad language, violence and a male actor playing the lead role of Chicklet, the beach girl around whom all the action centers. Some language might not be acceptable to everyone, said London.
Written by Charles Busch in the camp genre, this really raucous show has a murder mystery plot at its heart. Described as a combination slasher movie, surf movie and thriller, the plot of Psycho Beach Party revolves around people being attacked and shaved from head to toe, and no one can figure out whos doing it.
Senior theater student Danny Garrity plays the lead character of Chicklet, a beach girl, and Emily Perkins, a freshman, is the B movie actress. Community actor Jourdan Green is the nerdy best friend of Chicklet, and Michael Bratsafolis is the beach hunk.
Jean Doyle plays the hateful beach girl, and Katie Cush is the crazed mother of Chicklet who locks her in her room when she begins to suspect her daughter of the dastardly misdeeds.
Melissa Lyons acts as DeeDee, the perky beach girl, while Scott Dean and Dan Morgan are surf bums.
Performances will be at 10 p.m. Thursday, April 17, through Sunday, April 20, and again Thursday, April 24, through Saturday, April 26.
The two-act play with a 10-minute intermission should run about an hour and 20 minutes, and its free. So leave your inhibitions at home, Dude, and come enjoy this campy romp.