A Trashy Good Time: ‘Sordid Lives’ To Stage At SCC

It is nearly impossible to erase a lifelong Southern accent. Michael Disher would know—he had just about done it.

The North Carolina native moved to the East End in 1982, and ever since, changing his speech patterns had been a daily grind, he explained last week during a telephone interview. But just recently, in one fell swoop, all of his hard work has been undone: when rehearsals started for Del Shores’ white trash classic, “Sordid Lives,” opening Thursday at the Southampton Cultural Center.

“I’ve worked so hard to get rid of it, and it’s all come back,” he said with a laugh and an undeniable twang. I said, “Oh no, Michael, what have you done to yourself?”

While Mr. Disher brought his Southern roots to the play—which follows the escapades of the Ingram family after it’s rocked by an adulterous affair that ends in death—his co-director, Joan Lyons, added her sensitivity to it, he said, which is sorely needed in a production like this.

“There will be transvestites, caskets, country music sung live, hopefully beer sold at the concession stand,” Mr. Disher said. “I think it promises to be a real honky tonky evening. Interested in coming now?”

The Southampton Press: Well, this is quite the endeavor. Was the cast familiar with the play?

Disher: No. No one’s done it around here—for good reason. I don’t know what I was thinking. No, I know exactly what I was thinking. Back in August, we were desperate to put the season together and Joan Lyons was supposed to direct the January show. We decided to do it together. We first wanted to do “Crimes of the Heart,” but the rights were denied. Then we wanted “A Delicate Balance,” and the rights were denied. We were coming up on crunch time and I had spoken to a friend from Connecticut who mentioned “Sordid Lives” to me.

I had known nothing about the piece. I’m probably the only person from the South who didn’t.

Doesn’t it have a huge cult following in the South?

Disher: Yes! And not only in the South, but in the North, with the LGBT community. I knew nothing about it—the play or the film—and friends of mine were absolutely shocked that I didn’t. I was like, “Well okay, sorry.”

I looked at the film, read the script and I thought, “Well, okay, this is definitely a wild card.” I handed it to Joan and she read it and we decided, “Let’s throw caution to the wind. Let’s do something that irreverent, that politically incorrect and a lot of fun, and completely cause chaos and absolute mayhem.” Why not, it’s January.

What did you think of the film, when you finally watched it?

Disher: I said, “Oh, dear.” I didn’t particularly care for the film. I thought it was directed a little heavy handedly. But there were great one-liners and great characters and, truly, I have to admit, having grown up in the South, I looked at some of these characters and said, “I know that one, I know that one.” Yes, they do exist. This was set in Texas, but there’s not really that much difference.

Who in particular?

Disher: The elder sister of the woman who has, unfortunately, died in the seedy motel, I’ve known women like her. And I have known men like the bar owner. So, suddenly, all of these characters became very, very stark memories, very vivid memories of pieces of my past that, quite honestly, I really wanted to forget.

How are you approaching this play as a director?

Disher: You shoot for the comedy. There is a level of this piece that is definitely camp, and then there is the cult following. I know of people coming to the show who will probably spew some of the better known lines out with the characters. It may be an interactive, country “Rocky Horror Picture Show.” And I find that very, very frightening.

I also find it so invigorating for the cast members because you’re dealing with a real wild card here. And when you deal with high camp comedy, you have to go with whatever is thrown at you. It’s kind of like what Madonna wore in 1980s: whatever stuck, she wore.

How is the cast handling it?

Disher: They are doing yeoman’s work. I think they are intrigued by the entire process. I think their sense of comedy is being heightened by it, and I also think they are scared to death.

This could either turn out to be a tremendous hit, or it could be a humongous flop. But that’s what makes the whole process of theater so inviting to me. Basically, we structure an entire season upon tried and true classics. I just wanted to have one piece in there that, really, no one knew, would probably offend everyone, make them laugh—and is there anything better than a good laugh?

Everything about this piece is wild. Everything about the whole process has been wild. It has just been one comedic sketch after another. For instance, I had to find a casket. And not only did I have to find a casket, but I had to get it into the Cultural Center. I had to find someone who would be willing to lie in the casket for 20 minutes and not move and play a dead woman. I mean, really.

What do you think the audience will think?

Disher: So often I think about the patrons we have at the theater and I go, “How are they going to react to this?” And I think that’s my greatest curiosity. I really think there’s that deep-seated humor within us that we find the absurd laughable. Hopefully. You never know out here.

You can never predict who will or will not come to the theater. We used to say, primarily, the theater was attended by older, more mature, more knowledgeable people. And hopefully this play will open up the audience to, perhaps, people who haven’t come to the theater exactly for those reasons. Perhaps this will be something a little more low brow, shall I say?

There is nothing political in this play, there is no social merit whatsoever. There is no relevance. It’s just a small town in Texas where this horrible adulterous situation happened and this dysfunctional family trying to deal with the pieces of it.

Have you come around to the play?

Disher: I like the play. I think it’s very, very dated in many ways, I think Del Shores was just writing his whole coming out story, which is kind of passé these days. I don’t think anyone cares much about that anymore. But as a period piece and as a family piece, it will strike chords within everyone.

“Sordid Lives” will open on Thursday, January 14, at 7:30 p.m. at the Southampton Cultural Center. Performances will continue through Sunday, January 31, on Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., and Sundays at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $22 and $12 for students under age 21 with ID. For more information, call (631) 287-4377, or visit scc-arts.org.