The Trials and Tribulations of a Trailer Trash Housewife

Written By Del Shores
Directed By Kelsey Crawford

July 31-August 16, 2014
Thursdays-Saturdays at 8pm
Sunday Matinee at 2pm

Performed at 5th Avenue Antiques

Willi is the trailer trash housewife of the title, not necessarily of her own volition. Her abusive husband won’t let her get a job, one of her children is dead, and the other is verboten by her husband because he’s gay. Her best and only friend, a large black woman who lives next door, worries about her constantly, always concerned that Willi’s husband will end up killing her. A new woman comes to live in the trailer park and ends up having an affair with Willi’s husband. When she finds out, Willi decides to get a job at the local Wal-Mart (a first step on the way to liberating herself from him). Her husband will have none of it, and quoting the bible about how a wife is supposed to obey her husband, threatens all three women with a gun, and then beats Willi to within an inch of her life. She recovers enough to finally shoot him, releasing her from the torment that she’d been living in for years. A blues singer weaves songs into the action, commenting upon Willi’s predicament and urging her toward decisive action.

Featuring: Penny Thomas, Chuck Duck, Tonya Marshall, Flannery Whaley, and Amyna Price


AL.COM REVIEW
It’s poignant and touching.
— Alec Harvey

Del Shores is the writer/director/producer of the films Sordid Lives, Blues for Willadean, Southern Baptist Sissies and A Very Sordid Wedding. He wrote and executive produced the MGM feature Daddy’s Dyin’...Who’s Got The Will? His plays Cheatin’, Daddy’s Dyin’ (Who’s Got The Will?), Daughters of the Lone Star State, Sordid Lives, Southern Baptist Sissies, The Trials and Tribulations of a Trailer Trash Housewife, Yellow, This Side of Crazy and A Very Sordid Wedding are all published by Concord/Samuel French. In television, Del Shores wrote, directed, executive produced and created the LOGO series Sordid Lives: The Series. He also wrote and executive produced Showtime’s groundbreaking Queer As Folk for the last three seasons, and wrote and produced for Dharma & Greg and Ned & Stacey.