Gay playwright Johnny Drago brings ‘Buckhead is Burning’ to East Atlanta

GA Voice: What the heck is this play is about? And who are the stars of the show?
Johnny Drago: “Buckhead is Burning” is a soap opera style dinner theater experiment about an Atlanta socialite who sells her soul to the devil in exchange for limitless wealth and power (so long as she stays inside the perimeter). I really wanted the play to be all about jewelry and affairs and catfights, and it was fun to tailor the roles to each of the artists I knew would be working on the piece.

Performance artist and pop sensation Nicky Click plays Nichole St. Clickington, the anti-heroine of the soap, and sort of a perverted, satanic alter-ego of herself. Dax ExclamationPoint plays her societal nemesis D’Alexandria DuPointe, bringing every inch of glamour you expect from a first-rate drag artist. I wrote and directed the piece, and I’m also playing Nichole St. Clickington’s son and daughter, who conveniently happen to be identical twins. Ladyjane Meredith, graphic designer and silkscreener extraordinaire, and area man Alex Strozier, both take the stage for the first time as an ancient mariner and a kind of French maid, respectively.

What kind of controversy do you expect this show to drum up?
Hahaha! Yes, I’ve learned a few lessons, putting on plays here in town over the last few years. I’ve learned that I’m part of a larger community. And that people are actually listening. And that, if I have a mouthpiece to speak to a wider audience of people, I should probably decide first what it is I want to say.

In this instance, riffing off of soap operatic ideas, I knew the themes would be wealth and glamour and luxury. So it’s been fun for me to make the connection between the unapologetic materialism on constant display in this town and a kind of insidious sense of evil. The idea of the play is that she’s going to burn down the city and start all over again. I think there’s a kernel of class warfare somewhere in there, too.

Where did you get the idea for this play and how long did it take to write?

I’d been kicking around the idea of doing something serialized and soap operatic for a while, and had already attempted something like it in a couple different formats. When Ladyjane approached me about doing a dinner theater with Crunks Not Dead Records, and that Nicky would be available to perform in it, it all kind of came together in my mind. Once Dax was on board, I knew we could really play out all those great old soap opera scenarios, with our own twist.

Why do people need to come see this?

We’re all excited about this piece, because it really represents a coming-together of lots of different threads of our community. Drag, performance art, visual art, video, music, cuisine, theater. We’re really trying to bring together as much of the LGBTQ community as possible, and make an event that feels handmade and local and authentic.

And finally, what’s on the menu for the dinner theater event?

Chef Franky Capobianco at N’awlins really threw himself into the script, and came up with a special menu, based entirely on the character — we’re so excited!

Drink Special: Peach Juleps: $5.00

The Nichole St. Clickington:  A filet of tofu marinated in a “hotter than hell” Arrabiatta sauce, melted Vegan mozzarella or provolone cheese. Over a bed of angel hair pasta with Nawlins garlic bread and a side of Caprese in Haiti salad.

The D’Alexandria DuPointe: Cajun Stirfry with blackened shrimp or crawfish blended together with peppers, onions, mushrooms and spinach over dirty rice with a Creole hollandaise sauce drizzle. With a side of warm, buttered French bread.

The Colonel Ladyjohn:  Cajun chicken breast served over Creole potatoes and topped with corn moque choux (a sweet, creamy corn dish from Louisiana … you could normally find it on the docks.)

The JJ and Becky St. Clickington: 3 Alarm beef chili supper over white rice and topped with a white queso cheese sauce. A side of warm, buttered French bread and an orange fruit cup salad.

Desserts:

“Lady in Red”: Amaretto Strawberry Shortcake drizzled with a pomegranate coulis and chocolate topping.

Aphrodisiac “Ambrosia” salad: Fruit salad of the Gods.

“Sorbonne Crepe”: French crepe filled with a lemon zest and sweet cream custard, dusted with powdered sugar then drizzled with a white and dark chocolate sauce.

‘Buckhead is Burning’
Tuesday and Wednesday, May 10-11
Doors open at 8 p.m., shows start at 8:30 p.m. both nights
N’awlins
1271 Glenwood Ave. SE, Atlanta, GA 30316
Tickets are $20 for dinner and a show
Hosted by femmecee Andi Rockz
Click here for Facebook invite information.