Riverfront Playhouse presents dark comedy ‘Sordid Lives’ during Pride month
“Sordid Lives,” a stage play by Del Shores about life (and death) in Texas, opens at Riverfront Playhouse on Friday, May 22. In its original Los Angeles run, it was nominated for over 30 awards. The 2000 film adaptation, also by Shores, starred Olivia Newton John, Delta Burke, and Leslie Jordan.
After Peggy, the matriarch, dies in a seedy motel tripping over her lover’s wooden legs and hitting her head on the bathroom sink, her irreverent family must gather for the funeral. This includes a colorful cast of characters like Latrelle, the eldest and most proper (played by Ann Keen); LaVonda, the liberal-minded worldly sister; Noletta, the betrayed housewife; Sissy, who picks the wrong day to quit smoking, and the surly men surrounding them in their conservative town.
It is set in the 1990s and narrated by Latrelle’s prodigal son, Ty (played by Noah Reilly), described as a “beautiful gay man on a journey” who left small-town life behind for New York City. His flamboyant uncle, Brother Boy, committed to an institution before Ty was born for dressing like Tammy Wynette, is also coming home for the first time in 40 years.
Ann Keen is a SAG-AFTRA actress and 2025 Lou Award recipient for Best Supporting Female Role in a Play (Wheaton Drama’s “August: Osage County”) has been a decade-long staple in the suburban Chicago fringe scene. From her work at theaters like Steel Beam, Wheaton Drama, and Polarity Ensemble to the independent “Rink Movie” on Amazon Prime, Keen brings her powerhouse energy as Latrelle in the closing production of Riverfront Playhouse’s 49th season.
“She’s only ever wanted a traditional life and that is opposite of what’s happening at the beginning of the show,” Keen said in regards to her character’s uptight tendencies, which sets the bar for major conflict. “But she has been gravely misinformed and must navigate her way out of her archaic beliefs.”
Akin to his character, Noah Reilly lights up the stage while drawing from his own experiences.
“Although I was born here, I was raised in a small Southern town,” Reilly said, who also left rural life to act in film, television, and theater in major hubs like Los Angeles and Chicago. “To find the similarities and differences between myself and Ty is not only fun, but necessary to bring him to life and provide justice for his individuality — something hopefully everyone can relate to.”
“Sordid Lives” being produced during Pride Month and in tandem with Aurora Pride isn’t happenstance. Although the show touches on themes such as religion and dysfunction, it revolves around identity and acceptance.
Riverfront will hold events, open to the public, with similar positive themes throughout the five-week run of the show. They will be marching in the Aurora Pride Parade on June 14, followed by a “Love is Love Cabaret” where women sing songs traditionally sung by men, and vice versa.
There also will be photos taken for the NOH8 Campaign, a charitable organization promoting human equality, during Aurora’s First Friday on June 5 from 5 to 7 p.m., preceding that evening’s 8 p.m. performance.
The cast is rounded out with Julie Do, Kathy Racine, Cheri Heinz, Sarah Hall, Gary Wendel, John Button, Mark Geiger, Brenda Scharlau, and Mark Fazio. The production is directed by Patrick Deering, with Tyna and Hans Ashman for set design and Luke Harmon for lighting design.
Performances will be at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, through June 20, including 3 p.m. matinees on Sundays, May 31 and June 7. The show, which contains mature themes (language, sexuality), is recommended for ages 13 and up.
Tickets are $20 or $18 for seniors and students. Tickets are available at riverfrontplayhouse.com or (630) 897-9496. Riverfront Playhouse at 11-13 S. Water St. in Aurora.