Famed Writer Del Shores Headlines Spartanburg Fringe Arts Festival

More than a pot will be stirred when international celebrity Del Shores hits the stage for Spartanburg Fringe Festival and Proud Mary Theatre Company presenting his comedy show The Sh*t Stirrer Sunday, June 23, at West Main Artists Co-op.

The acclaimed Texas-born bad boy writer for theatre, film, and television will actually be on stage twice that night: First presenting his stand-up comedy show at 7 p.m. and then at 8:30 p.m. for the after-show VIP reception, presenting This Is Your Sordid Life: An Interview with Del Shores. Admission for the evening’s festivities in only $20 and available at SpartanburgFringeFestival.com or at the door!

“Del Shores is an icon, and we are tickled pink to have him here in person at the Festival for some backstage drama,” Festival Director Sandy Staggs said. “Proud Mary Theatre produced his play Southern Baptist Sissies last summer and got a lot of heat from a local pastor — and Del rose to our defense all the way from California. And next summer, we will literally mount his cult classic Sordid Lives.”

Staggs will host the after-show interview, during which audience members can ask Shores questions.

In his Facebook post about his Spartanburg visit, Shores wrote: “The show where straight men are already nervous and Republicans are looking for the nearest exit. The show with something to offend everybody. Beware! Tea will be spilled. You’ll get the tweets that got left-of-left Del blocked by Jerry Falwell Jr., Jax Taylor, Scott Baio, Mrs. Roy Moore, Paris Dennard, Piers Morgan, Cory Lewandowski, and more!”

Shores’ friend actor Leslie Jordan (Sordid Lives and Southern Baptist Sissies) has satirically said about the show: “Del Shores is talking behind my back in his filthy show with a title I will not even utter!  Please go and report back to me! I’m going straight to the police!”

The Sh*t Stirrer has been self-described as “all new and sinfully unscripted,” and boycotted by the Baptists, American Family Association, and actor Scott Baio, who played Chachi on the sitcom Happy Days.

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?  He has written seven plays, produced thousands of times worldwide, four adapted for screen. In television, 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, as well as for Dharma & Greg and Ned & Stacey.  He has directed Academy Award winner Octavia Spencer; Grammy Award winner Olivia Newton-John; Emmy winners/nominees Beau Bridges, Delta Burke, Leslie Jordan, Bonnie Bedelia, Bobbie Eakes, Patrika Darbo, and Rue McClanahan.

As a performer, Shores has performed in hundreds of stand-up gigs and completed a 2018 national tour with his critically acclaimed and award-winning one-man play Six Characters In Search Of A Play, which was filmed in 2019 at The Celebration Theatre live for upcoming film festivals.  His current stand-up touring show is The Sh*t Stirrer.

By the time Shores comes to Spartanburg, The Sh*t Stirrer will have already been seen in Dallas, TX; Eureka Springs, AR; Dewy Rose, GA; and Knoxville, TN. He will then take the show to Los Angeles and San Francisco.

“I want everyone to see everything we have to offer at Spartanburg Fringe Arts Festival,” Staggs said. “But if you can come to only one event, make it this one. Shores and his works are perfect examples of how art that many people consider to be too controversial, too revealing, too liberal, too true has now become mainstream entertainment.”

Spartanburg Fringe Arts Festival will run for the entire month of June 2019 at West Main Artists Co-op in Spartanburg. It will feature 125 artists and 32 events that include readings, cinema, theatre, comedy, an art exhibit, and local bands. For more details, please visit: SpartanburgFringeFestival.com.