TWO INFAMOUS HOMEWRECKERS MEET IN THE NEW STAGE PLAY, “THE DUCHESS AND THE STRIPPER”

The Duchess & the Stripper

The Duchess of Windsor, Wallis Simpson, and the premier burlesque dancer of her time, Blaze Starr meet in the new stage play, “The Duchess and the Stripper,” making its world premiere in the Hollywood Fringe Festival in June 2019. The play takes place in 1961 Baltimore, at the Two O’Clock Club, the famous strip club owned by Blaze Starr.

These two women who outwardly have nothing in common, in fact, shared a number of similar experiences. Their reactions to those events vary greatly due to their upbringing and yes, their social standing.

The play has attracted great talent. The director, Ezra Buzzington, is not only a veteran of stage and screen, but co-founder of the New York Fringe Festival. “It has some of the wittiest dialogue I’ve read in years. I really wanted to be a part of it.”

Playing the Duchess, Wallis Simpson is Miss Blaire Chandler, who’s last Fringe appearance as Big Mama in the multi-lauded Theatre of Note/TMB production of Hot Cat. Blaire is the winner of multiple drama critics’ awards across the country, and has appeared on stage in Los Angeles at The Road, Theatre of Note, Chalk Rep, and The Actors’ Gang. Regional Theatre: Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park; Santa Cruz Shakespeare. Off Broadway: The Public Theatre. Television: Paramount mini-series Waco, and CBS’ Criminal Minds. Twitter: @blairezdoodle.

Blaze Starr will be played by Miss Alli Miller. She s from Hooiser land and has a BA in musical theatre from Ball State University. She runs Cherry Poppins (www.cherrypoppinsproductions.com and @cherrypoppinsla) with her partner Sarah Haworth and you’ve probably seen her in productions at Three Clubs, El Cid, Sacred Fools or Celebration this last season. Follow her comedy, writing, and showgirl antics at @lilistbyr

Miss Krista Conti plays June, Blaze’s sister. She previously played beauty #1 in ANDY: The Red-Nosed Warhola directed by Ezra Buzzington at the 2017 HFF. Additionally at HFF 2017, she produced and performed in Frankenstud, which had won best play at INK Fest earlier that year. She was a proud member of Theatre of NOTE for over 10 years. NOTE productions include: Eat the Runt, Food For Fish and Rio Hondo to name a few. Krista performed the role of Jackie in Inhale Exhale at the 2019 INK Fest. She can also be seen in the short film Almost Diverse at the 2019 Playhouse West Film Festival. (https://vimeo.com/278766863)

The play is written by David Bosley, his first stage play. “I’ve had this idea floating in my head for years. There were two dynamic, smart, women who were well ahead of their time in many ways. They deserve this conversation.”

You can learn more about the play at www.TheDuchessandtheStripper.com

Performance dates for “The Duchess and the Stripper” are:
June 6th 6pm
June 14th 8pm
June 16th 2pm
June 23rd 6pm

Tickets go on sale May 1 through the Hollywood Fringe Festival website at: http://hff19.org/5693