Ibsen’s Ghost: An Irresponsible Biographical Fantasy

Ever since 1984's Vampire Lesbians of Sodom, Charles Busch has been working toward the title of First Lady of the American Stage, delivering hilariously nuanced portraits of defiant yet vulnerable women, in the style of the great film stars of the 1940s; he cut his teeth on cinematic tough cookies with melty centers, and he has their style in his bones. In his latest outing, directed by longtime collaborator Carl Andress for Primary Stages, Busch portrays a widow driven to great lengths to protect the reputation of her late husband: the pioneering social-realist playwright Henrik Ibsen.