a very sordid wedding production pictures by steven k. johnson del shores spotlight


photo by john strange


Thematically, I wondered what would happen if equality came roaring in to Runnels County, Texas? As you know, we didn’t have to reach too far to see the extreme reactions of fundamentalists and politicians, who were screaming and gnashing their teeth because two people who love each other could get married. I wanted to explore how ludicrous it can all actually be. We’ve made such enormous progress and yet, we’re still having to fight against judgement and condemnation, as well as for the basics of equality. We are…In good and bad ways. That’s what I wanted to do in this movie, I wanted to celebrate the good. We can often forget, because we’ve had to fight so hard, as I had to against the church I grew up in and all that rhetoric. But then, I thought about my friend Shirley, who was once like that and changed just by knowing me. My mother too, who was such a huge influence on the character, Latrelle in the film and her journey. She’s passed away now and when she died, I found all of the research that she had done on my behalf, in file cabinets and everywhere. She had tons. She had learned to print, man, she learned the internet and learned to print. (Laughs) It was so touching for me to discover that. I knew her heart had changed, but to see how much work she had done to get there, was such an amazing gift. I used that along with some of the other people


I had known who had evolved, as well. Like for the character Sissy, who read the Bible from cover to cover, because it didn’t make any sense to her anymore. When you start tearing apart and hating on someone, what about the scriptures makes it okay to do that? Again, there were influences from my real Aunt Sissy, who I also lost a couple of years ago, she said, “I don’t give a shit what everybody


else says, I love you.” We still must work and sometimes I take it all


for granted and just write my things. I was in San Antonio, Texas doing a Q&A recently and there was a young guy who stood up, it was the second question, I think and he said, “This isn’t a question, it’s a comment. I also was a Southern Baptist preacher’s son and when I’m back in their presence, I still hear what they’ve said and feel what they believe… I still hear it in my head. But, you allow us to hear something different, I just want to thank you for letting us heal.” Boy, did I get that, I couldn’t even talk. There’s a song fromSouth Pacific that comes to mind, “You’ve Got To Be Carefully Taught.” It’s a reminder that hatred is something learned, not ingrained. There’s a favorite line in the movie when Bonnie Badelia [Latrelle] says, “We must stop villainizing our own children.” It’s so true, that’s what happens. It’s like what that young man was saying, no matter what—you still hear that stuff—it becomes a part of our DNA.


Talk a little about what doing the sequel was like as compared to the original. Was there anything that surprised you about picking it back up? I knew that it was going to get heavy, with the church thing and threading that in. Even when you pause in the beauty shop scene and Del Dicky tells Vera off and says, “I cannot be on your anti-equality calling committee and she says, “What has gotten in to you?” when she walks over to Rodger and says, “Wasn’t love and compassion Christ’s real message?” I really thought about what I could do to lighten up the picture. I want the other stories to honor the silly, if you will, of Sordid Lives. I wanted the stories to be lighter and to bring the intensity through humor. Circling back, I hope that this new generation can


look back on what we’re dealing with currently, as we do now with slavery or separate water fountains and the back of the bus. Could that have really happened in the ‘60s? We’re in the process of reinforcing those lessons, maybe a better appreciation and consciousness about it and as a result having a deeper under- standing for what we did gain. I think we need to appreciate those who fought


on our behalf and helped to get us where we are and now we have to continue that fight. To make sure that we lose nothing. We have to protect what we have and must keep fighting and cry foul when it happens.


Amen, Brother-Boy!


are and now we have to continue that fight. To make sure that we lose nothing.”


JUNE 2017 | RAGE monthly 19


those who fought on our behalf and helped to get us where we


I think we need to appreciate


A Very Sordid Wedding is in selected theatres now. For more information on showtimes, check your local listings or go toaverysordidwedding.com.


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