I first became aware of Del Shores in 1990 with the release of the film version of his play ‘Daddy’s Dyin’: Who’s Got The Will?’ His best known play is his fourth, "Sordid Lives", which debuted in 1996 in Los Angeles. The comedy centered around the Texan Ingram family and touched on LGBT themes.
In 1999 Shores wrote and directed the screen version of ‘Sordid Lives.’ The film won many film festival awards including thirteen ‘Audience Awards.’ This version was released on DVD in 2002 and has since sold over 200,00 units. The movie also became the longest running film in the history of Palm Springs Camelot Theater running a total of 96 weeks and on October 5, 2005 Shores was given a star on the Palm Springs ‘Walk of Stars.’ Eight years later Shores produced 12 prequel episodes of "Sordid Lives: The Series" which aired on US cable channel Logo. The show has proven to be very problematic for Shores who has not been paid by the producers to the tune of several thousand dollars.
He is also known for his plays “Southern Baptist Sissies’ and “The Trials and Tribulations of a Trailer Trash Housewife.’ These plays have won countless awards.
He is also known for his plays “Southern Baptist Sissies’ and “The Trials and Tribulations of a Trailer Trash Housewife.’ These plays have won countless awards.
Del Shores has also written for a number of television shows including ‘Touched By An Angel’, ‘Dharma and Greg’ and ‘Family Ties.’ Shores also produced the last three seasons of the highly acclaimed and ground-breaking Showtime Series ‘Queer As Folk’ for which he wrote many of the episodes.
He is currently traveling across the country touring in his sold out one man show, ‘Del Shores The Storyteller.’ He often has special guests show up like Leslie Jordan, Caroline Rhea, and Rue McClanahan for ‘A Sordid Comedy Affair.’
I had already worked with many of Shores family of performers including Leslie Jordan, Ann Walker, Newell and Rosemary Alexander, and Shores husband Jason Dottley, so it seemed natural that one day I would work with the man himself. My favorite creative partner Eric Venturo was able to give us some great reflected lighting. We took these shots right before Del embarked on his latest cross country tour. I have seen the show and it is so entertaining. Del Shores proves himself to be a master stage performer. Go see him when he comes to your area. You will not be disappointed. I was able to visit with him for a few minutes after our shoot.
AM: First I want to say you are very famous for your quotable lines. Was that a goal for you?
DS: What’s really weird about that is that while writing the series I had to not think about it. I never anticipated that ‘O-Kay’ would be the most quoted. That was a true collaboration with Leslie Jordan. He delivers it perfectly. I never thought the stuff like ‘sweet baby Jesus’ would be so popular. I did know when I wrote ‘heads are gonna roll’ that it would be one of the ones.
AM: Did you ever imagine that your personal life would be splattered all over the internet?
DS: You make choices and the one thing I have always chosen to do is to connect with my fans. At a very small level in my early career I answered every single letter and I vowed that I would always do that because I get so much back.
AM: That sounds like so much work!
DS: It does get hard though. The other day I sat and answered 50 emails. That’s part of it.
AM: But now with the problems that the series has had it seems like you had to lay it on the line.
DS: This last little bit I have kept silent for a long time, as far as what was going on with the series, our financial situation as a result of the series and not being paid by the producers, not Logo. Logo does not owe us any money; it’s the producers of the show.
AM: Why did you start opening up about all this?
DS: I got tired of lying for Logo because they kept saying there is a possibility it’s going to come back. At that point they did not have the rights to the show anymore. The rights were gone. They picked up the second season contingent on my financial partners coming in. For them to have the first right to air it in the United States they had to pick it up officially by Feb. 31 so they lost the rights to the show.
AM: Do you own the rights to the show?
DS: The show doesn’t even belong to me. It belongs to ‘Once Upon A Time’ the producers that owe us the money. Right now it’s in limbo. I’m being very smart by keeping the fan base informed because I want them to know that I am still here whether it’s ‘Sordid Lives’ or another project, I will be there for them and give them something else.
AM: Do you have a plan B? Could you make the second season into a feature?
DS: You could. I would have to get the lawyers to look at everything and see if I can take the story thread from the series. It’s very complicated, but let me tell you something. You can do anything if you cut people in. The one thing that I do own is all publishing so I could always novelize it. I will do that if I have to. People WILL know what happens to all these characters.
AM: You are so prolific I wonder how you write so much. Now you have written all these back stories for the characters. Does it just pour out of you?
DS: Those back stories are so easy for me because I know most of them already. I don’t have to fabricate too much. I let the fans dictate who the next back story will be. They wanted Vera, so I did have to start thinking, what was her childhood like? Most of them do pour out of me. I can do a back story in an hour.
AM: What made you decide to do this?
DS: I stumbled on all this on Facebook. Somebody wrote and asked me how Sissy is able to afford those cigarettes? I just told them she had five husbands and saved every nickel and sold eggs! People said they wanted more so I started formalizing them more and more.
AM: I think you are just in the middle of all these characters. There will be more.
DS: Well they have been thriving since 1996. I always say as long as I’ll write them, the actors will play them. I can see Ann Walker in that yellow outfit with a wheelchair.
AM: I think it’s because you mostly write about real people instead of cartoon characters.
DS: The most extreme character I have is Dr. Eve. We don’t know many people that are so completely insane. Even Brother Boy is grounded in reality. He is not a cartoon, especially in the hands of Leslie Jordan, who approaches the brim and never spills over. That’s what I love about his work.
AM: Are you happy with your position in the pantheon of Pop culture?
DS: I am. I like where I am. I would like my financial security to be back on path like it was. I went through a period of intense anger, so I got back on stage to tell my stories and to connect with the fans and feel this enormous amount of love, and to be so well received. I have been on the other side of the camera for so long I wondered if anyone would come see me.
AM: You are such a good performer! Honestly you have a great stage presence.
DS: Thank you. That’s where I started. You have to look at life and go OK I got knocked down and it was not my fault. I wouldn’t have gotten back on stage if this hadn’t happened. I’m literally working in Comedy Stores and making good money.
AM: That sounds great. What do you think your lesson has been?
DS: Life is a journey, it really is. Now what was my lesson here? My lesson is I need to be more responsible and grateful for the success and the money that I have had and will have. It also taught me a lesson to be more generous, and I have always been generous, but I want to be even more now. I don’t want anyone to have to go through what I have gone through.
AM: What are you doing to make this happen?
DS: Right now I have to do this and get my creative mojo back and it’s happening. I have had a great ride. I have been working since 1987 consistently.
AM: Do you enjoy being a celebrity?
DS: I do like the celebrity aspect of it. I never get tired of hearing, ‘I love your work!’
AM: What do you think happened along your journey with the show?
DS: I don’t know how this could have happened with this beautiful project because there was so much love put into it. I did have a network who supported my project and I gave them my best. I really did. I gave them my best. I brought them stars. They are not taking responsibility at all for what happened, but they have to.
AM: Do you know why LOGO didn’t buy a second season?
DS: They had the opportunity to buy the show before it went bad with the producers. They could have owned the show. Instead they used the money to pick up reruns of the Sarah Silverman Show and I’m not supposed to say a thing about it. I do think there are a lot of people at Logo who do like us and fought for us internally, but I don’t think we were important to Viacom and that makes me think Logo isn’t important to Viacom. It’s unfortunate because they don’t give enough money to make quality programming.
AM: Can you tell me about your faith? Has it altered or faltered over the past couple of years?
DS: My spirituality, my faith, yes, has altered, had faltered, but now has been redefined. I feel that I am a spiritual person, on a journey, connected to this universe through love and humanity. I don't pretend to know the answers. I don't pretend to know if there is a hereafter... I live my life daily, striving to be good and hopefully make a difference. In the words of Madonna, "I'm not a Christian, I'm not a Jew."
photos: Alan Mercer lighting: Eric Venturo
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