Under the spotlight

Sharing poignant and hilarious experiences, drag legend, actor and playwright Charles Busch will be in conversation with actor, director and writer Dick Scanlan at the Milford Readers and Writers Festival on Saturday, Sept. 23.

Busch will discuss his memoir “Leading Lady,” an anecdotal account of his journey in the worlds of Off-Broadway, Broadway and Hollywood and his interactions with the stars of film and stage. Busch received a special Drama Desk Award for career achievement as both performer and playwright and won Tony nods for writing “The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife” and the Off-Broadway play “Vampire Lesbians of Sodom.”

Scanlan has also made a name for himself both on and off Broadway. He wrote the musicals “Thoroughly Modern Millie” (book and lyrics, Tony Award for Best Musical), “Everyday Rapture” (Tony nomination for Best Book with Sherie Rene Scott) among others, and he has worked in television and film. He’s the author of the novel “Does Freddy Dance,” and his short fiction has been seen in numerous literary journals and commercial magazines.

The festival will take place Sept. 22 to Sept. 24 at The Milford Theater & Performing Arts Center, located at 114 East Catharine St. It opens on Friday evening, Sept. 22, with an evening of songs and conversation starring the delightful Amanda McBroom, called the greatest cabaret performer of her generation. She exploded on the scene when Bette Midler performed “The Rose” written by McBroom.

All Main Stage programs will include an opportunity for conversation between the authors and the audience.

The Milford Readers & Writers Festival is a project of Pike Artworks, Inc., a 501-c-3 not-for-profit organized by a group of community volunteers from the Upper Delaware River Valley region.

For more information, visit www.milfordreadersandwriters.com.