Charles Busch made a name for himself as a playwright and a leading lady in drag with productions like the off-Broadway cult classic Vampire Lesbians of Sodom. That campy theatrical spoof was followed by Psycho Beach Party and Pardon My Inquisition, or, Kiss the Blood off My Castanets. Busch also appeared in the TV show Oz where he plays a cross- dressing homosexual who smothers his Mafia cellmate. When it comes to playing male roles, Busch says he’s nothing great. It’s when he puts on gowns and wigs that his imagination really takes flight. Sitting in his duplex apartment with the red walls and a closet filled with sparkly gowns, we talk about his tell-all memoir Leading Lady and what it was like to be a sex worker before becoming an overnight sensation on stage. Then Charles dresses me up like Norman Desmond for this photo. So much fun. So many laughs.