ABSTRACT
On the night of September 4, 1988, when Charles Pierce took his final bow on the stage of the Fairmont Hotel’s Venetian Room in San Francisco, he fully intended it to be his farewell performance. However, his actual farewell performance would be on the night of October 7, 1990, on the Balcony Theatre stage at the Pasadena Playhouse. During the interval between the two engagements, he kept me informed about his various activities as noted in the letters that follow—letters that truly came from the end of his rainbowlike career:
North Hollywood
Easter 1990
Hi, John!
This week has been so fucked up I can’t remember if I wrote you right back about your letter to the B.A.R. concerning Pat Bond? I thought what you wrote in the letter was excellent, and I’m sure you will get lots of comments. Be sure to let me know. Someone will write and say, “I’m glad to be a dyke, an old dyke, and Pat Bond would have wanted to be known forever as an old dyke too!” I’ll bet you ruffled a lot of feathers. Good! [The letter Charles referred to was one I wrote to the Bay Area Reporter defending Pat Bond’s memory. She had just died and her obituary stated that she was “an old dyke.” I wrote that she was much more than that, and listed her accomplishments as an actress, and so forth. There were no responses to my letter.]
Ralph Senensky—remember him?—and others are putting a documentary together on the Playhouse. It is moving very slowly as it is one of those projects that when they can get their cameras and crew together (all gratis) then they “shoot” an interview. They started out with me, and I was in the Balcony Theatre for four hours last Thursday. 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., being 226taped sitting in one of the seats and answering Ralph’s questions about Playhouse days, etc. Before that they showed me walking on stage with comments like, “This is where it all began—for me.” That 30-second scene took them almost 2 hours to do!
Joan Cannon, who is the producer, said it won’t be finished till September. I thought she meant my scene—so when I say “slowly” I mean just that! They are going to film around the Playhouse, and some of the other interviews will be with Earl Holliman, Barbara Rush, and Bill (oops) Dabbs Greer. It will last about 45 minutes. Joan said I will get a copy. I don’t know exactly what the plans are for it, although I suggested making it available for the alumni—which, you would think was the reason for doing it!
About ten years ago Les [Natali] bought me this stationery for my birthday—a huge box with a thousand sheets and envelopes. Well, my dear, this is the last sheet after all these years of letter writing. Sad. Maybe you should save it for the Smithsonian?
Speaking of the Smithsonian—have you heard from Harvey Lee? Ha! I have and I’m sure you have too. Those minute detailed letters! Pleeze! One came today stating how much he tipped his hairstylist!—and how much tax he paid getting his typewriter fixed!!—and that his medicines make hhn constipated!!! HELP!!! He wants me to come to Little Rock where, believe it or not, there’s a gay night spot—and do my show! Maybe they’d love it?!!
Hope your Easter was pleasant and basket-filled.
Charles
