Playing Rock Hudson
by Cameron Lukey
Playing Rock Hudson, a new Australian play premiered at The Coopers Malthouse Melbourne in November 2013, tells the rarely told and dramatic tale of 1950s Hollywood star Rock Hudson’s death and its aftermath.
Run
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Dates
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Type & Version
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Theatre
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Nov 22, 2013 – Dec 04, 2013
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Play, Original
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Tower Theatre, Coopers Malthouse, Melbourne, AU
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Plot
One of America’s most popular movie stars throughout the fifties and sixties, Rock Hudson was diagnosed with AIDS in 1984, and died a year later. His death made headlines the world over, as the first celebrity figure to publicly succumb to the disease. His passing resulted in an awareness campaign, led by good friend Elizabeth Taylor.
In 1988 Hudson’s former lover Marc Christian sued the actor’s estate and personal secretary Mark Miller on the grounds of reckless endangerment. He claimed Hudson had put his life at risk by withholding the true nature of his disease for the last year of their relationship. The first of its kind, Christian’s lawsuit became a lightning rod for debate and begged the question of responsibility; where do ones legal obligations end and moral duties begin?
Within the courtroom, the most intimate details of Hudson’s life were put on display for public scrutiny. The chief question for the jury: Was Christian the love of Hudson’s life and a victim of malice, or was he a blackmailing hustler out to play Rock Hudson for all he was worth?
Part courtroom drama, part biography, Playing Rock Hudson explores the building and tearing down of a Hollywood icon, and a legacy that changed the world’s perception of AIDS.
Cast
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Role
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Cast
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| Rock Hudson / Ron Channell | Bartholomew Walsh |
| Jack Navaar / Marc Christian | Shane Savage |
| Elizabeth Taylor | Odette Galbally |
| Robert Mills / Michael | Andrew Carolane |
| Harold Rhoden / Henry Willson | Nick Backstrom |
| George Nader / James Wright / Dr Laurence | Sam Lavery |
Creative
| Director | Cameron Lukey |
| Writter | Cameron Lukey |
| Producer | Michele Bauer |
| Set Design | Ryan Foote |
| Costume Design | Esther Marie Hayes |
| Lighting Design | Clare Springett |
| Sound Design | Russell Goldsmith |
| Stage Mamager | Rebekah Gibbs |
Video
Director’s Note
I’ve always been fascinated by film stars. From the age of about ten I began collecting biographies, and my library card was used almost exclusively to borrow them. I had heard of Rock Hudson (as a teenager coming to terms with my own sexuality, I was aware of his status as a gay icon), but it wasn’t until I found a copy of John Parker’s The Trial of Rock Hudson, that I discovered just how fascinating his story was. Judy Garland, Marilyn Monroe, James Dean, Liberace, the list of entertainers whose colourful, dramatic, often tragic lives have inspired film and stage biographies is long. But while their stories have all been told to great acclaim, and written biographies are readily available at most book stores, Rock Hudson’s legacy is largely overlooked, especially considering the enormous fame he attained at the peak of his career.
What I have attempted with Playing Rock Hudson is not another celebrity biography, but a look at the events following Hudson’s death and the impact they had on his image as one of Hollywood’s most beloved leading men. I began by using court transcripts from the 1989 trial between Rock Hudson’s estate and Marc Christian (Hudson’s last lover) as the foundation for my script. I then framed these excerpts with scenes depicting Hudson as a young man and at the end of his life. These scenes are told through the eyes of those who knew him, seventeen characters shared between seven actors. They present their idea of who he was, conflicting memories that serve to highlight the enigmatic, undefinable nature of public figures.
Once deceased, the truth divides as each character lays claim to knowing the “real†Rock Hudson. My hope ultimately, is that audiences will not see Rock Hudson as just a character within the play, but as the ghost that haunts everyone in it.
AIDS Council
The premiere of Playing Rock Hudson is supported by the Victorian AIDs Council and Living Positive Victoria. The Victorian AIDS council is this year celebrating 30 years supporting the community, and December 1 marks the 25th anniversary of World AIDS day.
