4 Questions For....Larry Hembree

"Well, it's probably pretty odd for a guy to direct a play centered around women's clothing, but the language, the imagery, the humor, the depth and the nuance that are all in the script leapt off the page when I first read it."

So said Mr. Larry Hembree when I got in touch about the play Love, Loss and What I Wore, which he is staging this month at Trustus Theater.

I hope I won't offend him by saying I did not find it odd at all for this guy, actually.
As you may or may not know, Mr. Hembree has dressed as a woman on more than one occasion--and thanks to photographer Molly Harrell, I have pictures. 

I found him so convincing as Sen. Jim DeMint's sister this past Valentine's Day, that I participated in his Christian speed dating event for more than a half-hour before I realized the entire thing was a sham.  Love and loss, indeed!

Love, Loss and What I Wore is a play by the beloved Ephron sisters, one that explores how items in our closets relate to moments in life. It's based on a memoir by Ilene Beckerman. In light of the play and his other "experiences" with fashion, I was eager to receive Mr. Hembree's reponse to my 4 Questions:

1. In preparing this play for the stage, what revelation did you have about fashion?
From now on, when I am at a cocktail party and there is a lull in the conversation, I will just say the word "fashion" and the women will not shut up for the rest of the party.

2. What can men learn from wearing women's clothing and would you recommend it?
All men should wear women's clothes at least once. This is true: As soon as the hose go on, they will start becoming a woman. After the lipstick, the will BE a woman.

3. Women dress in menswear and no one lifts an eyebrow. But J. Edgar Hoover purportedly wears a skirt and pumps and creates a stir. Why do you think this is?
98 percent of men are insecure. Period. J. Edgar Hoover is part of the 2 percent who are not. This is not really an answer to the question, but I just wanted to say it.

Mr. Hembree in plaid,
from his Twitter profile

4. Anything you wish I'd asked? If so, will you ask yourself, then answer it?

What is/was your favorite article of clothing you've owned and worn?
When I was in the seventh grade, I had this awesome pair of bell bottoms that were part of a leisure suit. I thought I looked really sexy in them. They were plaid. I would always wear them to the Moose Club when my grandmother would take my twin sister there to play bingo. I guess I thought they were sophisticated, too.

 I, for one, am always eager to see what Mr. Hembree is up to, for it never fails to delight....not unlike bell bottom trousers in plaid. You can read a bit more about this play at Trustus on my most recent post for Fig.