No rest for ‘Mommies’

Charles Casillo has filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles claiming that Charles Busch based his play “Die! Mommy! Die!” and the movie version, “Die Mommie Die!” which is being released today, on Casillo’s play “One Night Stand in a Lonely Hotel.” Also named in the suit are Aviator Films, the film’s producer, and Sundance Film Series, the distributor.

Casillo said that in 1993 he gave Busch a copy of his play, which was first produced in New York in 1989, hoping that Busch would star in it and produce it. He said the plays have similar plots.

Busch’s manager, Jeff Melnick, responded Thursday that in 14 years “I’ve never even seen Charles Busch jaywalk.” A spokeswoman for Sundance declined to comment.

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Don Shirley