The Recipe Box

Austin Rainbow Theatre is incredibly honored to welcome the undisputed king of Southern queer comedy to ATX! This fall, legendary playwright Del Shores—the brilliant mind behind the ultimate queer cult classic Sordid Lives, Daddy's Dyin'... Who's Got the Will?, and Southern Baptist Sissies—is adding another hilarious, bittersweet masterpiece to his iconic lexicon of Southern queer theater with The Recipe Box. Del Shores himself will be right here in Austin to direct this brand-new work, bringing his trademark wit and fierce southern sass directly to our stage.

This limited engagement marks only the second time this incredible new script has ever been produced. To make this theatrical event even more special, Del Shores will be joined by powerhouse actor Emerson Collins (star of the critically acclaimed film adaptation of Shores' Southern Baptist Sissies and A Very Sordid Wedding), who returns to star in this phenomenal new piece.


About the Show

Set on a lush, plant-filled Louisiana porch, The Recipe Box kicks off with an explosive breakup between a brilliant but emotionally walled-off math professor, Rick, and his cheating husband, Joah. When Joah storms out, he leaves behind his eccentric, sharp-tongued, 70-something mother, Lou Wanda, who has a gambling addiction and nowhere else to go. Armed with an old recipe box belonging to Rick’s late mother, an unconventional, hilarious, and fiercely protective chosen family begins to form. Infused with Shores’ trademark southern queer wit, this production balances devastating heartbreaks with laugh-out-loud Southern eccentricities.

By combining Del Shores' unmatched ability to blend high-stakes family drama with wicked, laugh-out-loud dark comedy, alongside the magnetic talent of Emerson Collins, this production promises to be the most talked-about theatrical event of the season.

Whether you are a lifelong fan of Sordid Lives or looking for a deeply relatable, hilariously sharp story about the beautiful chaos of chosen family, The Recipe Box will leave you laughing, crying, and craving a slice of Southern comfort.