Raised by his Aunt Lillian in Hartsdale, New York after his mother died when he was seven

After college, worked for two years in Chicago with a small company of unimaginative actors who resented him writing and starring in all their shows

Toured the country with one-man show, "Charles Busch Alone with a Cast of Thousands"; seeing this piece, Charles Ludlum provided him with the space to perform "Hollywood Confidential"

Wrote and performed one-man show "Hollywood Confidential" in Greenwich Village

Formed Theatre-in-Limbo with a group of friends (including Kenneth Elliott) and began performing plays at the Limbo Lounge, where the hit "Vampire Lesbians of Sodom" originated

Off-Broadway debut, "Vampire Lesbians of Sodom"; ran five years, becoming one of the longest-running non-musicals in Off-Broadway history

Wrote and performed in "Times Square Angel", a touching Christmas tale of a tough cookie with a tender heart, starring Busch as Irish O'Flanagan

Played the lead in his own "Psycho Beach Party"

Provided the voice of Gemnen, a two-headed monster, in the animated sci-fi feature "Light Years"

Wrote and performed in "The Lady in Question", playing an American concert pianist and Nazi hunter in World War II Europe; moved from Limbo Lounge to WPA Theatre and finally to the Orpheum Theatre in 1989

Adapted Guy Bolton and Eddie Davis' book for a new production of the 1955 musical "Ankles Aweigh" at Goodspeed Opera House, East Haddam, Connecticut; first thing he had written that he did not perform in

Portrayed Mary Dale, a well-meaning Pollyanna of a Hollywood star who names names at the McCarthy hearings, in his "Red Scare on Sunset"

Appeared as Countess Aphasia du Barry in "Addams Family Values"

Uncharacteristically played a male role (Timothy) in Andrew Bergman's "It Could Happen to You"

Played a gay man in his "You Should Be So Lucky", his first play featuring Jewish humor, as well as gay humor

Co-authored and appeared in the Off-Broadway musical "Swingtime Canteen"

Portrayed Ms. Ellen, the resident, fortune-telling drag queen in "Trouble on the Corner"

With composor-lyricist Rusty McGee concocted the Off-Broadway musical "The Green Heart", based on the same Jack Ritchie story that inspired Elaine May's "A New Leaf" (1971); did not act in it

Performed his one-man show "Flipping My Wig", subtitled "An Evening with Charles Busch"; directed by Elliott

Conceived "Queen Amarantha" as his (Sarah) Bernhardt vehicle; portrayed a drag actor playing a woman (Amarantha) who's conflicted about her gender and dresses as a man; rejecting his usual "camp" style, he successfully addressed a serious subject ending in tragedy

Had recurring role as an inmate on HBO's "Oz"; his character suffocated Italian mob boss Antonio Nappa

Wrote "The Tale of the Alergist's Wife" (his most accessible play yet) for Linda Lavin; did not act in it; opened to successful Off-Broadway run in the spring; transferred to Broadway in fall; earned Best Play Tony nomination

First screenwriting credit, adapting "Psycho Beach Party"; too old for the lead role of Chicklet, he portrayed adult femmes Captain Monica Stark and Mrs. Forrest

Joined the cast of the ABC daytime serial "One Life to Live" playing Peg Barlow