Sarah Paulson © HBO
Coastal Elites, written by Paul Rudnick and directed by Jay Roach, was originally conceived as a play for New York’s Public Theater. These 5 monologues were recorded during the pandemic and will air on HBO September 12. Bette Midler is a retired teacher and theater loving New Yorker, Dan Levy an actor auditioning for the role of a gay superhero named Fusion, Issa Rae a former schoolmate of Ivanka Trump, Sarah Paulson a meditation teacher, Kaitlyn Dever is a nurse caring for COVID patients.
Dan Levy (c) HFPA
Dan Levy, son of Eugene Levy, creator of the TV series Shitt’s Creek (2015-2020), says of gay superhero Fusion: “He spends his time combating racism, sexism, and homophobia. He’s the fusion of harnessing good in every possible way, and combating evil with the good that he carries.”
Kaitlyn Dever (c) HBO
Kaitlyn Dever, who starred with Beanie Feldstein in Booksmart (2019) directed by Olivia Wilde, says: “Now more than ever, we are realizing how important leadership is in a time like this. So I have been encouraging all of my peers and my followers on socials to go out and vote.”
P.S. Jay Roach says: “Coastal Elites is about five people who love America, love the ideal version of what government and politics can be, but are now completely unraveled by what’s going on in the world. These 5 monologues are darkly funny, about the pain and heartbreak of what all of us are going through these days, and they are cathartic.”