Julian Young has been struggling for quite some time to get his one-man show off the ground, performing in small theaters across the country. At one booking in Boise, Idaho, his frustration at playing only in smaller theaters finally comes to a head when a fire rips through the Way-Off-Broadway Theater, and he's forced to head back to New York. Not content to keep at the temp jobs that fill his days, he convinces long-time friend Joel Finley to help him stage one last show -- "Whores of Lost Atlantis" -- at a trendy East Village theater known as Golgotha. Assembling a cast of inexperienced actors and casting himself in the lead as Milena, the play becomes an underground hit.

The novel follows Julian and his troupe -- The Imitation of Life Players -- as they make their way from a cult hit into a possible run off-Broadway, maneuvering through the ups and downs of intricate relationships, AIDS, a disgruntled diva by the name of Kiko, Julian's new-found stardom as a drag performer, and a love interest for Julian with the charming and mysterious Don Caspar.

It's very easy to see find a comparison between the character Julian Young and the author Charles Busch. Julian speaks and acts like one of the grand ladies of film from the Golden Age of Hollywood, a role very similar to Busch in one of his films such as "Die, Mommie, Die!" or "Psycho Beach Party". That no-nonsense strength that Julian finds from those ladies slowly builds and changes him as he begins to grow accustomed to his new female persona, and at times it frightens and confuses him as he sometimes can't distinguish between the two himself.

But it's the stories about the relationships that the actors form as the story progresses -- the romances between fellow actors, coming up with new shows every week, taking care of one of their own when he becomes very ill -- that move this story along. And I like that Busch doesn't focus solely on Julian. None of the characters in the novel "Whores of Lost Atlantis" is a secondary character; each one depends upon the others to not only get the shows running but to keep their lives in order. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know this group.

Busch's underground theater world of the East Village is also vividly drawn, from the darkened interior of Golgotha to the characters themselves. He totally enveloped me in that world, making me feel I was sitting in the audience as the troupe performed their risqué pieces or following them through the city as they searched for costume pieces or sponsors for their potential off-Broadway run.

"Whores of Lost Atlantis" is a fun romp through the world of theater, and fans of both theater and Charles Busch should definitely read this one. ( )