Hell in a Handbag: The Golden GIrls: The Cheese Pyramid
Ed Jones
Hell in a Handbag Productions Presents THE GOLDEN GIRLS: THE CHEESE PYRAMID Review - I've Got A Hankering for Cheese
TLDR: In the latest of the lost Golden Girls episodes, Rose has invested in a cheese business from St. Olaf, much to the chagrin of the girls. Hell in a Handbag is back with a show that is quintessential HIAH full of their signature camp and jokes.
Scott Sawa, Grant Drager, Kelly Bolton and David Cerda
Rose, Where The Hell is My Coffee Table??
With Dorothy, Sophia, and Blanche all away from Miami and Rose in need of a job, she finds a golden opportunity. It’s everything that Rose holds near and dear to her heart, St. Olaf, her heritage, and of course, cheese. For the low, low price of your undying loyalty an entry sales package, you can be your own boss and sell Olafway Cheese recruiting other cheese curds along the way!
But with the entire apartment, garage, and any other available space filled to the brim with boxes of this cheese, suddenly it seems like a steep hill to climb for Rose to get her investment back. Like any Golden Girls episode, it's going to take the power of friendship, party planning, and a healthy dose of believing in yourself in order for the girls to solve this dilemma!
Hell in a Handbag Is So Back
The Cheese Pyramid, written by Artistic Director David Cerda, is quintessential Handbag. Cerda has amped up these characters and brought us the best dumb jokes around playing heavily into the stereotypes of each of the characters.
I don't remember them ever outright calling Blanche a whore in the TV show, but here Grant Drager in all her Southern Charm blinks her lashes slowly and with a gentle tilt of her head lobs a good “bless her heart” insult back. Kelly Bolton plays into Sophia’s cutting remarks with an innocent smile on her face. David Cerda has absolutely no control over her facial expressions or filter (much to our delight) as she leans into Dorothy’s sarcastic wit. And Ed Jones deliver’s Rose’s lines with her trademark naivete and hits those unintentional burns with her literal interpretations.
They’re accompanied by other actors that also lean into the one-liners and over the top absurdities. Each of the show’s cheesy moments has us turning to our friends straight faced and nodding along in the utmost seriousness, because of course you need matching outfits for you and your cheese curds at your cheese party. And obviously you can't serve Olafway cheese on just any old serving tray. If you can’t secure the traditional moose antler, a hand-carved wooden tray made from the pines in St. Olaf is absolutely a must (and only available through Olafway headquarters). The Cheese Pyramid is so unserious throwing in all these absurdities about pyramid schemes and “milking” every cheese joke.
David Cerda, Kelly Bolton, Danne W. Taylor and Ed Jones
The After Party Thoughts
One thing I found extremely unbelievable about The Cheese Pyramid was that the rest of the girls didn't believe there was a market for this. Who doesn't love cheese?? But other than that we get the full Golden Girls effect from singing the theme song to the character jokes to a heartfelt conclusion that wraps it all up in a big, happy ending. The Cheese Pyramid is all parts silly, witty, and fun.
For those that are longtime fans of Hell in a Handbag’s productions, this latest installment of the Golden Girls is sure to hit the spot. For those that are new to the company but love drag theater, Golden Girls tropes, and campy jokes, The Cheese Pyramid would be an excellent fit for you!
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Ed Jones and Gretchen Greear
When
Now through June 21, 2026
Where
The Clutch
4335 N. Western Ave
Chicago, IL
Runtime: 95min, plus an intermission
Tickets
$32+
Tickets can be purchased through the Hell in a Handbag Productions website
Photos
Rick Aguilar Studios
Find Allie and The After Party featured on Theatre in Chicago
Danne W. Taylor with (back, l to r) David Cerda and Kelly Bolton
CAST
Kelly Bolton (Sophia)
David Cerda (Dorothy)
Grant Drager (Blanche)
Gretchen Greear (Inga)
Ed Jones (Rose)
Scott Sawa (Stan)
Danne W. Taylor (Sylvia)
Nick Dorado (Understudy)
Brenda Holiday (Understudy)
Honey West (Understudy)
CREATIVE
David Cerda (Playwright)
Brigitte Ditmars (Director)
Marcus Klein (Scenic Design)
Liz Cooper (Lighting Designer)
Matthew Chase (Sound Designer)
Maggie O'Brien (Props Design)
Syd Genco (Make-Up Design)
Keith Ryan (Wig Design)
Mealah Heidenreich (Production Manager)
Jason Pikscher (Technical Director)
Peter Neville (Videographer)
Ashton M. (Stage Manager)