Inside one-man show ‘Carole Cook Died For My Sins’ with writer + star Mason McCulley

A Birmingham native has returned to his hometown from Los Angeles to share his coming-of-age story as a new one-man show. 

The show, “Carole Cook Died For My Sins” written by and starring Mason McCulley, will be at the Virginia Samford Theatre at Caldwell Park from Sept. 18-21. The show contains mature themes, so keep the kids at home for this one. 

McCulley’s show, directed by Cameron Watson, is a tribute to two women in his life: his late mother and actress Carole Cook. Throughout the 75-minute solo show, he recounts his journey growing up in Alabama then moving to Hollywood, discovering his identity as a gay man and exploring themes of grief and addiction. 

The first night, which serves as a benefit performance for the Magic City Acceptance Center, is already sold out, but tickets for Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 19-21, are still available. Purchase yours on the Virginia Samford Theatre website.

I sat down with McCulley at the historic theatre to learn more about the inspiration behind his show, navigating queerness in the South, coming back home and processing hardship with humor. 

Here are some highlights from our conversation, edited for clarity and readability.

Could you give me a bit of an intro into the show?

“I describe it as my story from darkness to light.

“My friend Carole Cook passed away, and then my mom died, and their deaths were very, very close to each other. My mom was diagnosed with FTD, which is a brain disease, frontotemporal Dementia, in 2015.

“I was living in Los Angeles and Carole Cook was this older actress who was very much a fairy godmother to me. She knew I was struggling, and she looked after me. The play talks about my relationship with Carole, but also in my relationship with my mother…

“I talk about the rock bottom that I hit in Los Angeles and choosing to go in the other direction…The magic that has happened on that journey is unbelievable — even though it was amidst my grief journey, even though it was amidst my sobriety journey. 

“Because I went in the other direction, my life got wonderful.”

But despite all that, you say the show has some humor to it.

“I’ve had enough time away from that darkness that I can laugh.

“Now, it’s not all funny. It wasn’t funny at the time, but I’m able to bring humor into it, and the audience can laugh with me.

“I think that laughter and humor is ‘sneaky hope.’ I think it creeps up on you…I remember in my darkness, I would be on Instagram, and I would be drinking a bottle of wine — or two bottles of wine. Some funny video would come up and I would start laughing. I’d catch myself and think, ‘Well, how come I’m laughing right now?’

“My mom’s dying, and I think the world is dark, but I’m laughing. If I’m able to do that, at some point, it must be ok.”

When did you first write the show?

“I started writing it in January of 2024, and we did a workshop premiere in LA in October 2024. 

“This feels more real doing it here. But the goal is to take it to New York to do off Broadway, which I think is going to happen in a year…

“I wrote it for Birmingham. I wrote it for my friends and family. I wrote it for this place that I came from, and Birmingham always encouraged me to dream. 

“I was always encouraged by this city. I was encouraged by my teachers, by my friends and family. I wanted to do it for Birmingham. It’s a story that’s very honest, and it’s very gay.”

What was it like premiering this show about Alabama in LA?

“It was so interesting to do it in LA. After the show, people would come up to me and they would say, ‘Oh, when I came out of the closet, this happened to me.’ Or, ‘When I quit drinking, this happened to me,’ or, ‘When my mom died, this happened to me.’

“It was really beautiful that people from all walks of life were finding these nuggets that related to them, and that’s what I wanted. 

“I’m excited to see how Birmingham responds… I’m excited and nervous!”

Personally, I love the South because I feel like it’s resilient, and there’s this vibrant community that wants where they live and where they love to be a better place. How does it feel going out and representing the South, but now coming back?

“I came out in West Hollywood. So that was kind of privileged in a sense because, you know, I was in LA, I was around drag queens and go-go boys. 

“Then I come back to Birmingham three years ago, and I think it’s really beautiful to see the queer community in Birmingham and — how you said in your question — how resilient they are. 

“The queer community, no matter where you are, especially in a place like the Deep South, has no choice but to be resilient and to be creatively defiant. And I think this play is creatively defiant. 

“I’ve always admired queer people that stayed. I don’t know if I could have done it. I don’t know if I would have been strong enough…

“I found out Rushton Park had the very first gay Pride in Birmingham. There’s something amazing about being nearby these parks where for men — mainly men — that was their community. 

“This theatre was built in 1927, it’s the 99th season. It has such history. It has queer history. It has integrated history in regards to race. So coming back and doing it in this space is like a dream. It’s a dream.”

What do you hope people take away from your show?

“I hope that people take away hope. I hope that they see a story of someone who decided to change. And I hope that they see a story that, on the surface, looks vastly different from their own, but maybe afterwards realize that we’re all humans.

“We all have the same emotions and beating hearts. I hope that people relate. I hope that people who seem different from me relate. And I hope people laugh.” 

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