Nelson T. Eusebio III’s production of The Mystery of Irma Vep – A Penny Dreadful at the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis gives us a comedy so broad the Veiled Prophet could steer his entire float, queens and all, through it. Irma, the brainchild of the late Charles Ludlam, was never meant to be subtle, of course. Ludlam one of the early creators of what came to be known as theater of the ridiculous, certainly never was himself.
It’s a mish-mosh of camp, Gothic horror, multliple references both broad and subtle to various works of literature, cross-dressing jokes and stereotypes. That’s a lot to put into one show. The script sags under the weight of it all. Particularly in the first act, holes appear.
Valiant efforts from Esteban Andres Cruz and Tommy Everett Russell, the two actors who portray eight characters, and who give it their all. Scenery-chewing is a given, with this script, so you can’t fault them for doing so at appropriate times. There’s tremendous energy from each of them as they roar through their various roles. They also carried off with great elan a glitch in the set on opening night.
The other star in a show like this has to be the costume designer, here Sara Ryung Clement. She shines, especially for Lady Enid, giving wonderfully tawdry work that clearly rips off and zips (or Velcros) on in the flash of a hat. One costume in particular for Russell, with its pointy cups, seemed to be direct from Frederick’s of Cairo.
The set from Michael Locher, equally flamboyant, looks good to most of the audience. But about a quarter of play-goers are unable to see the portrait of the late Lady Irma, and another quarter unable to see into a sarcophagus. Both items are sources of jokes and activity, and it’s our loss.
The script is one of those that created isolated laughter in various parts of the audience, a sure sign of obscure jokes. That’s no sin, but Not Getting It makes audiences restless. Plenty of physical comedy, some of it bawdy, partly helps to remedy that. There’s an unverifiable statement dancing around the internet that this was the most-performed play in the United States in 1991, but one is surprised, given the weakness of the script.
Rowdy. Energetic. Illogical, of course. But if you want to remember what voguing looked like, this is probably your only chance this year.
The Mystery of Irma Vep – A Penny Dreadful
through March 8
Mainstage
The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
130 Edgar Rd., Webster Groves