Two actors are
simply spectacular
in multiple-character performance
By
Carol King
There are
two excellent reasons to see Curtain Call
Theatre's current production, "The Mystery
of Irma Vep." They are Kris Anderson
and Aaron S. Holbritter. These two vastly
talented actors accommodate the play's primary
conceit, which is that two men play all the
parts. First appearing as Jane the housekeeper,
and Nicodemus the stableman, respectively,
Anderson and Holbritter proceed to play Lord
Edgar and Lady Enid as well as a variety of
other roles. They are, quite simply, spectacular.
The play itself is less so. It takes place
at Mandacrest Manor, a stately ancestral home
in England, probably somewhere around the
mid- to late 1800s.
As the story unfolds, we learn that Sir Edgar
has recently remarried. His new wife, Lady
Enid, is a fragile soul, who, in true Daphne
du Maurier fashion, is despised by Jane the
housekeeper, originally the maid of Edgar's
first wife.
The first wife, of course, is Irma Vep, who
died under mysterious circumstances.
Are you confused yet? Maybe not. But you will
be.
Moors
and a Pyramid
There are foggy moors and wolf bane and dark
and stormy nights to intrigue -- and then
there's the pyramid. The pyramid? The second
act takes a manic turn, bringing us to Egypt
and the unearthing of an ancient sarcophagus,
which Holbritter hilariously pronounces sar-co-FAG-us.
From there on the play becomes a pastiche
of ideas about reincarnation, karma, lost
souls, spiritualism, and good and bad intentions.
We learn about Irma's son who was also murdered,
the existence of a possible werewolf (or is
it a vampire?) that roams the moors, a lady
walled up behind a bookcase - and so on.
The whole chaotic thing goes on about 20 minutes
too long.
But through it all, Anderson and Holbritter
maintain their equilibrium, acting superbly
each phase of the snarled story with absolutely
perfect timing, droll humor and total commitment
to each role. Holbritter delivers one of the
play's silliest lines with complete sobriety.
It's hard, he acknowledges as Lady Enid, "
. . . to marry an Egyptologist and find out
he's still hung up on his mummy."
Beautiful
Background
The set by Dee Mulford is fantastic and beautiful.
It is a multi-tasking unit that turns from
a creepy country manor into a creepy Egyptian
pyramid and then back into a creepy country
manor - and it takes quite a beating as the
mania of the play progresses.
Stage managers Christine Macleellan and Lori
Barringer and stage crew Dan Kelly and Joanna
Palladino are to be commended for a skillfully
choreographed set change mid-second act. They
won much deserved applause on opening night
for their expert handling of the complicated
transformation.
Lisa Hailes has done a yeoman's job, creating
costumes that work in lightning quick changes.
And speaking of lightning, John Miller's lights
are remarkable for their effectiveness. The
sound design by Lori Barringer serves the
show perfectly.
