[NEohioPAL]Campy Comedy at Weathervane in January

Thu Dec 18 08:05:27 PST 2003

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NEWS RELEASE
Contact: Janis L. Harcar
(330) 836-2323 (not for publication)
Weathervane Ticket Office (330) 836-2626

WEATHERVANE PLAYHOUSE presents
Campy Comedy by Charles Ludlam
THE MYSTERY OF IRMA VEP

Weathervane Playhouse starts the new year with the campy romp THE MYSTERY OF 
IRMA VEP, by Charles Ludlam (1943-1987).

In 1967, Ludlam founded The Ridiculous Theatrical Company with six other 
original members.  He then served as the company's artistic director and 
playwright-in-residence, and developed a style of ensemble playing which symbolizes 
wit, parody, vaudeville farce, melodrama and satire.

The story begins on a dark and stormy night in a haunted castle whose owner 
was mysteriously killed.  The story hops to Egypt for the second act and 
concludes back at the castle.  Characters include rich Lady Enid Hillcrest.  She is 
a distraught Victorian bride whose petticoats are aflutter with nerves over 
the mysterious demise of her predecessor.  There's Lord Edgar, the rabid 
Egyptologist whose tomb hunting leads him to the moldy mummy of his dreams.  And 
let's not forget Jane, the snippy housekeeper, or Nicodemus Underwood, the 
one-legged butler.  The two of them know most of the secrets of Mandacrest, a gloomy 
old ancestral manse replete with banshees and werewolves. Audiences can easily 
find traces of "Rebecca", "Wuthering Heights" and, maybe, "The Mummy's Curse".

Your guess is as good as mine as to how many characters are in this play, but 
they are all performed by just two actors who dive in and out of disguises 
and doors at such lightening-fast speed that each actor often barely misses 
meeting himself on stage!

Come have a howling good time at this campy winter comedy, The Mystery of 
Irma Vep, at Weathervane Playhouse January 14 - February 1, 2004.  Low-cost 
preview performances on Wednesday and Thursday, January 14 & 15 at 7:30 p.m. with 
official opening on Friday, January 16 at 8:00 p.m.  Other performances are 
Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2:30 p.m. 
Charge by phone at Weathervane's Ticket Office at 330-836-2626.  Call between 
10 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday.  Tickets: $18 ($2 discount on 
Thursdays and Sundays for Senior Citizens & Students).

The Ohio Arts Council helped fund this program with state tax dollars to 
encourage economic growth, education excellence and cultural enrichment for all 
Ohioans.
Additional Season Sponsors: WKSU, PAX-TV

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<HTML>NEWS RELEASE
 Contact: Janis L. Harcar
 (330) 836-2323 (not for publication)
 Weathervane Ticket Office (330) 836-2626
 
 WEATHERVANE PLAYHOUSE presents
 Campy Comedy by Charles Ludlam
 THE MYSTERY OF IRMA VEP
 
 Weathervane Playhouse starts the new year with the campy romp <FO=
NT COLOR=3D"#008000" BACK=3D"#ffffff" style=3D"BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" S=
IZE=3D2 PTSIZE=3D10 FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF" FACE=3D"Arial" LANG=3D"0">THE=
 MYSTERY OF IRMA VEP, by Charles Ludlam (1943-1987).
 
 In 1967, Ludlam founded The Ridiculous Theatrical Company with six other=
 original members.  He then served as the company's artistic director a=
nd playwright-in-residence, and developed a style of ensemble playing which=20=
symbolizes wit, parody, vaudeville farce, melodrama and satire.
 
 The story begins on a dark and stormy night in a haunted castle whose ow=
ner was mysteriously killed.  The story hops to Egypt for the second ac=
t and concludes back at the castle.  Characters include rich Lady Enid=20=
Hillcrest.  She is a distraught Victorian bride whose petticoats are af=
lutter with nerves over the mysterious demise of her predecessor.  Ther=
e's Lord Edgar, the rabid Egyptologist whose tomb hunting leads him to the m=
oldy mummy of his dreams.  And let's not forget Jane, the snippy housek=
eeper, or Nicodemus Underwood, the one-legged butler.  The two of them=20=
know most of the secrets of Mandacrest, a gloomy old ancestral manse replete=
 with banshees and werewolves. Audiences can easily find traces of "Rebecca"=
, "Wuthering Heights" and, maybe, "The Mummy's Curse".
 
 Your guess is as good as mine as to how many characters are in this play=
, but they are all performed by just two actors who dive in and out of disgu=
ises and doors at such lightening-fast speed that each actor often barely mi=
sses meeting himself on stage!
 
 Come have a howling good time at this campy winter comedy, <FONT=20=
 COLOR=3D"#008000" BACK=3D"#ffffff" style=3D"BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" SIZE=
=3D2 PTSIZE=3D10 FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF" FACE=3D"Arial" LANG=3D"0">The My=
stery of Irma Vep, at Weathervane Playhouse January 14 - February=20=
1, 2004.  Low-cost preview performances on Wednesday and Thursday, Jan=
uary 14 & 15 at 7:30 p.m. with official opening on Friday, January 16 at=
 8:00 p.m.  Other performances are Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays and=20=
Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2:30 p.m. Charge by phone at Weathervane'=
s Ticket Office at 330-836-2626.  Call between 10 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Tu=
esday through Friday.  Tickets: $18 ($2 discount on Thursdays and Sunda=
ys for Senior Citizens & Students).
 
 The Ohio Arts Council helped fund this program with=
 state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, education excellence and cu=
ltural enrichment for all Ohioans.
 Additional Season Sponsors: WKSU, PAX-TV
 
 </HTML>

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