The Mystery of Irma Vep (A Penny Dreadful) October 23, 2012

With a dizzying array of lightning-fast transformations and costume changes, two of Kansas City's finest actors, Mark Robbins and Ron Megee, portray multiple men, women and monsters in The Mystery of Irma Vep. Cited as one of the best plays of 1984 by The New York Times and TIME magazine, Charles Ludlam's farcical thriller/comedy is a gender-bending tour-de-force that both celebrates and satirizes horror movies, classic literature and the conventions of theatre itself. Set on a 'dark and stormy night,' Lady Enid arrives at an estate with her new husband, who is under the spell of his deceased first wife and haunted by something prowling the grounds. Freely quoting from a range of literary, cinematic and pop culture sources, The Mystery of Irma Vep is a fun madcap romp with a nod to Shakespeare, Ibsen and Poe; werewolves, vampires and mummies.