THE MYSTERY OF IRMA VEP by Charles Ludlam directed by Les Waters April 9—May 23, 2004 Thrust Stage running time: 2 hours, including one 15 minute intermission setting: ACT I: Mandacrest / ACT II: Egypt / ACT III: Mandacrest “You leave the theatre full of good will, walking on air.” —THE NEW YORK TIMES This vaudevillian tour-de-force thrust the late writer/director/performer Charles Ludlam and his Ridiculous Theatrical Company into the spotlight after its original 1984 production. Featuring characters such as a sympathetic werewolf, a vampire and an Egyptian mummy, The Mystery of Irma Vep is a comic send-up of Victorian melodrama, Gothic romance and classic horror films. However, Ludlam’s witty literary allusions and subversive political jabs take the play beyond campy slapstick comedy. Conceived as a full-length quick-change show for two actors playing more than 16 roles, The Mystery of Irma Vep is a hilarious parody you have to see to believe!