Theatre Reviews—

A Brain Teaser At Yale Summer Cabaret

By June April

NEW HAVEN — One of the earmarks of this year’s Yale Summer Cabaret (YSC) season has been the quality of the interns. They have been an especially enthusiastic group of young people from all over the country. There have been sold-out houses, with the third play, Beyond Therapy, by Christopher Durang, the highpoint of the summer program.

The Mystery of Irma Vep, the current offering and the season-closer, is intended to spoof theatre. One could say that playwright Charles Ludlam stitched together theatrical caricatures of the works of some of the great illuminaries, among them Shakespeare, Brontë, Ibsen, and Poe. Ludlam’s creation also makes irreverent allusions to some classic films like Gaslight and Laura.

Irma Vep is meant to be a fast-moving Gothic experience wherein the audience is encouraged to boo, hiss and applaud, or in some way respond to the action. The house was quietly intent last Friday night. Actually, by halfway through the second act some of us were occasionally glancing at our watches to see just how much longer it would be before the play would be ending.

That sense of restlessness is a little alarming since the director, Shannon Flynn, had decided to delete the second act in which Lord Edgar had gone off on a trip to Egypt. (The published version of The Mystery of Irma Vep consists of three acts).

The wonderful and challenging aspect to live theatre is that it may be somewhat different each night. It is the human element, on stage and off. An actor may be having a bad night for personal or health reasons. That’s when a very strong play, or a great supporting cast, can salvage a bad night. That amorphous body of different thoughts, the audience, might not relate to what they are seeing, or they might not understand it.

The air conditioners in this basement theatre had been turned off for the play, and the physical comfort factor could be termed “stuffy” from the lack of ventilation.

The timing was not what it should have been. There should be a frenzied quality to this play, but the overriding sense was of a rather protracted production.

On the plus side, in classic Gothic tradition, the sense of mounting tension was nicely in place.

No finger-pointing at the two talented actors, Mark Mattek and Derek Milman, who frenetically played two and three roles each, respectively. Part of the fun in watching this show is the rapidity with which costume changes are made, and just barely off stage. Changing from one role to another, which usually meant a rapid-fire costumed sex change, is part of what can make The Mystery of Irma Vep so much fun to watch.

The lighting by Agnieszka Kunska, the costumes created by Stuart Polasky and Timothy Kerber, sound effects by Mimi Epstein and props by Amy T. Walker were all very well executed. The set design by Stuart Polasky was very good, but the orientation is what this reviewer sees as a major flaw.

Creative ingenuity is essential at Summer Cabaret. It is not a large theatre, and the tables and chairs for the audience take the majority of room.

Normally the set is centered so all can view the action. Occasionally a play is situated at several sites, such as on opposing walls. In the case of Irma Vep, the plot plodded from one end of the room, so the site-line was not as good as usual.

Granted, this is (optionally) dinner theatre, so seating needs to be a priority for economic reasons. So saying, this reviewer has seen this play more successfully presented by using a more frontally oriented set, including during previous summers at YSC, and it has been quite effective. It also allowed for the Keystone Kops’ zany dashing about that sets this play apart. From the perspective of a nicer set, with real depth, the Yale set was superior, but it seems to have been a sacrificial choice by director Shannon C.M. Flynn.

With cooler weather and for those who have not seen The Mystery of Irma Vep it is a different sort of experience. It’s silly, a little scary for young children, but it’s fun for those familiar with how Ludlam re-created and played with well-known literature/theatre/movies. On that level it’s kind of a brain-teaser.

(Playing through August 19, Irma Vep airs Wednesday through Saturdays. The show begins at 8:30 pm, but doors open at 7 for dinner. Reservations are strongly suggested. Tickets are $16, with lower prices for students, groups and seniors. Call the Yale Summer Cabaret box office at 203/432-1567).