OT: Sound familiar?

[MsCriseyde]

As the Selby die-hards here know, David Selby has appeared in 3 productions directed by Michael Wilson, productions of Long Day's Journey into Night staged at Houston's Alley Theatre and at Hartford Stage and a production of St. Nicholas at Hartford Stage.

Wilson is currently directing Enchanted April on Broadway, but he remains in the Artistic Director position at Hartford Stage. Wilson was also named as a possibility to direct when the idea of a Dark Shadows musical was being kicked around. He's a big fan of the show.

Anyway, my point, and I do have one, is that information about the upcoming Hartford Stage season was released today. Check out this production. Pretty easy to see how/why Wilson would go for this. Sounds just a little familiar. 

The Mystery of Irma Vep - A Penny Dreadful

By Charles Ludlam
Directed by Michael Wilson

What do you get when you add equal parts Agatha Christie, Monster Mash and Marx Brothers? You get a hysterical evening of theatre that is destined to leave you breathless with laughter. The residents of Mandacrest Mansion are having a hard time sleeping, what with all the vampires, werewolves and mummies running around. Two actors perform all the roles at a break-neck pace in this dizzying quick-change comedy.

[Brian]

IRMA VEP, in case you don't know it, is a wonderful parody of "the old dark house" genre, including vampires and werewolves, all acted by two actors playing multiple roles with increasing fast costume changes. I was involved in a production of VEP in Florida in 1989--it's still one of my favorite plays--and, yes, though there are no DS references "per se", in general we can find them if we look. 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

It sounds like a really funny play. I'll definitely have to remember to keep that title in the back of my mind so that if I ever see it's being produced close by, I'll know enough to get tickets.