December 5, 2014 - January 10, 2015
by Charles Ludlam
directed by Philip Cuomo
Winningstad Theater - 1111 SW Broadway, Portland, OR 97205
Two actors play all the roles in this hilarious send up of Victorian melodrama, farce, 50’s horror movies, Wuthering Heights, and Hitchcock’s Rebecca. With elaborate quick changes performed in mere seconds, wildly absurd characters, and an absolute distaste for anything serious, The Mystery of Irma Vep should be the perfect gut-busting escape from all that holiday noise.
Reviews
Director Philip Cuomo has cast veteran actors Isaac Lamb and Leif Norby and allowed them to showcase their versatility. The two actors play all the roles: man, woman and the undead. Wonderful moments abound…This is a raspberry-cream layer cake of surprises, each sweeter and sillier than the next.
The Oregonian
Third Rail is normally a purveyor of thoughtful, intelligent plays that make you think about the human condition, but here they’re just out to make you laugh. Leif Norby and Isaac Lamb are a hoot, each playing a multitude of characters…The sound design by Mark Valadez is a major help, and Alison Heryer’s costumes are miraculous…one of the best laugh-out-loud farces I’ve ever seen.
Broadway World
Leif Norby and Isaac Lamb go giddily overboard while maintaining strict stylistic control (try that sometime: it ain’t easy)…Third Rail’s production is as close to a flawless show as you’re likely to run into for a long time.
Oregon ArtsWatch