Sitting around a table and discussing American Stage’s production of The Mystery of Irma Vep, one can see that it’s destined to be a hilarious show.
Actors Matthew McGee of Tampa Bay and Brian Webb Russell of Tennessee laugh with artistic director Todd Olsen throughout an interview discussing the ins and outs of the comedy that runs through Oct. 10.
“Work is just so much fun,” McGee says. “We laughed during our reading, we laugh during rehearsals, and we may have difficulty not laughing during the actual show.”
The two seasoned actors had seen each other perform before, but they had never worked together until now. According to Russell, their chemistry is dynamic—and their many cross-dressing parts come naturally.
“I have starred in a production of Irma Vep before but I played the characters Matt is playing in this production,” Russell says. “So it’s kind of nice to see it from the other perspective. Matt is amazing and he makes it a lot of fun. I’ve wanted to return to American Stage for some time, and I’m excited to be back here.”
Russell was in several productions produced by the theater a few years ago, and most recently starred in American Stage’s The Seafarer.
McGee has also been in American Stage productions before, most recently The Big Bang, but this is his first time performing in the Charles Ludlam classic.
“I’ve seen it and have always loved it,” McGee says. “I knew it would be fun, and when I saw an opportunity to play a role in it here I jumped at the chance. It’s a hilarious spoof and has a campy feel. I love it.”
The Mystery of Irma Vep has been described as a “Gothic spoof” that satirizes everything from Alfred Hitchcock films to Victorian melodrama to the classic horror movie, The Mummy’s Curse. The script also calls for the two main actors to make quick changes. McGee and Russell play four characters each, including English newlyweds, a maid, a sympathetic werewolf, a vampire and an Egyptian princess.
So, yes, cross dressing is important in the production.
“You know me—show me a dress and I’ll put it on,” laughs McGee, who has played female roles throughout his career. “If I must look fabulous, I will.”
According to Olsen, the play isn’t strictly a “gay play” but it does have “plenty of gay tendencies.”
“This play is a send up of entertainment—old Victorian entertainment and, in a way, the entertainment of today,” Olsen says. “We take plenty of jabs at pop culture, and every time this is produced it has its own personality.”
The intimate 180-seat theater at American Stage makes for some up-close-and-personal action, and McGee believes that actually enhances the experience for the audience.
“Audience members are literally three to five feet away from us in the front row and are, in fact, a part of the show,” he says. “It’s an amazing area to work, and it’s a theater experience unlike most others.”
Olsen recently directed Irma Vep in a Northeast venue and said that the theater space and set directly affects the feel of the play. He said there are advantages to having more room, but he finds the intimacy of American Stage more appealing.
“When the guys are in Egypt and searching through tombs, they are actually in the audience—right in the aisles,” Olsen says. “It’s a pretty interactive experience.”
Russell notes that this interaction helps make each performance different than the one before, since a fair amount of ad-libbing is required.
“If a quick-change doesn’t happen so quickly, or if a prop doesn’t do what it’s supposed to, we’ll incorporate it into the scene,” Russell says. “There’s a lot of leeway here, and that’s what makes it fun for us and for the audience.”
Choosing a favorite character from the play is difficult for the two actors. Both feel a connection to their alter-egos and enjoy the hilarity that each one possesses. Each character also offers unique challenges and different accents.
“Just this morning in rehearsal I was using one of the female character’s voices when I was in a different costume,” McGee laughs. “It’s a lot to keep track of, but that challenge makes it fun and working with Brian has been amazing. We work really well together, we’re really getting our timing down, and I think the audience will enjoy that.”
If the audience enjoys the show half as much as the cast does, the play should be a success.
“These two actors have really done a superb job of recreating the characters and incorporating their own comic strengths,” Olsen says. “It’s a joy to work with them, and all of the laughter is great therapy for anyone who needs a break from the realities of the world.” Sitting around a table and discussing American Stage’s production of The Mystery of Irma Vep, one can see that it’s destined to be a hilarious show.
Actors Matthew McGee of Tampa Bay and Brian Webb Russell of Tennessee laugh with artistic director Todd Olsen throughout an interview discussing the ins and outs of the comedy that runs through Oct. 10.
“Work is just so much fun,” McGee says. “We laughed during our reading, we laugh during rehearsals, and we may have difficulty not laughing during the actual show.”
The two seasoned actors had seen each other perform before, but they had never worked together until now. According to Russell, their chemistry is dynamic—and their many cross-dressing parts come naturally.
“I have starred in a production of Irma Vep before but I played the characters Matt is playing in this production,” Russell says. “So it’s kind of nice to see it from the other perspective. Matt is amazing and he makes it a lot of fun. I’ve wanted to return to American Stage for some time, and I’m excited to be back here.”
Russell was in several productions produced by the theater a few years ago, and most recently starred in American Stage’s The Seafarer.
McGee has also been in American Stage productions before, most recently The Big Bang, but this is his first time performing in the Charles Ludlam classic.
“I’ve seen it and have always loved it,” McGee says. “I knew it would be fun, and when I saw an opportunity to play a role in it here I jumped at the chance. It’s a hilarious spoof and has a campy feel. I love it.”
The Mystery of Irma Vep has been described as a “Gothic spoof” that satirizes everything from Alfred Hitchcock films to Victorian melodrama to the classic horror movie, The Mummy’s Curse. The script also calls for the two main actors to make quick changes. McGee and Russell play four characters each, including English newlyweds, a maid, a sympathetic werewolf, a vampire and an Egyptian princess.
So, yes, cross dressing is important in the production.
“You know me—show me a dress and I’ll put it on,” laughs McGee, who has played female roles throughout his career. “If I must look fabulous, I will.”
According to Olsen, the play isn’t strictly a “gay play” but it does have “plenty of gay tendencies.”
“This play is a send up of entertainment—old Victorian entertainment and, in a way, the entertainment of today,” Olsen says. “We take plenty of jabs at pop culture, and every time this is produced it has its own personality.”
The intimate 180-seat theater at American Stage makes for some up-close-and-personal action, and McGee believes that actually enhances the experience for the audience.
“Audience members are literally three to five feet away from us in the front row and are, in fact, a part of the show,” he says. “It’s an amazing area to work, and it’s a theater experience unlike most others.”
Olsen recently directed Irma Vep in a Northeast venue and said that the theater space and set directly affects the feel of the play. He said there are advantages to having more room, but he finds the intimacy of American Stage more appealing.
“When the guys are in Egypt and searching through tombs, they are actually in the audience—right in the aisles,” Olsen says. “It’s a pretty interactive experience.”
Russell notes that this interaction helps make each performance different than the one before, since a fair amount of ad-libbing is required.
“If a quick-change doesn’t happen so quickly, or if a prop doesn’t do what it’s supposed to, we’ll incorporate it into the scene,” Russell says. “There’s a lot of leeway here, and that’s what makes it fun for us and for the audience.”
Choosing a favorite character from the play is difficult for the two actors. Both feel a connection to their alter-egos and enjoy the hilarity that each one possesses. Each character also offers unique challenges and different accents.
“Just this morning in rehearsal I was using one of the female character’s voices when I was in a different costume,” McGee laughs. “It’s a lot to keep track of, but that challenge makes it fun and working with Brian has been amazing. We work really well together, we’re really getting our timing down, and I think the audience will enjoy that.”
If the audience enjoys the show half as much as the cast does, the play should be a success.
“These two actors have really done a superb job of recreating the characters and incorporating their own comic strengths,” Olsen says. “It’s a joy to work with them, and all of the laughter is great therapy for anyone who needs a break from the realities of the world.”
