Special Interviews with the Characters of Irma Vep!

“Spike your eggnog and stop by for the perfect respite from holiday shopping.” –Ithaca Times

 

If you haven’t seen The Mystery of Irma Vep yet, you won’t want to this roaring comedy!

Behind the Scenes Interviews of The Mystery of Irma Vep

Click above to watch the interviews with Jesse Bush & Jane Twisden and Tony Roach & Lady Enid Hillcrest!
Only FIVE performances left!  Visit Ticket Center Ithaca to BUY TICKETS to this week’s performances! 

Make sure YOU get a chance to see the campy, quick-change, cross-dressing comedy everyone will be talking about this holiday season!

 

 

The Reviews Are In for Irma Vep!

Haven’t seen the show yet?  Want to see if the reviewers had the same reactions as you?  Love Ithaca’s print media and want to show your support by reading the arts section?  Great!

Check out what our reviewers have to say about The Mystery of Irma Vep!

The Ithaca Journal
“Director Rachel Lampert understands Ludlam’s exaggarated, theatrical spirit and gives free rein to her two talented [actors]…”

The Ithacan
“Both Bush and Roach showcase their talent through the manipulation of their bodies and voices to portray each character…”
“Bush and Roach’s off-the-cusp nature, in combination with Lampert’s clever direction, will give audiences the clues to solve this side-splitting, pun-filled mystery.”

GreenRoom Reviews
“wildly entertaining”
“If you’re looking for an enjoyable night at the theater, Irma Vep is sure to please.”

Around the Kitchen Table with Jesse Bush, Member of the Beckett Clan (and star of Irma Vep!)

We caught up with Jesse Bush between Irma Vep rehearsals to chat Around the Kitchen Table…

 

You’re obviously committed to creating excellent theatre outside of the big city.  Why do you think it works in a town as small as ours?

The audience. Ithaca is such a great place to live as a theatre artist because you get all the benefits of living in a small, close-knit community and the opportunity to create challenging and thought-provoking work.  We have such smart and discerning patrons here who are dedicated to supporting our local institutions.  I consider myself quite lucky to have the opportunity to raise my family in an area like this.

You’ve got some big musicals under your belt.  What makes doing a straight-play (though that may not be the best word choice…) in a 99-seat theatre appealing to you?

It’s funny that you mention musicals as Tony and I have often spoke about how this show feels more like doing a musical than a “straight” play.  The physical and vocal demands are so intense and the stakes are constantly running at mach 10. I find that I prepare for a run of Irma in the same manner as I do for a large musical role.

 

You’ve played multiple characters on our stage before.  Did that experience help prepare you for Irma Vep?

I’d have to say that nothing  I have done in my career has prepared me for what I’m doing in Irma Vep.  While I have had the chance to play multiple characters in shows like The Angle of the Sun and others, none of them combined the high style, specific comedic demands and breakneck costumes changes that this does. It has been an incredible and welcome challenge.

 

A run The Mystery of Irma Vep is quite the workout.  What’s the most challenging aspect of a quick-change show like this one?

I’d have to say finding the time to remember the given circumstances before I make each entrance.  It’s getting easier as we go, but, as an actor, you always want to know where your character is coming from and what they want when they enter a room.  Not such an easy task when you just left the room 15 seconds earlier and spent the interim madly changing costumes.

 

How does it feel to wear a heavy Victorian dress?

That sucker is heavy!  I have an immense amount of sympathy for the ladies of the Victorian age now.

 

Irma Vep has a bit of a cult following.  Got any favorites in the cult-classic world?

I am a charter member of the cult of Samuel Beckett fans. Plus anything written by Stephen Sondheim.

 

Just between us—who makes the prettier lady?  You or Tony?

Tony, hands down. I look like someone’s dowdy aunt.  He’s gorgeous.

Around the Kitchen Table with Former Rock Star (and star of Irma Vep) Tony Roach

Tony Roach takes a moment from rehearsing for The Mystery of Irma Vep to chat with the KTC Around the Kitchen Table…

 

So you’ve got a history with the KTC—tell us a little bit about what you’ve worked on here before.

My history with KTC is sort of divided into two periods, which seem to me almost like two different lives.  I did Rachel’s first production as Artistic Director–Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?–in 1997, right after graduating college and attending the Hangar’s Lab Company.  Over the next three years I ended up coming back to the Kitchen several times.  In fact, it was really the only place I worked back in those days, when I was still figuring out what the hell it meant for me to be an actor.  During that time I did a couple of original plays as well as another Charles Ludlam play, Stage Blood.  Then I was away for almost nine years playing in a band and going to grad school and so on, and came back in ’09 to do Secret Order.  It was kind of strange being back at my home-away-from-home at Rachel’s house, with her husband, David, and with the dogs and etc., but having gone through grad school, become an Equity actor, and in general just to have grown up a lot (or at least to have existed for a decent period of time).

You’ve got a lot of Shakespeare under your belt—what is it about his work that draws you in?

I actually haven’t done that much Shakespeare, I just happen to have worked at a lot of theatres with Shakespeare in their name.  But I do love doing Shakespeare, and unfortunately I can’t add anything insightful or unique that hasn’t been said a thousand times about why people like doing his plays.  The characters are great, the stories are great, but the greatest thing is getting to investigate and ultimately speak that language. Whenever I start work on a Shakespeare part, it’s like starting a puzzle; and I’ve got my reference books and anthologies and what-nots.  And what’s so fascinating is that sometimes it seems like the language is so dense that it’s practically code, but when you start deciphering it you find out that in fact it’s the most beautifully, brilliantly, and clearly articulated thoughts and emotions that you’ve ever encountered.  It consistently blows my mind; and I love a good mind blowing.

You’ve dabbled in film and TV.  How have your experiences been behind the camera?

“Dabbled” is a very appropriate word for the scope of my experience on camera and is maybe too generous.  The truth is I would like to do much more on-camera work, both because I like the medium(s) and because that’s the only way an actor can really make a living.  It is a very different beast than the theatre, and I can’t say it comes really natural to me, but I say that without having had much experience.  I’ve very much enjoyed the experiences I have had.  Possibly the hardest part is not just modulating your performance style, but modulating the rhythm of your overall day because there’s so much stopping, starting and waiting.

The Mystery of Irma Vep requires a lot from you and Jesse [Bush], physically.  How do the quick-changes and the multiple personas affect the way you approach rehearsals and your usual process of building a character?

It’s really not a different approach other than knowing that the amount of work is going to be enormous and that I’m going to have to really conserve energy–which basically just means not doing much of anything outside of rehearsal.  The show is a huge bear to perform, but I’m actually looking forward to opening because it’ll mean less work than we do during rehearsal.  As far as creating the characters and such, as with all plays it’s fairly similar once you’ve figured out or defined the “style” or the “world” of the play, which in the case of Irma Vep is a very unique and very BIG.  But basically, you just go.

How does it feel to wear a heavy Victorian dress?

Heavy.  And Victorian.  And strangely satisfying.

Irma Vep has a bit of a cult following.  Got any favorites in the cult-classic world?

I played Hedwig so I’m definitely on that bandwagon.  Not sure if that’s “cult” but it didn’t seem to quite get into the mainstream.  Hmmm.  I can’t think of anything else, which tells me I need to investigate more cults.  I like cults.  Any cults out there looking for fresh new members?

Just between us—who makes the prettier lady?  You or Jesse?

Do you really have to ask???  Sheesh!!!!. . . . . . . . . (Jesse).

Anything else you’d like to add?

Yes, but I’m saving it for my memoir.  Due in stores in 2050.  Send me money for your advanced copy now.

Special Ticket Deal for Our Blog Readers!

Greetings, readers!  Hope you enjoyed the Thanksgiving holiday.

Just for keeping up with our blog, we’d like to offer you something special:

$10 Students, $15 Community

Previews of The Mystery of Irma Vep: A Penny Dreadful

This Week: Wednesday 730p, Thursday 730p, Friday 8p

Tickets can be purchased at the door–but arrive early! 

Solve the Mystery of Irma Vep

Photograph by Jari Poulin

Seems Everyone’s Reading Up On Irma Vep…

The Mystery of Irma Vep by Charles Ludlam, Nov 30 - Dec 18

Day One – Rehearsal of Irma Vep

Table read and a little table work. I had to excuse myself from the table read briefly, when I started giggling so much that I was disturbing the actors’ work, and had the possibility of hyper-ventilating. Rehearsal is full of unknown risks!   I’ll have to build up my stamina. I am planning on 5 minute warm-up before tomorrow’s rehearsal to do breathing exercises to try and control the laughing.

Rachel Lampert

Artistic Director

rachel@kitchentheatre.org

Day Two – Rehearsal of Irma Vep

Actors on their feet! In their dresses! What a hoot! There is something about bubbles, bangles and beads that brings out the inner diva. Only one brush with hyper-ventilation today—not because I am not completely tickled by Jesse and Tony’s work, but because I am using some breathing techniques when what I am seeing is hysterically hilarious. I “think of England.”

Rachel Lampert

Artistic Director

rachel@kitchentheatre.org