T Green and Max Robnett in The Mystery of Irma Vep

Prolific theatre pioneer Charles Ludlum wrote some 30 plays; taught; founded an acclaimed theatre company; and acted on stage, film, and TV. His most popular work was 1984's penny dreadful The Mystery of Irma Vep, in which he and his partner Everett Quinton played all the characters, with full costume changes for each entrance. Ludlum's life was cut short by AIDS in 1987. Quinton, who revived the show off-Broadway in 1998, died this past January. And the Black Box Theatre's current production may be seen as a fond tribute to these inspired men.

This Victorian Gothic may also be seen as a frenetic, ridiculous, supernaturally themed joyride pulled off with style by director Max Moline and his crew and actors. Who's to say that there weren't two benign specters present, as I was, on opening night – the theatrical instigators enjoying the production as much as the flesh-and-blood audience?

Penny dreadfuls were cheaply produced booklets of lurid tales popular in 19th-century England – the click-bait of their time. In less experienced hands, this production could've become a mess of indiscriminate madcap mugging. But despite the goofy, melodramatic material, the madcap mugging, and every other aspect of the show, were controlled and deliberate. Stars T Green and Max Robnett have performed on various QC stages, but recently, most often with Haus of Ruckus, a subversive gang co-founded by Green, which, in its brief year-and-a-half existence, has perpetrated 11,000-y original shows (give or take). I've seen some of these, and was delighted when I perused this show's cast list of two and saw their names.

T Green and Max Robnett in The Mystery of Irma Vep

In this tale of secrets, lies, and murder, Green first appears as Jane, who, like most maids, is not only privy to the estate household's scandals, but also frankly opinionated about everyone – and everything – entering the property. (Never having had a maid nor been one, I'm basing this stereotype on Alice from The Brady Bunch and Florence from The Jeffersons.) Green's Jane rolls easily from attitude to attitude, which changes in almost every line: loyalty, contempt, affection, shock, sorrow, and so on. Green has a wide emotional range within just this character, as well as an astonishing range throughout this show, not to mention all her other stage appearances. In this play, she also portrays Lord Edgar, of imposing posture and demeanor, reeking of privilege, self-satisfied yet introspective, who still mourns the death of his first wife Lady Irma, whose ominous portrait hangs ominously above the set's ominous mantel.

Appearing first as groundskeeper Nicodemus, Robnett manifests a false leg, and as his wooden limping is consistent and convincing, in this case, “wooden” is a compliment, not a criticism. He occasionally manipulates it à la Inspector Kemp as a comedic exclamation point. Nicodemus sports a penetrable East End accent; though it's a heavy overlay of lower-class Londonesque intonations, I readily understood every word. Robnett brings the same clear vocal skill to his hilarious portrayal of Lady Enid, a former stage artiste whose posh manner of speaking includes absurd inflections: “grave” pronounced as “graahve”; “savage” with a “zh” as in "mirage”; and "ans-wer-éd" – three syllables with a voiced “w.” Robnett was consistently brilliant physically throughout, as well, as he has been in every other stage appearance of his I've seen.

Ludlam's script has Lord Edgar traveling to Egypt for some reason I didn't quite understand – but then, the plot is incidental to the marvelous performances. He encounters a peculiar entity called Pev Amri (if you like anagrams, you can play around with that one). There, Robnett plays Lord Edgar's guide Alcazar, requisitely obsequious and cheekily sporting the fez from a particular Davenport Masonic Temple.

T Green and Max Robnett in The Mystery of Irma Vep

Speaking of wardrobe, I jotted one word in my notebook about it: “WOW.” Not only are these outfits not something that actors could bring from their own closets, but they also have to be constructed for quick changes. Mighty applause and roars of approval for costume designer and Black Box co-founder Lora Adams, who also provided yet another lush, expansive study set for this cozy venue, as well as one for the Egyptian scene. (I strongly suspect she's also on the running crew.) As for unscripted delights, one creepy sound effect is a recording of a dial-up modem/server circa 1999. Kudos to sound and lighting designer (and fellow Reader theatre reviewer) Roger Pavey Jr. for that absurd touch. Another one is the actors' occasional solo vamping while the other actor changes costumes offstage.

This is the Black Box Theatre's 40th production in the six years it's been around. The company offers a Whitman's Sampler of comedy, drama, musicals, and undefinables … and the eclectic variety in their seasons lights my soul. Just because you've maybe never heard of a show doesn't mean it won't be delicious – and The Mystery of Irma Vep is.

 

The Mystery of Irma Vep runs at the Black Box Theatre (1623 Fifth Avenue, Moline IL) through April 22, and more information and tickets are available by calling (563)284-2350 and visiting TheBlackBoxTheatrer.com.

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