Irma Who???

I always liked to think of myself as somewhat of a theater "snob"...having attended hundreds, if not thousands, of live theater performances over the years....Whether it was a Neil Simon comedy, or a Shakespearean drama, I liked to think I'd seen them all.

And then...last night happened.

And last night, I realized just what a novice I really am when it comes to theater...and just how much I have to learn.

Hubby and I have season tickets to several venues here in the Kansas City area, and last night, we headed down to one of them, the Kansas City Repertory Theatre, to watch a performance of "The Mystery of Irma Vep."

*

"Irma, who?" is what I had been saying beforehand, as I had honestly NEVER heard of this production...would it be a comedy? A mystery? A drama? A tragedy?

Hubby and I quickly settled into our seats for a two-hour ride, little knowing that we should have worn seat belts - as this was one WILD play:



Irma Vep is a WILD, madcap farce that features two men, playing eight different characters, with over 35 costume changes...Hubby and I were in stitches the entire night, at times laughing so hard that our cheeks hurt.

There were literally jaw-dropping scenes when a character would walk off the stage in one costume, and reappear a SECOND later, dressed in a completely DIFFERENT costume!!??! The audience was left gasping in wonder, "How'd they DO that??!!"

Vampires, werewolves, mummies, Egyptian curses, Victorian society - the play ran the gamut with references to Shakespeare, Ibsen and Poe...quite appropriate for a pre-Halloween production.

As far as what it was...? It was indeed a comedy, a mystery, a drama and a tragedy - with nary a second to spare for us to catch our breath. The two fine actors on stage were excellent in ALL of their various roles, with fantastic dialogue and plot lines to work with.

You KNOW a play is good when Hubby says afterwards, "You know...I'd pay full price to see that again."

Now, THAT'S an endorsement, trust me!

Peace.

*Image from HERE