A High-Camp Celebration Onstage May 18 – June 22
BALTIMORE, MD (May 2, 2025) – Everyman Theatre is delighted to announce the upcoming production of Charles Ludlam’s beloved comedy, The Mystery of Irma Vep: A Penny Dreadful, running May 18 – June 22, 2025. This uproarious production promises side-splitting laughs and monstrously clever performances from two actors playing eight different characters in a quick-change marathon. The play takes the audience on a wild journey through the realms of gothic horror and melodrama. The actors delve into the enigmatic events surrounding the title character, Irma Vep. It is filled with vampires, werewolves, mummies, unexpected twists, and comedic escapades. Having these elements of camp and drag requires tremendous energy, lightning speed, and extreme commitment, and actors who take on this challenge are often praised for their ability to master farce and physical comedy in an exhilarating show like this.
Everyman’s production will feature the exceptional talents of Resident Company Member Bruce Randolph Nelson (Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None), who is performing in this high-camp classic for the third time. This production marks Nelson’s 50th production at Everyman. Joining him will be Resident Company Member Zack Powell (Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf), who has showcased his versatility in numerous productions and brings his dynamic presence to the stage for this laugh-out-loud comedy.
“Get ready for a tour-de-force of comedic acting! The Mystery of Irma Vep: A Penny Dreadful is a playful and wildly entertaining journey through classic gothic tropes, all brought to life by two incredibly talented performers. It’s a testament to their skill and a guaranteed evening of laughter and theatrical magic, states Founder, Artistic Director Vincent M. Lancisi. “I’m so excited to share this remarkable piece of theatre with our audience.”
The creative team for this production features Director, Joseph W. Ritsch (The Importance of Being Earnest) Resident Company Members Daniel Ettinger (Set Design), David Burdick (Costume Design). Everyman’s own Lighting Supervisor Juan M. Juarez (Lighting Design), German Martinez (Sound Design), Denise O’Brien (Wig Design), Resident Company Member Gary Logan (Dialect Coach), Resident Company Member Lewis Shaw (Fights and Intimacy), and Resident Company Member Robyn Quick (Dramaturgy). The Stage Management team is led by Resident Stage Manager Cat Wallis.
“Charles Ludlam masterfully took the emotions of a horrific time for the LGBTQ+ community and flipped it on its head, turning fear and uncertainty into this masterpiece of camp,” remarked Director Joseph W. Ritsch. Perhaps Ludlam has shown us that revolution is not about succumbing to our fears, yet instead it is about metamorphosing our rage into a love that will see us through…and if that love is donning a sequined gown and a glorious wig, aren’t we all for the better? I hope you’ll join us for a hysterical gay ol’ time with this tour de force cast and outstanding creative team.”
The Mystery of Irma Vep: A Penny Dreadful was written in 1984 by Ludlam with the intent of having he and his life partner, Everett Quinton, perform together, and uses actors in drag to create humorous situations while also challenging societal norms. Its atmosphere of horror and mystery mirrored the fear and loss gripping the gay community during the early AIDS crisis. Staged when LGBTQ+ rights were limited and recalling an era when crossdressing—essential for its two actors playing all roles—was illegal in places like New York City. The play sparked controversy. Its elaborate theatricality and required transformations become not just comedic, but a metaphor for navigating identity and survival amidst fear, loss, and prohibitive laws.
There are 40 public performances scheduled for this production, starting with a special Pay-What-You-Choose Performance on Sunday, March 23. Weekday and weekend performances run through Sunday, April 20. Tickets start at $48, with accessible Pay-What-You-Choose seats available for every performance.
The Mystery of Irma Vep: A Penny Dreadful
Written by Charles Ludlam
Directed by Joseph W. Ritsch
Onstage May 18- June 22
Tickets are on sale now at everymantheatre.org or by contacting the box office at boxoffice@everymantheatre.org or calling 410.752.2208. Standard box office hours are Monday through Friday 12pm-5pm and closed on Saturday and Sunday (unless in production.) The Box Office will open 2 hours before every performance, including weekends.
Special Performances
- Sunday May 18, 7pm- Pay- What- You -Choose: This final dress rehearsal will be open to the public the Sunday leading into Preview Week. General Admission seating is on a first come-first serve basis. Click here for more information.
- Sunday, May 18, 5:30 PM -Theatre –Night-For -Teens: A social event for high-school aged students who want to see a play and meet other teens interested in theatre. Students in grades 9-12 are invited to join us for dinner inside access to the show, pre- and post-show discussions with production artists. TNT purchase includes tickets to see the show at 7PM that evening. More details here.
- Tuesday- Thursday May 20/21/22, 7PM-Preview Performances: Be among the first audiences to see The Mystery of Irma Vep: A Penny Dreadful during one of our three preview performances.
- Tuesday, May 27, 12:00PM- Midweek Lunchtime Matinee: A special early start time offers students, colleagues, or any theater lover a chance to break up their day with big laughs for lunch.
- Thursday, June 5, 5:30PM LGBTQ+ Pride Night – Join Everyman for an enchanting evening filled with werewolves, mummies, vampires, and side- splitting laughter. Listen to the sounds of Baltimore’s own New Wave Singers. Dress to impress in your finest gothic glam, or fabulous drag. Let’s celebrate Pride in style. LGBTQ+ Legal Advocacy group, Free State Justice, The Pride Center of Baltimore, and BPD Safe Place Initiative will be onsite for information gathering and resource sharing. Performance of The Mystery of Irma Vep begins at 7PM.
- Thursday, June 5, post- performance Cast Conversation-Ticket holders are invited to stay after the performance and meet the cast in a 30-minute facilitated talk back.
- Sunday, June 8, 11AM The Queens of Broadway: Drag Brunch– Prepare for a dazzling morning of show-stopping performances as the critically acclaimed Sunrize with a Z hosts Everyman’s first-ever Broadway Themed Drag Brunch! Featuring brunch favorites from The Classic Catering People while Sunrize serves up the glitz, glamour, and unforgettable entertainment with the sensational Stelya Manz and Venus Fastrada. For further details,
click HERE.
- Sunday, June 15, 1PM Childcare Matinee: The Everyman Theatre Education and Community Engagement staff will provide childcare for children ages 3 – 12 during the show. Pricing starts at only $20 per child. Take a moment to relax and enjoy a show knowing your child is safe and having a wonderful time with an Everyman Theatre Teaching Artist!
Learn more about Everyman’s childcare matinee service HERE
ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT
CHARLES LUDLAM (1943-1987) grew up in Queens, New York, just a few subway stops from Greenwich Village, and the heart of Gay America. At 24, he founded the Ridiculous Theatrical Company, where he wrote, directed and performed in almost every production for the next two decades, often with Everett Quinton, his life partner and muse, by his side. Renowned for drag, high comedy, melodrama, satire, precise literary references, gender politics, sexual frolic and a multitude of acting styles, the Ridiculous Theater guaranteed a kind of biting humor that could both sting and tickle. His many plays included Turds in Hell, Der Ring Gott Farblonjet, a riff on Wagner’s Ring Cycle, Bluebeard, and The Mystery of Irma Vep, his most popular play, and a performer’s tour-de-force. Ludlam continued working until almost the day he died of PCP pneumonia, just three months after his AIDS diagnosis. He was 44.
ABOUT EVERYMAN THEATRE
Everyman Theatre is a professional Equity Theatre company in Baltimore’s Bromo Arts District. Founded in 1990 by Vincent M. Lancisi, Everyman centers its storytelling with a Resident Company of artists to carry out its mission of offering transformative, accessible theatre experiences. Led by Lancisi and Managing Director Marissa LaRose, Everyman Theatre invests in its community, believing that theatre is at its best when it’s “Built in Baltimore.” With the support of its partners, Everyman uses local vendors and local artisans to build every season, from the sets to the costumes, here in the city. Each season, the theatre employs over 150 full and part-time staff, actors, designers, and teaching artists to bring its programming to the people of Baltimore and the surrounding counties.
Everyman Theatre is supported in part by Individual Sponsors John and Susan Nehra, Lead Corporate Sponsor Gallagher, Evelius, and Jones, LLP, The Maryland State Arts Council (msac.org), The Citizens of Baltimore County, and The Shubert Foundation.
###