CATCO Presents THE MYSTERY OF IRMA VEP 6/2-27

Lord Edgar Hillcrest returns to his ancestral home, Mandacrest, with a new wife, Lady Enid, after the untimely - and mysterious - death of his first wife, Irma Vep. Lady Enid soon learns life is anything but normal at Mandacrest, where spooky werewolves run wild, a sinister housekeeper spikes the tea, and a creepy caretaker lurks just outside the parlor door.

Will Lady Enid find happiness with Lord Edgar? Is Irma Vep really dead? What's inside the mummy case? Join CATCO Artistic Director Geoffrey Nelson and CATCO Associate Artistic Director Jonathan Putnam, who will play Enid, Edgar, Irma, the housekeeper, the caretaker, werewolves, vampires, mummies, and more in this laugh-a-minute spoof of gothic thrillers by Charles Ludlum.

The Mystery of Irma Vep - a cross between Rebecca and Blazing Saddles - will be performed at CATCO June 2-27, 2010, in the Studio Two Theatre, Vern Riffe Center, 77 S. High St. It was first performed on the CATCO stage in 1990 starring Nelson and Michael Harper with great success. "Anyone out for a good laugh, or for that matter, a nice scream, would have to be mad - Mad I tell you! - to miss Vep," Columbus Dispatch theatre critic Michael Grossberg said in his 1990 review.

The Los Angeles Times called The Mystery of Irma Vep a "farcical tour de force" and "wildly ridiculous to the dizzily sublime," while The New York Times said, "Even a bouquet of wolfsbane could not keep laughter from the door."

"If you enjoyed Tuna Christmas, Greater Tuna, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) and The Complete History of America (Abridged), you won't want to miss The Mystery of Irma Vep," said Nelson, who called the play one of his favorites ever performed at CATCO.

Over the years, he has acted in numerous plays at CATCO, including Glengarry Glen Ross, American Buffalo, Of Mice and Men, Speed-the-Plow, The Birthday Party, St. Nicholas, Taking Sides, Uncle Vanya, Rickey, The Weir, The Pillowman, The Drawer Boy, and The Seafarer earlier this season.

Putnam has acted in, directed, stage managed or designed sound for nearly 100 CATCO productions, including acting major roles in The Pillowman, Seascape, You're My Boy (in which he created the role of Richard Nixon), Uncle Vanya, A Tuna Christmas, Blackbird and The Complete History of America (abridged). He is also the solo star of CATCO's annual holiday production of The Santaland Diaries by David Sedaris.

Nelson, who recently directed CATCO's highly acclaimed world premiere of Pierce to the Soul, will co-direct The Mystery of Irma Vep with Jeanine Thompson, who is making her CATCO debut in a directing capacity. Thompson has a background in modern dance, acting and mime. CATCO audiences have seen her movement coaching in Blackbird and Almost, Maine. An associate professor of music at The Ohio State University, Thompson's other directorial credits include Trojan Women 2.0, O'Pioneers!, and Another Part of the House.

Nelson previously directed A Christmas Memory/The Thanksgiving Visitor, Doubt, The Santaland Diaries, Season's Greetings, Arsenic and Old Lace, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged), The Grapes of Wrath, Of Mice and Men, The Importance of Being Earnest, A Tuna Christmas, The Anger in Earnest and Ernestine, Glengarry Glen Ross, Taking Sides, The Bat, The Little Foxes, Orphans, True West, 1959 Pink Thunderbird, Murder in Green Meadows and Handy Dandy.

Huntington Bank is the sponsor for The Mystery of Irma Vep.

CATCO's 2009-10, 26th anniversary season is dedicated to community leaders, Loann Crane, Barbara
Fergus and Tom Katzenmeyer. Donors for the season are The Limited Brands Foundation; the Robert Bartels and Edith Doud Unrestricted Funds of The Columbus Foundation; Nationwide Foundation; the Greater Columbus Arts Council and the Ohio Arts Council, which funds CATCO with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans.

Preview (Discounted Tickets)/Opening Night Performances
There are two previews for The Mystery of Irma Vep, Wednesday, June 2, at 11 a.m., and Thursday, June 3, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $11.50 for the 11 a.m. performance, and $32.50 for the 7:30 p.m. show. The opening performance is Friday, June 4, at 8 p.m. Tickets are $40, and include admission to a post-performance party in the theatre lobby.

Half-Price Happy Hour
At least one Thursday of each show run - typically the second Thursday performance - tickets and drinks are half price. For The Mystery of Irma Vep, there are two Half-Price Happy Hours Thursday, June 10, at 8 p.m. and Thursday, June 24, 2010, at 8 p.m.

$11@11 Matinees
For The Mystery of Irma Vep, there will be three $11@11 performances: Wednesday, June 2, June 9, and June 16. CATCO's $11 @ 11 is an offering for theatre-goers who want to see a play mid-week (Wednesday) and mid-day (11 a.m.) at a great price ($11 plus a 50-cent restoration fee). For ticket information, please call 614.469.0939 or visit ticketmaster.com.

Dramaturge/Actor Talkbacks
For a deeper understanding of each play, CATCO presents talkback sessions for audiences. For The Mystery of Irma Vep, the actor talkback will follow the Sunday, June 6, matinee; the dramaturge talkback will follow the Sunday, June 13, matinee.

Audio Description
On one Sunday of each production, CATCO provides an audio-described performance for the visually impaired along with free headset rental. The audio description for The Mystery of Irma Vep will be Sunday, June 13, at 2 p.m.

Ticket/Parking Information
Tickets for regular performances are $40. Students and seniors may purchase half-price tickets on Sunday and Thursday performances the day of the performance based on availability and valid I.D. All tickets can be purchased at the box office at 41 E. State St., next to the Ohio Theatre, by calling 614.469.0939 or by visiting ticketmaster.com or by calling or visiting any central Ohio Ticketmaster location. Performances are in the Studio Theatres at the Vern Riffe Center, located at 77 S. High St. in Downtown Columbus at the corner of State and High streets. Attached parking is available in the Riffe Center garage, which is entered from Front Street.

About CATCO
CATCO is central Ohio's professional Equity theatre company. Its mission is to produce diverse, high-quality, and exciting theatrical work that celebrates our common humanity. For more information, visit catcoistheatre.org.

Last fall, CATCO and The Phoenix Theatre for Children announced they would merge to provide greater service to central Ohio theatre audiences of all ages. Subscriptions for their combined inaugural season are available by calling the box office at 614.469.0939.

The shows are:

The Last Smoker In America, Sept. 29-Oct. 24, 2010
It's A Wonderful Life, Nov. 26-Dec. 12, 2010
The Santaland Diaries, Dec. 2-26, 2010
I Am My Own Wife, Feb. 2-Feb. 20, 2011
What The Butler Saw, March 30-April 17, 2011
Souvenir, June 1-19, 2011
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, (Phoenix Theatre for Children), Oct. 22-Nov. 5, 2010
Encyclopedia Brown, (Phoenix Theatre for Children), Jan. 7-21, 2011
Charlotte's Web, (Phoenix Theatre for Children), Feb. 25-March 11, 2011