'Vampire Lesbians' one of Misfits' best outings

By: PAM KRAGEN - Staff Writer | Wednesday, July 6, 2005 1:11 PM PDT ∞

For 10 years now, Escondido resident Fred Tracey has been staging plays, mostly one-acts, around San Diego County through his theater company, Misfit Productions. Some have been hits and some have been misses, but only a few have turned out as well as his current show, "Vampire Lesbians of Sodom and Other Comedies."

A combination of strong scripts, good and well-rehearsed actors, spirited direction, polished sound design and better-than-usual costumes, wigs and props make this show a must-see for Misfit fans.

The evening consists of three short plays: Charles Busch's "Vampire Lesbians of Sodom," Bill Bozzone and Joe DiPietro's "Breast Men" and Tracey's own first stab at one-act playwriting, "Desperate Debbie." All three are lighthearted, sometimes twisted, comedies about dysfunctional relationships (a Misfit specialty) directed by Tracey, costumed by Lisa Goodman (with makeup by Scott M. Woodbury) and performed exceptionally well by the eight-member cast. Zoe Somebody, credited as scenery, lighting and sound designer, deserves extra credit for the wonderful collage of classic film noir-style and pop music that surround each scene.

What makes this production a cut above the rest is the caliber of the acting, particularly the standout performances of Kevin Hettinger and Nicole Brokaw and notable work by Deborah Wenck and Kevin Maxemin. Filling out the ensemble are Victoria Ma, Bob Korbett, Jeremiah Powers and Tory Grande.

"Vampire Lesbians" is a wacky, naughty comedy that spans three eras ---- ancient Sodom, 1930s Hollywood and modern-day Las Vegas. The lesbian vampire Succubus (played by Wenck with a Cher-like wit) repeatedly matches wits with her enemy, fellow lesbian vampire Madeleine (Brokaw in a wonderfully campy performance), in a timeless quest for fame, fortune and female victims. Eventually, the burned-out bloodsuckers face off for the last time in Vegas, where Madeleine is staging a horrid lounge dance act with a handful of pudgy male dancers. The wild wigs, groan-inducing choreography and delicious costumes add spunk to this fast-paced 40-minute play that fills the first act.

The second act opens with Tracey's "Desperate Debbie," a twisted parody of ABC's nighttime soap "Desperate Housewives." Debbie Pimbroke-Van Muffin (Wenck) is a bored housewife on Gonorrhea Lane who spends her dull days frolicking with Brick, the 14-year-old gardener (who comes by daily to "trim her bush"), her pregnant teen-age daughter (who dreams of ditching her tot and running away to clown college) and Dead Grandma (embalmed and seated in a living room chair). All is well until Rex, Debbie's long-incarcerated husband, returns from prison to find a tryst under way on the living room coffee table. The 10-minute spoof ---- with warped characters in the vein of Nicky Silver and Christopher Durang ---- has its moments, with colorful characters and situations, but it still needs development and a more definitive ending to make it work.

The show's strongest piece is its closer, "Breast Men," a well-written buddy comedy with a surprise twist.

Stuart and Lloyd are lifelong best friends who've gone away for a men's weekend to help Lloyd (a beefy fireman played with a guy's guy sensibility by Kevin Maxemin) get over his recent breakup with a busty girlfriend. A travel agent mistakenly booked them into a room at Love Acres, a romantic retreat in the Poconos, and their original plans to drink beer, watch old movies, hang out by the pool and do guy things are disrupted when Stuart (a lonely fire dispatcher played believably and compassionately by Kevin Hettinger) makes a confession. A medical condition has caused Stuart to grow womanly breasts and he needs money for an operation to fix it. But Stuart soon finds that his new appendages wield a hypnotic power over Lloyd and the Love Acres handyman (played by Bob Korbett).

The characters in "Breast Men" are well-developed (no pun intended), the cast is terrific, and unlike many one-acts, it doesn't reveal all of its surprises too soon. It's a strong finish for the two-hour show.

Tracey has said he likes staging programs of one-acts because if an audience member doesn't like one play, there are always a few more on the bill to make up for it. But with "Vampire Lesbians of Sodom and Other One-Act Comedies," the whole evening is a delight, and one-act fans will enjoy the show from start to finish.