Thursday, October 29, 1998
Drag troupe renders show in typical blood-curdling horror
THEATER: Success of Å’Vampire Lesbians’ lies in intentional
overacting, general deviancy
By Vanessa VanderZanden
Daily Bruin Senior Staff
Lesbians. Vampires. Sodomy.
And that’s just in the title.
This strange fairy tale of gothic horror provides plot twists
and staging as yet unavailable on Broadway. Because, well, quite
frankly, the socialites behind mainstream theater have got too much
class to run a campy vehicle like "Vampire Lesbians of Sodom." The
intimate back lounge of North Hollywood’s Aaah Capella’s Cafe,
however, provides the perfect setting.
Running at 10:30 on Friday and Saturday nights through Nov. 14,
the trashy performance prides itself on poorly acted scenes and a
sparsely designed set. Yet, by emulating the style of low-budget
horror film productions from the past 50 years, the work hits its
mark. And who better to perform such a piece than an acting troupe
with two drag stars at its helm?
Padded Productions pairs the talents of young, spry Kelly Mantle
and older, more established Debbie David as the two vampirical
beasts in question. Playing smoothly off of each others’ devious
quips, the duo carries the show through even its slower scenes
 if a play like "Vampire Lesbians of Sodom" can lay claim to
including slow moments. With sharp wits and well-timed deliveries,
the expressive faces of the leads almost trick audiences into
believing they’ve scored tickets to a top-notch performance.
Almost.
After all, the plot does render a fine display of emotional
catharsis impossible. The opening scene has two hard-bodied gay
guards of the ancient land of Sodom slipping each other sexual
innuendos right and left. Their short skirts a-flapping, the two
eventually deliver their employer  a monstrous succubus
 a gum-snapping virgin for the offering.
From here, the story gets wacky.
As the androgynous, blood-sucking creature (David) slurps life
out of the valley-speaking adolescent (Mantle), the distraught
victim bites back. This retaliation incurs an eternity of vampirism
upon her, for which she bitterly blames the immortal haunt. Chasing
the aging ghoul from one time period to the next, the plot weaves
from Sodom to Hollywood circa 1920 to ’80s Las Vegas. And in true
sappy, made-for-TV style, the tale resolves itself somewhat
merrily, with love gushing from one terror’s cardiovascular system
to the next.
Like the steady stream of blood pumping from the heart to the
aorta to the veins to the capillaries, the show goes on. And on.
But it doesn’t go on for too long; when it reaches the edge of
audience members’ capacity for stilted, over-acted and under-acted
sequences, the peculiar spectacle calls it quits.
And not a moment too soon for most tired viewers, the theatrical
performance completes its mission to shock and tickle a giggle.
Though it may not fulfill those in need of spiritual guidance, it
does offer a useful lesson to the audience at large: never bite a
succubus back when it’s trying to suck your blood. It’ll just
result in an eternity of suckiness.Photos courtesy of Padded
Productions
Debbie David plays La Condesa and the Succubus vampire in
"Vampire Lesbians of Sodom."
Shane Mathews (left) and Ethan Wilde play the guards of the
Succubus’s temple in Sodom.
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