As Sophia on The Golden Girls would say, picture it: Pocatello, Idaho, 1956. The Fabulous Kane Sisters — loose Lana (Marc Geller) and nutty Nova (Bill Roulet) — are hired to perform at an old theatre. Nearly 20 deaths under mysterious circumstances have occurred at the house, but Shifty (Brent Erdy), the ladies' agent, conveniently forgets to tell them. What the Kane sisters find at the theatre — and why everyone laughs until their sides hurt — is a phenomenal takeoff on mystery films, backstage comedies, and gay camp, including delicious one-liners.
The Fabulous Kane Sisters are supposed to be identical twins, yet Geller and Roulet couldn't look more different: Geller's a dead ringer for Charles Busch in drag mode, whereas Roulet has a gangster's mien. It's a joke that's carried across the width of the play, only becoming more hysterical as the night, directed by Geller, goes on. The panoply of characters — such as Stinky (Nicholas Gorham), Rory (Patrick McCarthy), Belva (Sheila Stasack), Romaine (Elizabeth West), Merkin (Erdy), Buddy (Christian Pedersen), Slats (Christopher H. Matthews), and Pansy (Marta Reiman) — are all cut from the campiest fabric and worn by the actors with aplomb. The role of Buster Hyman (David A. Rudd), a muscular fitness trainer, puts the cherry on top.
Presented by Red Light District in association with Stephen Morfesis as part of the New York International Fringe Festival
at the Cherry Lane Theatre, 38 Commerce St., NYC.
Aug. 9-22. Remaining performances: Wed., Aug. 13, 6:45 p.m.; Thu., Aug. 14, 7 p.m.; Tue., Aug. 19, 5 p.m.; Fri., Aug. 22, 4:45 p.m.
(212) 279-4488 or (866) 468-7619 or www.fringenyc.org.