Charles Ludlam – författare

Comedy Characters: 2 men playing various roles Simple sets This definitive spoof of Gothic melodramas, recently revived Off-Broadway to raves, is a quick change marathon in which two actors play all the roles. A sympathetic werewolf, a vampire and an Egyptian princess brought to life when her tomb is opened make this a comedy that has everything. "Far and away the funniest two hours on a New York stage...What more meaningful gift could Ludlam bequeath [audiences] than to leave them eternally laughing." -The New York Times "A really good laugh ...The story has to be seen to be believed." -The New York Post "Lunatic fun that keeps you in stitches." -The New York Daily News "A true vaudeville tour de farce...It's wonderful." -Time "A hearty mixture of thrills, laughter and extravagant showmanship." -The Village Voice

Characters: 7 male, 5 female, cross-gender casting possible Multiple Sets Newly Revised! The landmark Ridiculous Theatre Company production of the classic 19th century melodrama! Tubercular courtesan Marguerite Gautier abjures her rich lover, Baron De Varville, and sells all her jewels and furnishings to live in the counry with her true love, poor young Armand Duval. Her heart is broken when he agrees to his father's request to abandon him, and returning to her unhealthful life in Paris, she declines rapidly, but is reunited with Armand in a deathbed scene that provokes both laughter and tears. Originally performed with Charles Ludlam in the title role. "Oddly touching...one of the most hilarious evenings in New York...worth savoring!" -The New York Times "Enchanting." - Vogue "Outrageous." - Newhouse Syndicated "Very ridiculous, very theatrical, and very funny!" - Cue

adapted from the novel by Charles Dickens Holiday Comedy Characters: 17 male, 14 female, double casting and cross-gender casting possible Multiple Settings A Ridiculous but surprisingly faithful rendition of the Dickens classic in which Ebenezer Scrooge is haunted by the ghosts of his late partner, Jacob Marley, Christmas Past, Christmas Present, and the Spirit of Christmas Yet to Come. Faced with his own mortality, and the evil results of his misanthropic, miserly ways, Scrooge is redeemed, reconciled with his nephew and his neighbors, and becomes a second father to his assistant's son, Tiny Tim. Ludlam finds the humor as well as the pathos in this Victorian melodrama, creating the most Dickensian and stageworthy adaptation yet. "A faithful, authentic adaptation of the evergreen Christmas tale."- The New York Times "A perfect holiday entertainment." - SoHo Weekly News "A delicious family treat."- Christian Science Monitor

Characters: 4 male, 3 female, extras, double casting and cross casting possible. Various settings A Ridiculous retelling of the children's classic. All the familiar elements are there, including Jack, his mother, their cow, the magic beans, the beanstalk, the giant, the giantess, the goose that lays the golden eggs, and the harp that talks, but Ludlam adds his usual mix of wordplay and sight gags - and a very light touch of vegetarian and proletarian rabble-rousing - to create a fresh, thought-provoking, utterly delightful stage version of approximately 45 minutes.

Trailblazing, visionary, and too often neglected – this collection honours and celebrates seven queer playwrights from America, Ireland, and Britain whose lives were cut short by HIV/AIDS.Curated by The AIDS Plays Project, and edited by its director, Alastair Curtis, this anthology revives seven plays written by pioneering queer playwrights, providing a platform that restores and mends the link between queer artists and their audiences that has largely been severed by the ongoing AIDS crisis.The plays in this collection showcase a striking a striking, eclectic range of styles and stories - from a nineteenth-century drag-infused riff on La Traviata to a comedy about a bisexual ghost haunting rural Massachusetts, to a San Francisco-set tragedy about phone sex and an urgent exploration of Irish politics in a London pub. It also highlights these writers' lasting impact on queer culture and activism—whether by introducing the first bisexual characters on Broadway, performing agitprop theatre on the streets of South London, or promoting sex positivity during the darkest days of the epidemic.The lives of each playwright are retold through moving accounts by those who knew them, brought their writing to life on stage, or championed their work. These are paired with responses from contemporary queer theatre-makers, forging an intergenerational connection and contributing to an ongoing exploration of twentieth-century queer history. Ultimately, the collection acts as a blueprint for how studying and performing the queer past can shape the future of queer playwriting and performance, and ensures that the voices of the writers lost in the AIDS epidemic are not forgotten.