Mr. Grieves and The Vampires
Recorded in May 2023
95 minutes
Los Angeles Mission College Theatre presents 'Mr. Grieves and The Vampires,' an original adaptation of the 1915 French silent film series, 'Les Vampires.' The Theatre Arts program collaborated with students from all disciplines of Arts, Media & Performance to create a kaleidoscope of theatre, painting, music, film, video, costumes, and visual design.
In this lightning-fast world, intrepid journalist Philip Grieves goes to perilous lengths to bring down the brutal anarchist crime syndicate, The Vampires—masters of kidnapping, jewel heists, disguise, poison, getaways, and murderous chaos. Just as Grieves zeroes in, a nefarious new villain escapes from jail and uses the powers of hypnosis to bring The Vampires, Grieves, and the whole city to their knees.
Louis Feuillade’s masterpiece of silent film melodrama, 'Les Vampires,' captured the collective fascination and anxiety of turn-of-the-century Paris, as technological advances threw the world into irrepressible anarchic motion…and the public couldn’t get enough. Associate Professor of Theatre Robert Cucuzza whittles the 10-episode series into 95 quick-fire minutes, and uses the silent films as a backdrop for a Technicolor world of anarchy, similarly steeped in crime, brutality, and technological chaos, filled with snappy dialogue and the pulsating alt-rock music of The Pixies.
Mr. Grieves and The Vampires cast includes Natalie Arrendondo as Grieves, Dennis Gonzalez as Mazamette, Diego Godinez as The Grand Vampire, Monserrat Lopez as Irma Vep, Sohail Rahman as Juan José Moreno, and Athiana Chaffino, Kaitlyn Ceballos, Stanley Herrarte, Abraham Cortez as “Baddies,” who play a variety of thieves, lackeys, goons, authority figures, and victims of crime, poisonings, and murderous urges.
'Mr. Grieves and The Vampires' is written and directed by Robert Cucuzza, who also did the scenic and sound design. Lighting and costumes are by Theatre Arts faculty members Bri Pattillo and Lena Sands, respectively. Video design is by guest artist, Ly Eisenstein, who returns to the AMP Theater after their work on 'She Who Was No More.'