The Creeps

Catherine Waller in a scene from her one-person show “The Creeps” at Playhouse 46 at St. Luke’s (Photo credit: Andrew Pasino)

Victor Gluck, Editor-in-Chief

Catherine Waller’s one person show, The Creeps, has all the elements of a successful horror show: a macabre setting, dark lighting, off-beat characters, and strange unexplained going-ons. Unfortunately, several things get in the way of its registering. Created and starring Waller dressed entirely in form fitting black, the production has eschewed a director who is very much needed as there is too much dead time in this slightly less than one hour show. At this length it still seems long with too many undramatic pauses. Presented in the renovated four-sided Playhouse 46 at St. Luke’s, the audience is also aware of each other throughout which makes the evening a great deal less scary than it ought to be. Scott Monnin’s lighting is never dark enough to make us feel that we are in some place other than the theater with other people.

The Creeps takes place in a derelict building lorded over by a cruel, mysterious and unseen doctor. The residents are misfits who have found a home in this freak show. First we meet the lasciviously grinning Lizardman walking on all fours who is our emcee and introduces us to this milieu. There is a good deal of interplay with the audience before he moves on to introducing us to the denizens of this milieu. Next we meet the old and blind Bill who works in the boiler room and is grieving over the death of his daughter years before. (It is not quite clear if the doctor had something to do with her death.)

Catherine Waller in a scene from her one-person show “The Creeps” at Playhouse 46 at St. Luke’s (Photo credit: Andrew Pasino)

Next up is Harley the Harlett, an erotic personality, who appears to offer us sexual favors. She also appears to be pregnant. Finally we meet Stumpy who has no hands or feet. Aside from being in charge of unseen babies, she claims the doctor is responsible for her state. She tells jokes that she finds hilarious but don’t land with the audience. Lizardman appears between the encounters and threatens us with a visit to the doctor if we don’t follow the rules. Ultimately he tells us it is better to be in here than outside.

Although Waller’s physicality is impressive, the characters seem to be living in a vacuum. We have too many unanswered questions about the freak show we appear to be attending. Neither Monnin’s lighting nor the sound design by Hidenori Nakajo are particularly effective or creepy. The scariest moment is entering the theater where the lighting turns everything black, white and grey, bleaching out all colors, but we quickly get used to this strange state of affairs. Next time Waller performs this play she really ought to get a director to help make the evening the horror show she obviously intends.

The Creeps (through November 5, 2023)

Playhouse 46 at St. Luke’s, 308 W. 46^th Street, in Manhattan

For tickets, visit http://www.ci.ovationtix.com/36599/production/1171399

Running time: 65 minutes without an intermission