The Ventriloquist's Wife

Theatres

Name	Address	From	To
Village Gate/ Downstairs	158 Bleecker Street New York, NY 10003	02/09/1978	04/02/1978
One Sheridan Square	1 Sheridan Square New York, NY 10014	05/25/1978	12/30/1978

Production Information

Opening date:	February 9, 1978
Closing date:	December 30, 1978

Production Description

A threecharacter thriller written and directed by Charles Ludlam (the Theater of the Ridiculous man), who also is one of its stars. The play is about an actor who buys a wooden dummy and is soon thrall to it. It is an unusual dummy, one that covets the actor's wife, and Mr, Ludlam's manipulation turns him into what one reviewer called “a marvelously animated actor.”

Opening Night Credits

Production Credits

	Person/Company	Credit
	Ridiculous Theatrical Company	Producer
	Charles Ludlam	Artistic Director

	Charles Ludlam	Playwright
	Charles Ludlam	Conceiver

	Steven Burdick	Costume Designer
	Tom Claypool	Costume Designer
	Richard Currie	Lighting Designer

	Alan Eichler	Press Representative

	Robert Furhman	Stage Manager

Cast

	Actor	Role
	Walter Ego	The Dummy
	Charles Ludlam	The Ventriloquist
	Black-Eyed Susan	His Wife

Notes

Ludlam’s The Ventrilquist’s Wife was originally developed as a cabaret show at Reno Sweeney in December 26, 1977.

The Ventriloquist's Wife played in repertory with other plays by Charles Ludlam: STAGE BLOOD, CAMILLE, BLUEBEARD, CORN and UTOPIA. At the time this production played the theatre was known as One Sheridan Square.

It opened off-Broadway at the Village Gate on Feb. 9, 1978 and had an extended run through April 2, 1978, playing 48 performances.