Let’s try to get more to the insanity of the guy,” Onyx Theatre development head John Beane says as one actor startles another in an imaginary shower, kills her and rapes the corpse. “We could do with some fondling ... or urinating. Though for the record, I think urination’s too much.”
The cast and crew of The Guignol Brothers: Theater of the Damned plan on starting in with the fake spurting blood next week, but for now they’re concentrating on the demonic dialogue and morbid movement associated with the black-as-death comedy’s various stabbings, breaking of toes/biting off of fingers, chainsaw-threatenings and cunnilingus beheadings occurring throughout various vignettes (including the whimsically monikered “Summerlin Moms”). “Audience members sitting in the first few rows are encouraged to wear clothing they do not care about,” the official literature warns. As Beane, also starring as one-half of the Guignol Brothers pair, puts it, “It’s a laundry-heavy show.”
A 60-year-old French movement, Grand Guignol arrives in Vegas courtesy of the Insurgo Theater Movement. As for potential audience reactions, Beane is optimistic. “We’re anticipating pretty visceral, positive responses. It’s always kind of an interesting freak show in the audience itself. Sometimes the smiles are pretty creepy ... But we’re excited to engage the public and invite them to a gorefest. We think we’re going to give them a lot to think about.”
Through November 3, Thursday through Saturday at 8 p.m., additional performances October 28-31, $10. Mature audiences only, 18 and over unless accompanied by a parent or guardian. www.onyxtheater.com