Price In Purgatory, presented by Fresh Fruit Festival

Having portrayed a number of villains and monsters in the course of his illustrious career, it seems likely that the late, great Vincent Price, a master of the macabre, would have put some thought into what happens once we die. It’s an age old question, after all, that has been tackled fearfully, reverently, and even comically since human beings have been able to grasp the concept of death. Even when one isn’t involved with telling scary stories for a living. It’s likely, though, he wouldn’t have imagined anything quite like Price In Purgatory.

The hilarious radio play by Drew Pisarra has Price (Mike Pinney), dead for centuries by this point, brought from Hell (where he apparently did quite well for himself) to Purgatory on a provisional basis thanks to the successful lobbying of some devoted fans. His guide (Jmar Reid) tries to keep him on track as they traverse through this section of the afterlife, though Price often seems ambivalent about his final destination.

Pinney’s Price is a vain and narcissistic man who loves to talk (especially about his glory days) who cannot imagine being asked his name (“can’t you tell?!”). All this in the funniest way imaginable. He and Reid play perfectly off one another, their give and take fantastic to watch and each with a perfect sense of timing. Sai Cameron Gatrall rounds out the cast as God, an interesting choice because so few people would expect the almighty to sound so young, but it works. He is always level in the face of the others’ confusion or frustration.

Pisarra’s script may not necessarily offer the deepest of philosophical musings on life and death and the meanings thereof, nor is it a thorough introspective of Price’s life (it assumes the audience has a decent familiarity with his work). What it offers in plenty is humor. The audience was laughing the whole way through the reading with good reason. It’s a fun and wild journey through Purgatory. The show is extremely entertaining even for those without a taste for horror. It honors Price and his career while lovingly poking fun. And Douglas Wagner’s original score provides the perfect atmosphere – often unobtrusive, if when you notice it the music sounds like something that’s hokey 20^th century horror movie, it’s doing its job well. Wagner also directed and has done a great job shaping the piece as a whole.

The team clearly had a lot of fun and put a lot of love into this production, and the presentations where that shows through are always among the best. Seeing a talented cast perform it live with an audience enjoying it definitely is an ideal way to enjoy it, Price in Purgatory should be great listening when released as intended as a radio play. Perhaps following or followed by a marathon of Price’s films. He’d want to make sure they’re being properly appreciated, after all.