A vinyl-clad supernatural girl-meets-girl romantic comedy.  Chloe is becoming increasingly irritated by the imaginary people living in her apartment, including a bathrobe-clad Jesus and the annoyingly perky Spunky Old Gal.  When she meets Angela, a Goth astrophysicist, at a nightclub, the two hit it off and begin dating.  All goes well until they discover that they have been keeping disturbing secrets from each other.

Productions: The full-length version premiered at Portland, Oregon’s Stark Raving Theatre in 2006. It was also produced in 2006 by Phoenix, Arizona’s Insurrection Theater. The one-act version was performed at the Old Pueblo Productions Lesbian Shorts festival in Tucson, Arizona in 2004, and was later produced at Emerging Artists’ Theatre (Off-Broadway, New York) in 2007.

Publications: Excerpts from Vamp are published in Scenes and Monologues from the Best New Plays II (Meriwether) and Women's Issues Volume II (Meriwether).

Awards: Finalist, AQT2005 Writing Contest, 2005
Finalist, Arts & Letters Prize for Drama, 2005
Semifinalist, Fulton Opera House New Play Contest, 2006

Reviews:  “I have to admit, I thought I was going to hate Vamp.  I thought it was going to be the stupidest play ever … Only it’s not, not even a little bit. Stark Raving Theatre’s world premiere of Vamp is funny and smart, with a gentle self-awareness that stays just the right side of too clever … playwright Ry Herman isn’t content to engage the audience on a purely ironic level. Herman’s cannibalization of theatrical cliches is surprisingly sensitive … Angela and Chloe are deeply believable as women struggling to come to terms with the psychological consequences of abuse. This connection is reinforced in several puppet shows illustrating the history of abuse in Chloe and Angela's previous relationships; these clever little puppet shows are funny in a way that makes you feel guilty for laughing. The puppet shows are at the heart of why the show works as well as it does: Though some very real issues are addressed, Vamp never feels heavy handed or sappy … Vamp works: It’s accessible without pandering, affecting without sacrificing humor.” – Alison Hallett, Portland Mercury, July 6, 2006

“[A] playful, self-conscious dramatic comedy … in playwright Ry Herman’s hands, the comic, melancholy lessons that arise feel natural and earned. Chloe, played with moving frankness by Stacy Mayer, fears being incapable of loving someone, while Angela, the depressed writer, fears being unlovable. We, of course, see that they match perfectly … Angela and Chloe’s dates, and their final decision, satisfy anyone who’s ever dealt with worse in relationships.” – Laurel Fantauzzo, GONYC Magazine, March 21, 2007

“Vamp succeeds, handling surprisingly heavy issues like abuse and emotional damage with humor and sensitivity—and all within the context of a lesbian-vampire-love-story.” – Portland Mercury, July 20, 2006

“Herman has a clever purpose … that turns these initially unbelievable characters into endearing, three-dimensional people. Even as lessons and puppet show parables are tossed in, the show ironically becomes more universal and the characters more empathetic, with understandable motivations and reactions.  One particular monologue at the beginning of the second act concerning the creation and existence of legendary creatures in modern life is especially touching and surprisingly relevant … the play has already proven itself and sucessfully captured the audience.” – Matt Turvin, Goldfish, August 6, 2006

“Herman’s often sharp way with wit … is worth the drive to witness … Smart, hilarious stuff” – Chris Page, GetOut, August 7, 2006

“I loved it.  I haven’t laughed so hard in years.” – Paige Sullivan, GetOut, August 8, 2006

“… when there is so much bitching about sameness and cliché in theatre, this show both uses it to its advantage and dares to spin it a new direction.” – Followspot, July 27, 2005