AURORA | “And Then There Was Nun” is a good fit for the creative mission of the Vintage Theatre, but it’s bound to fall flat with a contemporary crowd.

As its name suggests, the Vintage is all about the kitsch and charm of the past, specifically when in comes to the golden age of the entertainment industry. In its current Aurora location on Dayton Street and in its former digs on 17th Street in Denver, the theater has hosted many events devoted more specifically to the golden age of Hollywood. “Nun,” penned by Richard Witter and Bruce Gilray, follows that pattern.

The show is populated by caricatures of starlets long past, the murder mystery follows the basic structure of an Agatha Christie novel, but the suspects in the whodunit impersonate the likes of Joan Crawford, Mae West, Bette Davis, Marilyn Monroe and Hattie McDaniel.

The whole show feels like the Looney Tunes cartoons that lampooned movie stars of the day. The Vintage production, directed by Peter Hughes, works hard to capture the zaniness and abandon of those old cartoons — there’s even a “That’s All Folks!” reference at the end of the show. Unfortunately, the effort only rarely pays off in actual laughs, despite a few standout impersonations from an able cast. The whole production feels like a hodgepodge of character sketches and a hectic collection of nods to a bygone era. And considering the fact that the gags are all about Gloria Swanson’s nuttiness, Tallulah Bankhead’s alcoholism and Judy Garland’s addiction to pills, the humor may very well be too obscure for a contemporary audience.

That note of obscurity gets even more muddled with a downright odd plot by Hughes. An introduction from an Alfred Hitchcock impersonator (played with an impressive eye to detail from Richard-Curtis Simpson) sketches out the bizarre history of The Holy Order of the Sisters of San Andreas, a religious group made up of stars from classic Hollywood. The show opens on the Order’s annual retreat at Grauman’s Chinese Island. Ten members have shown up, summoned by the founder of the order, Mother Paramount. The roster of guests reads like a who’s who of old Tinsel Town: Sister Judy Garland (Kathi Baerns), Sister Tallulah Bankhead (Kerry Hauger Beebe), Sister Gloria Swanson (Abby Apple Boes), Sister Vivien Leigh (Preston Lee Britton), Sister Hattie McDaniel (Geri Crawley), Sister Joan Crawford (Shane Delavan), Sister Bette Davis (Bob Leggett), Sister Mae West (Suzanne Nepi), Sister Marilyn Monore (Diane Thiemann) and Sister Katharine Hepburn (Catchy Washburn).

After each guest arrives and each actor has a chance to deliver an impression of their iconic actress, the plot takes a gory turn. A mysterious murderer (presumably Mother Paramount herself) starts taking out sisters, following the model of Agatha Christie’s murder mystery “Ten Little Indians.”

As sisters keep dying, the surviving members are forced to puzzle out questions of motives and means. Like any good Christie novel, the true identity of the killer is unexpected, and a complicated revelation marks the end of the final act.

The idea is bound to hold charm for fans of old Hollywood, and even for fans of old Christie novels. But the in-jokes are dense here. Anyone with even a casual knowledge of the lore of vintage Tinsel Town will be left scratching their heads at some jokes. And while some of the impressions here are strong (Boes’ take on Swanson is hilarious), most of the impersonations are middling.

Hughes tribute to the stars of yesteryear is heartfelt, as are all the performances and Hughes’ direction. Unfortunately, that sincerity doesn’t always succeed in bringing this vintage humor to life for 21st century audiences.

Reach reporter Adam Goldstein at 720-449-9707 or agoldstein@aurorasentinel.com

“And Then There Was Nun”

Runs through June 16 at the Vintage Theatre, 1468 Dayton St., Aurora.

Tickets start at $25.

Information: 303-856-7830 or vintagetheatre.org.