Madness + Chaos + Curiosity
Dark Horse Theatre Presents Sideshow
Step right up, folks, and prepare to embrace your fears and your fantasies, as the Ringmaster guides you through the Seven Deadly Wonderments in Sideshow, an original production by Dark Horse Theatre at NC Stage, 15 Stage Lane in downtown Asheville.
Behold the Lizard Man green with envy, obsessed by a woman he’s never spoken to. Recoil at the hiss of the greedy Snake Charmer determined to get whatever she wants regardless of the cost. Admit it, you’re intrigued by The Bearded Lady who is forever trapped in an endless loop of desire.
Part carnival, part vaudevillian mania, Sideshow is the creation of E McClain. “The show is staged as an actual sideshow,” says McClain, “with the Ringmaster presenting each of the seven individual acts to the audience. Some are monologues, some are traditional scenes.”
McClain, who serves as artistic director for Dark Horse Theatre, adds, “It’s a multimedia show, incorporating original artworks by a local artist, film, both live and recorded music, and dance.”
In Sideshow, the Ringmaster shows the audience his “favorite” sins that he’s collected and organized into a traveling sideshow. “His reasons are dubious,” says McClain mysteriously, “with the audience as its own character.”
Previous Dark Horse productions at NC Stage were Pontypool, the story of a zombie virus run amok in the city of Asheville, Grimm, about a village that is based on the fairytales, and The Midnight Area, a parody of The Twilight Zone.
Sideshow runs Wednesday through Saturday, June 15–18 and June 22–25, with performances at 7:30 P.M. On opening night, tickets are $10, and the production will be followed by a Cakes and Ales Grand Opening, with complimentary beer and cupcakes. Tickets for subsequent performances are $15. For more information visit darkhorseasheville.com.
