Over the past few weeks, we’ve talked a little bit about THE SIDESHOW, a brand-new immersive experience that brings you to a vintage 1930s circus. Today, we bring you a chat we had with the production team: Producer & Director Lyndsie Scoggin, Producer & Artistic Director Danielle Levesque, and Writer Nick Rheinwald-Jones!

HORRORBUZZ: Tell us a bit about the show overall…what can people expect?

Nick: The Sideshow is a one-hour immersive show that takes ten audience members deep inside the memories of 1930s circus performers. Audiences can expect a mixture of intimate encounters and theatrical scenes, with an entertaining blend of comedy, drama, romance, mystery, and magic… and there’s even wine and dessert! We hope people will walk away from the show feeling like they were truly an important part of the story they just experienced.

HORRORBUZZ: What about the circus, specially the 1930s sideshow era, spoke to you so much that lead to the creation of this show?

Danielle: There is something about the traveling circus and the people who work there that is so raw and real. Even though they are putting on an act, they are also parading their gritty lifestyle. What we found very interesting was that the circus is full of characters, all of whom wear multiple masks: the version of their character that the audience is there to witness, the person who they are behind the curtain, and finally, the person that they really are inside. We love the idea of setting the circus during the Great Depression, because it gave us the opportunity to explore what people do when they become desperate, potentially putting on an act to hide how troublesome things had become.

HORRORBUZZ: What about a dessert / wine pairing made it feel right to include for this show?

Lyndsie: We knew from the beginning that we wanted to include an elevated dining element, something that was not just arbitrary, but held a mirror to the themes of the piece. As we considered our options, we discussed the mood of The Sideshow, the character’s journeys, and ultimately how the circus made us feel. Desserts were the perfect option! We found that the food itself put your palate on a journey much like the one our characters will take you on.

HORRORBUZZ: With Lyndsie and Nick have worked together before, how was it adding a third to the team? How do you three handle the responsibilities? What new things does Danielle bring to the table?

Lyndsie: Adding Danielle to the mix has been invaluable. She originally came to me with an early version of The Sideshow concept, and I was hooked right from the start. Her background coordinating art departments for film and television has led her to become the foundation of our team’s creative vision. Between her deliberate creative direction & aesthetic planning, Nicks dynamic writing, and my focus on directing & design, we’re not only a diverse team, but a powerful one as well.

HORRORBUZZ: You guys far surpassed your Kickstarter goal! How does that feel to know that so many people are there to support you and your vision?

Danielle: It feels incredible! We had no doubt that the amazing immersive community would be the backbone to getting our show off the ground, but the turnout was so overwhelmingly positive, we are just so grateful. When we hit our goal on day 3 of our campaign we were floored. It was also a reality check – now we need to put on an amazing show for everyone!

HORRORBUZZ: What are you most looking forward to in this show?

Danielle: We are so excited for people to witness Nick Rheinwald-Jones’s unbelievable writing performed by our two incredible actors, Katelyn Schiller and Dakota Loesch. Putting these two together has been fireworks. They are two of the best immersive actors in Los Angeles and we are so lucky to be working with them. We have no doubt that our audience is going be blown away by all the hard work that everyone is putting into this show to make it unique and entertaining. We can’t wait for opening night!

THE SIDESHOW takes place August 17-26 in Glendale, CA. Tickets Available NOW at: https://coact-productions.ticketleap.com/the-sideshow/