A HOLLYWOOD HORROR STORY @ Cincy Fringe
Schedule
Fri, 29 May, 2026 at 06:00 pm
UTC-04:00Location
Cincinnati Fringe Festival | Cincinnati, OH
18X award-winning actor/writer Ingrid Garner resurrects the wild true legend behind TV's first Horror Host, Vampira._______________________________________________________
“Garner’s inspirational interpretation of the iconoclast against mid-century domesticity will make you wanna go out and ”terrorize normalcy” yourself.” — Orlando Weekly
“Fans of horror, camp, the counter culture and the golden age of Hollywood will all find shivers of delight! ” — Orlando Sentinel
"BEST THEATRE" Adelaide Fringe
"BEST OF FEST" Edmonton Fringe
"BEST OF FEST" Orlando Weekly
"STAFF PICK" Winter Mini-Fest
"BEST SOLO DRAMA" Orlando Fringe
"BEST SOLO DRAMA" New York Fringe
"FRINGE OF THE FRINGE" Orlando Fringe
"TELEGRAPH'S #1 THEATRE PICK" Edinburgh Fringe
“Top tier pick…Garner turns her story into an empowering one by emphasizing the inclusive beauty of her legacy.” — Orlando Theatre Review
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SYNOPSIS (60min)(Recommended 18+)
Long before Elvira, television’s first horror host, Vampira, titillated and terrified 1950s America. 18-time award-winning theatre-maker Ingrid Garner harnesses her signature gift for transformation to resurrect the legend behind Hollywood’s most fascinating forgotten icon. Delivered as an episode of “The Vampira Show”, the mercurial life of her creator, Maila Nurmi, unearths in an electrifying multimedia performance.
Since her humble beginnings as the daughter of Finnish temperance evangelists, Maila felt like an alien in post-war America. In an era where women are expected to land a supporting role in the nuclear family, she was determined to become a star in her own right. After years of languishing as a failed actress and housewife, she wins the costume contest at the Bal Caribe masquerade, dressed as the not-yet-named Morticia from The New Yorker’s “Addams Family” cartoons. Little does she know that a young TV producer in attendance has been desperately searching for a host for his late-night horror films.
A true Cinderella-meets-Frankenstein tale, she stitches together a creature from her dark idols: the Evil Queen in “Snow White”, Norma Desmond in “Sunset Boulevard” and the pin-up models from BDSM magazines. During Hollywood’s most pivotal year, Vampira satirizes the ideals of 50s femininity while orbited by the likes of James Dean, Marilyn Monroe, Marlon Brando, Liberace, Orson Welles, Elvis Presley and Anthony Perkins.
Today, as the corset of mid-century conservatism returns to stifle those who defy conformity, Maila’s punk parable screams a thrilling reminder about the power of individuality and rebellion.
CONTENT WARNINGS:
Burlesque, Sexual Content, Death, Eating Disorders, Swearing, Brief and extremely vague reference to sexual assault.
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COMING TO Cincinnati Fringe this June! — Dates TBD
TICKETS on sale April 27!
cincyfringe.com
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#punk #goth #hollywoodhistory #vampira #horror
Where is it happening?
Cincinnati Fringe Festival, 1120 Jackson St,Cincinnati, United States
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