The Sideshow

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“CoAct Productions thoroughly transforms a black-box warehouse in Glendale into a break room and two dressing rooms for circus performers. Although the characters are disappointed with their lot in life, there is something inherently whimsical and romantic about the circus of the 1930s, and The Sideshow capitalizes on that to its full advantage. Complete with hay bales, a rack of sparkling costumes, copious fan letters, and other circus paraphernalia, the sets are as decadent as the cake offered to guests. The world that audience members find themselves in is stunning and all-encompassing; the air smells of cotton candy and peanuts, the bulbs strung across the ceiling provide the dim lighting, the rooms are separated by walls of tents and fabrics, the thin layer of fog stands in for the dusty landscape, and the sounds of circus or jazz music firmly establishes time and place. The intricacies and details of the sets alone are worthy of admission.”

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- Lacey Pawlowicz, Haunting.net

"From start to finish, THE SIDESHOW is an incredible, intimate piece of immersive theater. The story is enthralling, the acting is top notch, and the set is wonderful. This is one of my top three favorite immersive shows of all time, and I don’t say that lightly."

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- Jeff Heimbuch, Horrorbuzz

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"Through a carefully utilized space and some stellar production design, CoAct captures the feel of a circus’ backstage and then injects it with the essence of that time. That backstage area has all the trappings of the circus, from the hay on the floor to the various props for different acts, that help the audience quickly adjust to their new locale. It doesn’t have the wonder or scope of the center ring, but more importantly for the story it gives off a lived-in feeling where people can drop their act and be themselves."

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- Kevin Gossett, No Proscenium 

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