Photo By Katy French
MAINSTAGE SHOW
A Hollywood Horror Story
BY: Ingrid Garner
The wildest Golden Age scandal you’ve never heard!
★★★★★ —League of Cincy Theaters
“Fans of horror, camp, the counter culture and the golden age of Hollywood will all find shivers of delight! ”—Orlando Sentinel
Long before Elvira, there was Vampira — TV’s first horror host. 20-time award-winning Fringe ghoul Ingrid Garner resurrects the legend behind this fascinating forgotten icon. Delivered as an episode of “The Vampira Show”, the mercurial life of her creator unearths in an electrifying multimedia performance!
SYNOPSIS:
After years of languishing as a failed actress, housewife Maila Nurmi wins a costume contest dressed as the not-yet-named Morticia from “The Addams Family” cartoons and is offered a gig hosting 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 of 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.
Showtimes
60 min | R / Mature
FRIDAY, Oct 16 6:00pm
Saturday, Oct 17 6:00pm
sunday, Oct 18 2:00pm
Content Warning: Burlesque, Sexuality, Swearing, Death, Disordered Eating, Brief and extremely vague reference to sexual assault.
Production
Teaser by Halloween Every Night
Bio
Actor / Playwright
Ingrid Garner is a 20-time award-winning actor/playwright based in Los Angel-ish. For over a decade, she has toured the international Fringe theatre circuit across the UK, US, Australia and Canada with “Eleanor’s Story”, an adaptation of her grandmother’s acclaimed WWII memoir. The performance has earned “Best Theatre” accolades at the world’s five largest theatre festivals, and a wealth of 5-star reviews. In 2026 she premiered a biographical show about Vampira called “A Hollywood Horror Story” which has enjoyed sold-out, award-winning runs across the US and Canada. When not on the road, she works for Arts Orange County’s Jail Program, teaching Creative Writing to transitional aged youth, women, and incarcerated military veterans. She also serves as an “on-scream” correspondent for the award-winning news, culture, and lifestyle websiteHalloween Every Night.