Weird and Whimsy Collide at Annex Theatre

Kicking off its dynamic 30th season with one of its most ambitious and exciting shows ever, Annex Theatre presents Scary Mary and the Nightmares Nine written by Amy Escobar and directed by Eddie DeHais.

When Mary (Corinne Magin--Cafe Nordo's Hotel Nordo) pricks her finger, her blood awakens the ancient Slither, and now she must journey through the Nightmares Nine to save herself from his gnashing teeth. This hilarious and hallucinatory fairytale creeps, crawls, and catapults its way through the tantalizing and terrifying darkside of the imagination.

Playwright Amy Escobar (Girl) combines keen wit with flights of fancy to create a weird and whimsical landscape populated with talking squirrels, casual vampires, and dancing pastries. Originally a well-loved one-act in Annex's Zig Zag Festival(Summer 2015), the expanded script is not just a delight, but delves into issues of mental health.

Director Eddie DeHais (Mad Scientist Cabaret) fuses puppetry, clown, mask, and movement choreography, crafted in collaboration with Alyza Delpan-Monleyand Ryan Higgins (2016 Outstanding Choreography Gregory Award Recipient), creating a visually-stunning piece that continues to surprise at every turn.

Scary Mary has a cast of eleven incredible actors, including Jenn Ruzumna(The Twelfth Story, PFP's A Hand of Talons), Carter Rodriquez(amador/stokes Duels, SIT's Romeo & Juliet), Kiki Abba (Girl, The Zig Zag Festival, MAP Theatre Belleville--2016 Outstanding Actress Gregory Award People's Choice Recipient) and a tight ensemble who play 47 different characters, including 26 puppets, throughout the show. The puppets created by local designers Ben Burris (Terra Incognita, Zapoi!) and Zane Exactly (Mad Scientist Cabaret, HP Lovecraft: Stand-up Comedian!) range from terrifying arachnids to adorable creepy little monsters.

Scary Mary and the Nightmares Nine performs Feb 10 through March 4, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 7:30pm. Preview on Thursday, Feb 9, and Industry night on Monday, Feb 20 at 7:30pm. $20 general/$12 TPS, senior, military/$5 student/All Thursdays PWYC at Annex Theatre at the corner of 11th & Pike in Capitol Hill.