Thinning of the Veil V: The Damsel and the Damned

Thinning of the Veil is your new favorite spooky tradition. 

Deviant Productions is thrilled to announce the fifth annual Thinning of the Veil, a guided walking tour that immerses audiences in a haunting world of performance and visual art.

This season’s production, The Damsel and the Damned, turns its gaze toward the eerie elegance of silent film and the women who helped shape cinema’s earliest years. Through theatrical expression, multimedia art, and movement, Deviant reimagines the iconic female archetypes of the silent screen—the virtuous heroine, the helpless damsel, and the seductive Vamp—revealing the desires, struggles, power, and transformations within the roles they were given.

Deviant Productions invites audiences to step beyond the screen and into a world where the damsels are no longer waiting to be rescued; the Vamps have stories of their own, and the damned refuse to remain silent.

• Aerial Arts: Pole, Lyra, and Silks artists defy gravity through innovative movement and storytelling.

• Dance: Contemporary, Jazz, and Chair dance bring unique characters and haunting stories to life.

• Visual Art: Local artists Dan Bingham, Lief Brunet, Christine Stadler, and Lisa Price create props, installations, and multimedia elements that transform the venue into a vintage theatre.

Audience Participation:

Each audience member will be asked to wear a paper masquerade mask, a "veil", through which they will experience the show. Audiences will encounter a haunting collection of unforgettable characters as they walk from installation to installation.

Thinning of the Veil is a show for the senses. It is intended to be thought-provoking, rather than scary, with an atmosphere that is eerie, beautiful, and surreal. 

Whether you love Halloween, silent cinema, or compelling theatrical dance, Thinning of the Veil promises an evening that is both chilling and beautiful.

👻 Arrive 15 minutes before your tour time. There is a free parking lot attached to the venue. 

👻 Tours will begin promptly! Alll audience members must book a tour time, regardless of their donation amount. All audience members will be admitted based on their reserved time slot. There is no late entry, and there is no refund for a missed time slot. 

👻 Approximate show time is 1 hour 15 minutes. 

Venue at Lakeside:

1002 State Fair Blvd, Syracuse, New York

✅ Free Lot Parking

✅ Accessible

✅ Public Art experience

✅ Suitable for ages 13+

Warnings:

‼️ Audience will be asked to walk and possibly stand for the duration of the production.

‼️ Audience members will be asked to wear a paper masquerade mask throughout the entirety of the show. This may be difficult for those who are claustrophobic. 

‼️ Some performance concepts, including violence & death, may be emotionally triggering for some.

‼️ Flashing lights, including strobe effects, may be used in this performance.

Performers:  Afton Bingham, Allison Owens, Allison Zwier, Christine Stadler, Corinne LaMore, Dolores Hynes, Dylinn Andrew, Elizabeth Bremer, Erin Hern, Jessica Palermo, Kate Brown, Kate Lovell, Lux & Nox, Maria Cannon, Melody Bucko, Minayah Carson, N. Alice Latchford, Reut Hod, & Sarah Walter.

Artistic Director: Lisa Price

Production Team: Afton Bingham, Dolores Hynes, Kate Brown, N. Alice Latchford, & Sarah Walter

Installation Art by: Christine Stadler, Dan Bingham, Lief Brunet, & Lisa Price

Lighting Design: Mac Cushing & Salt City Grip

Stage Manager: Caitlin Radziewski

Thinning of the Veil is made possible through the dedication of Lisa Price, the Deviant production team, local artists, and performers, with support from CNY Arts, Christine Anne Art, Salt City Grip, and The Art Store.

This project is made possible with funds from the Statewide Community Regrants

Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support

of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature and administered by

CNY Arts.