Damned good

SIDESHOW OF THE DAMNED by Eric Woolfe, directed by Michael Waller. Presented by Eldritch Theatre at the Factory Studio. August 11 at 3:30 pm, August 12 at 6:30 pm. Rating: NNNNN

Eric Woolfe's funny-scary homage to creepy horror anthology programs on TV and gruesome comic books is SummerWorks at its best. Woolfe has mastered the formula and language of the genre, from Ron Kennell's faux-literary scaremeister host to the little plot twists that reward greed and avarice with bloody punishment. Michael Waller directs with obvious fun, and Paul Sportelli and Jay Turvey's music adds to the spine-tingling experience. Tone is important here, and Waller never lets his actors go over the top. Besides Kennell, Hume Baugh, Darren Keay and Melody A. Johnson take their multiple roles seriously and are all the more hilarious and frightening. The real standout is Kimwun Perehinec, whose law student mom-to-be and accent-chewing fortune teller are eye-poppingly good.GS