Freak Show Revival

THE
HISTORY
OF
A LOST ART,
THE FREAK SHOW;

As it is now acted at LuisaViaRoma, Florence

Act I, Scene I

The Tallest Man in the World; The Shortest Man in the World
Jack Earle and Harry Doll

Due to acromegalic gigantism, Earle was one of the world’s tallest humans. Standing six feet tall before the age of 10, Earle was always a giant. At the time of his death, he was standing at 8ft 6in tall. He traveled with Ringling Bros and Barnum Circus and would perform with Harry Doll. Doll stood at 2ft 2in and was known as General Tom Thumb. Earle and Doll became the best of friends and were apparently inseparable.

Act I, Scene II

The Conjoined Twins
Daisy Hilton and Violet Hilton

Daisy and Violet Hilton were conjoined twins. Born in England their mother believed that the girls’ condition was a punishment from God for her indiscretions. They toured the United States in the 1920’s and 1930’s and were known for their many talents that including dancing and musical talents. Violet played the saxophone and Daisy played the violin. They were joined at their hips and their pelvises were fused, but they shared no major internal organs. They died from influenza, with Violet dying 2 days prior to her sister.

Act I, Scene III

The Scorpion Boy
Bruno Stiles

Bruno Stiles suffered from the genetic condition known as ectrodactyly which caused his legs to end below the knee each of his hands to have just two digits apiece, forming a sort of claw. He was famed for his claw-like hands and thus performed under the stage name ‘Scorpion boy.’ Stiles came from a carnival family that had been in sideshows for generations — ectrodactyly had run in the family since the 1840s. He started performing as a child and as an adult he brought his two youngest children into the “Scorpion Family” act.

Act I, Scene IV

The Ringmaster
Penelope Rose

Penelope Rose was the ringmaster for one of the most famed circuses in the world. She fell onto hard times and was recruited by the original ringmaster Joshua Barino as an exotic beauty. Rose fell deeply in love with Barino and when he died, she took his place as ringmaster and grew the circus to unprecedented levels. Rose became the glamorous face of the circus and used her charms and wit to recruit the best performers for her freak show.

Act I, Scene V

The Little Princess
Lavinia Warren

Lavinia Warren had a form of proportionate dwarfism. She was married to the infamous General Tom Thumb and their wedding was one of the biggest events in the 19th Century in New York. Their wedding reception was provided by President Abraham Lincoln and was held at the White House. Her and her husband’s spending habits, as well as her lavish wedding, led to her becoming known as ‘The Little Princess.’ By today’s standards, she would have been a millionaire.

Act I, Scene VI

Lionel the Lion-Faced Man
Stephan Bibrowski

Stephan Bibrowski was covered head to toe with long hair, giving him the appearance of a lion due to a condition called hypertrichosis. He was born in Poland with one inch of hair covering his entire body. His mother blamed the condition on the mauling of his father by a lion which she witnessed while pregnant with Stephan. When he was touring, his hair had grown to eight inches on his face and four inches everywhere else. He performed gymnastic tricks and was known to have a gentle persona despite his appearance.

Act I, Scene VII

The Bird Girl
Koo-Koo, Minnie Woolsey

Minnie Woolsey was billed as Koo-Koo the Bird Girl. She suffered from a skeletal disorder called Virchow Seckel syndrome, causing her to have a very short stature, small head and a narrow bird-like face with a beak-like nose, large eyes, a receding jaw, and large ears. She was also bald, toothless and blind. She was famous for her appearance in the film ‘Freaks’ and has since had a lasting impact on pop culture.

Act I, Scene VIII

The Smallest Waist in the World
Ethel Granger

Ethel Granger was known as the woman with the Smallest Waist in the World. She was a product of both fashion and sexual fetish. Ethel’s husband William told her about his appreciation for corsets, which resulted in the beginning of Ethel’s waist modification. After several years her natural waistline fell from 24in to 13in, thus becoming the smallest waist ever recorded. Her husband also had a belief that piercings made a woman more feminine thus leading to her heavily pierced face.

Act I, Scene IX

The Penguin Lady
Ruth Mignon

Mignon was born in 1910 and suffered from phocomelia but she didn’t let it hold her back. The disease phocomelia typically manifests in the form of stunted limbs and fused fingers and toes. Mignon became a prized sideshow performer renowned for her unique appearance and her skill with the marimba, an African instrument. Mignon would later marry fellow performer — Hoppy the Frog Boy.