Debra Buonaccorsi McWilliams was sneaking library books about the occult home as a kid, right around the same time she was falling down a rabbit hole of old, gruesome Catholic saint stories. Seventeen years and one full cast reduction later, that overlap became Dizzy Miss Lizzie’s Roadside Revue presents The Saints — reborn this year as a two-person show, and closing out a four-city Fringe Festival tour right where the company started.

Created by Debra Buonaccorsi McWilliams and Steve McWilliams of Dizzy Miss Lizzie’s Roadside Revue, the show plays Black & Brass on Thursday, October 8 at 7:00 PM, Friday, October 9 at 8:30 PM, and Saturday, October 10 at 8:30 PM. We talked to Debra about weird saints, sacred absurdity, and what it takes to turn a nine-person show into two.

In your own words, what is your show about?

It’s a love letter to the weirdness of Catholic lore but it’s also about the intersections between religion and entertainment. It comments on the lessons these stories teach us, both good and bad. Amidst the absurdity and gore, there is also beauty, mystery, and humor.

What sparked this piece?

I grew up in a Catholic household. When I was a kid, I remember finding these OLD books about Catholic saints. I spent a couple of summer days reading these books and they stuck with me. They were such weird, dark, often gruesome stories. I also was fascinated by the occult as a kid and would sneak books home from the library about that subject. As an adult, I found that there was an overlap between those two systems of belief.

We had just come off writing and producing our first Dizzy Miss Lizzie’s Roadside Revue show, which was an adaptation of Aeschylus’ Oresteia, and The Saints seemed like a great follow-up, kind of like a Dizzy Miss Lizzie Medieval Miracle Play.

That was in 2009 and there was a cast/band of 9. Fast forward 17 years, and we decided to use this show to experiment with a new 2-person model of DMLRR, and return to the Fringe which is where it all began, and here we are, wrapping up a 4 city Fringe Festival tour.

What does “Fringe” mean to you as an artist?

We are drawn to the spirit of the Fringe. It’s the best place to experiment for smart, adventurous audiences. It’s really about the heart of the work and the artists. It’s about artists and audiences going down an unexpected, sometimes weird, usually amazing, road together.

• What do you want someone to feel — or think about differently — after seeing your show?

Everyone will take something different from our show depending on their own personal history. We want our audience to feel lighter because they’ve laughed. It’s satire and we want people to have fun but we hope that the themes and stories linger with them, maybe sneak up on them later and cause them to lean into the mysterious.

What’s been the hardest or most surprising part of making this?

This was originally a 9-person show. Adapting it into a 2-person show has been challenging but ultimately it’s been a tremendous learning experience. It forced us to be creative in new ways. It forced us to ask what was essential both in story-telling and logistics. It was stressful in the beginning. We didn’t know if it would work but each time we’ve done it (this is our 4th Fringe Festival of 2026) it’s changed and grown and become more fun for us to perform and I hope, more fun for our audiences to experience.

Anything else you want people to know before they walk in?

You don’t need to be Catholic or religious in any way shape or form to enjoy the show. The stories are fascinating no matter where you’re coming from.

Catch Dizzy Miss Lizzie’s Roadside Revue presents The Saints at Black & Brass on Thursday, October 8 at 7:00 PM, Friday, October 9 at 8:30 PM, and Saturday, October 10 at 8:30 PM, as part of the 2026 Scranton Fringe Festival. Buy tickets here.