A Signature Immersive Experience with ‘Undersigned’ (Review)
The creator of The Telelibrary invites you to sign right here
Written and produced by Yannick Trapman-O’Brien, Undersigned is a thrilling new experience that has arrived in New York just in time for Spooky Season. The City Reliquary, a community museum that celebrates the history of the city, plays host to the Brooklyn experience. A kind-eyed but firm receptionist (the fantastic McKenna Parsons) welcomes me to the oddity-filled space before guiding me toward an ornate tray filled with trinkets. As this piece is designed for an audience of one, she turns away from me to lock the door and I sense the intimacy of this moment. She calls over her shoulder and asks me to pick a trinket that might have significance to me and to carry it with me into the next room. This will be my offering for the ritual to come. I feel the eyes of history look down on me from a dozen photographs as I pick the Zoltar Fortune Ticket, and follow.
We discuss the ritual, what it will undertake, and also importantly what it will take. She invites me to sit at a table and places a small cigar box in front of me. I study it intently and follow her instructions. I am assured that our conversation will change dramatically if all goes well. The receptionist invites me to be honest, open, and to play no other character than myself. This is not a piece for roleplay, but an experience designed for self-meditation and evaluation. Rules are read, and I blindfold myself so the ritual can begin. Surrounded now by darkness, I speak and hear a voice call back to me.
I find myself in a difficult position as a reviewer since one of the rules I agreed to before blindfolding myself still applies; nothing that is said here can ever leave here.
So much of the enjoyment of the show is hidden behind its secrecy. Decision-making is a major theme, so in the spirit of Undersigned, I have decided not to divulge too much. I want more people to experience this fantastic piece, and I am afraid I would spoil that if I overshare. I am sure you can read between the lines here. Imagine some of what might go on behind closed doors, including darker themes that I can neither confirm nor deny. But suffice it to say that this piece is a wonderful and truly unique experience. Thrilling in every sense of the word.
While some immersive shows offer a sense of wish fulfillment, Undersigned seeks to tackle the concept head-on. Through the course of this hour-long experience, almost entirely blindfolded, dreams are discussed, hopes are envisioned, and I ask myself more questions than are asked of me. Lurking beneath the surface lies a sense of haunting darkness. When asked what is important to me, it’s easy to say something I think the performer would want to hear. Instead, I’m given the space to take the time to really consider the questions. I choose to answer honestly and truthfully, surprising myself. I am heard, listened to, and everything I say is interwoven in the experience. Undersigned is not trying to be a therapy session, but I found the unadulterated openness in encouraged truly therapeutic.
Undersigned is an inherently personal experience, one that will differ greatly based on the participant. Your interaction with the piece is the catalyst to discovery. Safety mechanics ensure participant comfort, even when things get deep. I realized later that nonchalant questions from when I first entered the building had an impact on the performance to ensure my maximum comfort within the discomfort that the show creates. The show also allowed time for me to decompress and meditate on what I had just experienced. The well-being of all participants is of the utmost importance to the creative team, and so while the themes covered through the show can get heavy, consent and calibration mechanics help to ensure that true discomfort can be avoided.
How we value experiences like Undersigned continues to shift as the immersive landscape evolves, and Trapman-O’brien addresses this in Undersigned. Audiences are invited to submit a downpayment for the show and to adjust their payment for the piece as part of the experience itself. If people wish, money is available for participants to take with them as they leave the piece, but space is also given for a greater payment to be made. It is a bold business model, one that relies on the audience to be respectful and generous.
Continuing from this, getting tickets to see the piece will mostly rely entirely on knowing someone who has already experienced Undersigned. While occasional “public” slots will become available, I am given a unique code to send to someone who I think would enjoy the experience, which is the primary way that the show will continue. It’s a decision I mull over for some time. If I only have one ticket to give, I want to make sure that I deliver it to the right person. This final choice is granted to me, to decide who I will recommend to the show, and in doing so decide how Undersigned will continue to live and grow. The piece lives with me as I contemplate this decision.
As immersive theatre continues to develop, it is encouraging to see that intimacy is still a touchstone for many creators. This piece shows that immersive doesn’t need a huge cast or budget to achieve life-changing experiences. A strong concept, matched with phenomenal improvisation, care for audience members, and the desire to create an individualized unique experience, Undersigned is truly breathtaking. I wouldn’t call Undersigned a next step in immersive theatre.
Undersigned is Immersive Art.
Undersigned plays in various locations in NYC and is currently booking though Oct. 25th, 2022. Tickets are $60.
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