Another Story ‘In Another Room’ (Flash Review)

A triumphant surprise from LA’s E3W Productions

You ever see something so good it makes you angry?

When E3W Productions burst onto the scene in 2017 they did with the strongest debut of any immersive theatre company yet or since. In Another Room was a straightforward premise: you’re invited by an investigation team to explore a house plagued by something evil.

What set the production apart was the execution. The structure turned on a series of vignettes that were carefully constructed and an inventive production design that put an emphasis on details to convey the emotional core of the piece.

By reviving In Another Room for 2018 — in a new house with all new ghosts — E3W took a gamble. Stray too far from the winning formula and you lose what’s special about the original. Hew too close and returning guests would feel let down by a retread.

Or they could use the framework to craft brand new stories that touch on all new themes and raise the level of production value through the soon-to-be-demolished roof.

Which is EXACTLY what they did.

To say that the Keeling Brothers and Natalie Jones topped themselves with the 2018 version of In Another Room isn’t entirely fair to the original. The structure of this version owes everything to what came before, and the stories and moments of the original still linger in my memory. But the team has crafted an even tighter story, with design elements that not only put other shows to shame but are all used masterfully to set tone and carry both emotion and narrative.

Ahhhhhhh! I want to scream this is so good.

Nothing this spooky season has creeped me out and raised the hair on the back of my head. Not until the “Walter” sequence in this show, which uses some classic effects and brilliant sound design to merge frights and story into a seamless whole. What others chase, In Another Room catches seemingly effortlessly. This isn’t just the best show I’ve seen all season: it’s the best show I’ve seen all year.

Beyond all else everything is grounded in rock solid performances from the entire cast. Every scene has the quality of being in a motion picture with a top of the line ensemble.

On the design side of things the team has demolished their previous successes. In fact it might be too good: they’ve raised the bar high for what we will expect of them going forward, and this is only their third show. Of course, they’re not going to always have a house that’s scheduled to be torn down as a canvas for their stories.

And therein lies the rub: In Another Room has a serious expiration date. The chances of an extension are slim, as at some point the monster that is scratching at the walls will finally have its way with the house. (Shout out to Jeff Heimbuch of Horrorbuzz for putting two and two together there.) The tickets that have already been sold may be the only ones that ever are sold. If you’re lucky enough to have more than one: please share your spares with a friend who hasn’t seen an E3W show. This team deserves as wide of a support base as it can get.

Honestly, this piece deserves a longer meditation on it, and I may come back and do just that.

In Another Room (2018) plays now through November 4th at an undisclosed location in Culver City. Currently sold out, tickets were $65. If by some stroke of luck the show extends (the house is slated for destruction, after all) do whatever you can to secure a ticket.

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