NoPro’s Best Shows & Experiences of 2019
Looking back on the best productions of the year
Some years feel longer than others, and 2019 has somehow managed to feel exceedingly epic in length while remaining oh-so-intimate in scope. It’s hard to put a finger on THE MOMENT of 2019, because any given week seemed to have a dozen different identities.
So instead of creating a single, definitive list of THE BEST IMMERSIVE SHOWS & EXPERIENCES OF 2019 from the editorial board — a task made difficult by the regional nature of much of the work — we’ve asked our writers to share their Top 5 with us. (Another Top 5 list — of moments — is the companion to this piece.)
Because Top 5 lists are deeply personal things, you’ll find our picks organized below based on each writer, and the writers themselves are organized by region. Except for our Executive Editor, Kathryn Yu, who switched coasts this year and who will be up first. My own picks will be last.
For everyone else we’re going east to west, region by region, following our North American newsletter format.
— Noah Nelson, Publisher
Executive Editor Kathryn Yu
The Nest, Scout Expedition Company, Los Angeles
I have been waiting for my entire life for The Nest, I just didn’t know it. Combining elements of escape rooms, walking simulators, and podcasts, The Nest brings to life an immersive, interactive story that participants experience by finding objects, solving simple puzzles, and listening to cassettes on an old school portable tape player. Players start off in the darkness at an ordinary storage locker and end up on a journey through time and space with the now-deceased Josie, recounting the pieces of her life. In The Nest, the prosaic becomes the profound, the mundane becomes magical. There’s nothing else quite like it. Whenever someone asks me what they should see in LA right now, the answer is always clear. It’s The Nest.
Where There’s Smoke, Lance Weiler, NYC
It’s one thing to step into a typical fictional escape room about a heist or jailbreak, it’s another thing to step into an emotional escape room based upon someone’s actual life. Using real objects that survived a fire from his childhood (imbued with IoT tech), Lance Weiler’s Where There’s Smoke takes us into his personal history and the secrets his now-deceased father may have kept from the rest of the family. Was his father also an arsonist? Did he set fire to their childhood home? Deeply affecting and incredibly well-crafted, this powerful documentary-meets-installation interactive experience leaves a lasting mark.
The Under Presents, Tender Claws, Oculus Quest/Rift
Have you ever met Vicky, the cat lady? You know, the one who sings the song about the octopus? She showed me how to conjure a dolphin using my mask and a tree branch; but be careful, as the dolphin doesn’t like being stroked against the grain. All this, and more, is possible in the immersive theatre-meets-virtual reality experience, The Under Presents, where participants can explore a strange, surreal world, watch performances on stage, and then find themselves interacting with live performers, who are also in VR. This mind-bending game-theatre-virtual reality experience is a huge leap forward towards what’s possible in virtual spaces and is a must-see for anybody with an Oculus Quest. (NoPro publisher Noah Nelson worked on the casting for the live portion of this experience.)
The Privilege of Escape, Risa Puno, NYC
Our NYC Curator Blake Weil does a pretty great Kevin McCallister impression from Home Alone. I know this only because that was the expression on his face when I turned to look at him, just after the big reveal happened in Risa Puno’s The Privilege of Escape. The public art installation takes the usual form of an escape room and turns it on its head. Two different groups of individuals must work together to solve all the puzzles in two nearly identical escape rooms. I say nearly identical because one group, unbeknownst to everyone, is working with the exact same puzzles as the first team but with a massive disadvantage. This twist takes what is an already excellently-designed escape room and brings it to the next level, by subverting expectations along the way. As someone on the disadvantaged team, the agony of defeat has never felt so nuanced and layered. It takes a lot to state what should be obvious in such an elegant way — that the game is, and has always been, rigged.
Chaos Theory, Jessica Creane, NYC
There’s a moment in Jessica Creane’s Chaos Theory where she takes a leap of confidence and lays her soul bare. Her character, the once promising Dr. Genevenie Saoch, becomes strikingly vulnerable as she retells the arc of her career and what brought her to where she is now, a humble mathematicians meetup in a tiny city. It’s a series of theatre games disguised as an academic lecture covering life, love, ambition, and the pursuit of knowledge; it’s also simultaneously an experience that coaxes the audience into a state of community and play, creating a space where quite anything is possible, if only we were to embrace the chaos all around us. Dr. Saoch has been there and back, and now she can share the tale.
New York Team
Blake Weil, New York Curator
Despite dabbling in the past, 2019 was my first full year of diving into immersive theatre. While it definitely had highs and lows, I’m impressed by the overall level of quality I saw when reviewing everything that I’d participated in this year. This was a hard list to make. The thing I love the most in theatre is when it’s “sticky.” I want to feel traces of it months later, and all of the experiences below definitely managed to stick in one way or another. While normally I delight in long-winded introductions, I feel like these works speak for themselves. Ranking great events like this that strikes me as comparing apples to oranges — I present the following in chronological order, as I saw them.
Block Association Project, Michael Rau and Michael Yates Crowley
I haven’t seen something as real-feeling, side-splittingly funny, and haunting all at the same time as Block Association Project. Viewing the worst of American isolationism in a world spinning out of control through the lens of the worst a homeowner’s association has to offer (plus the pre-requisite suburban nightmare potluck, complete with one of those 5-foot long turkey subs), the show managed an insanely ambitious tonal range with aplomb. The cherry on top was creative use of signing each participant up for the neighborhood email listserv for a few weeks before the show — the cast felt real the moment you walked in the door.
Campout, Kevin Michael Wesson/Maddison Wise
Campout provided such an unparalleled level of intimacy and grasp of its subject matter, I’m still in agony that I’m one of only a handful who saw it. A masterclass in establishing trust, and gently guiding participants, Campout managed to connect childhood delights, adult fears of intimacy, and the entirety of our cultural icon of a campout into something extraordinary. The puppetry was some of the best in the business, and the framing made it even more spectacular.
Who Killed Edgar Allan Poe?: The Cooping Theory 1969, Poseidon Theatre Company
No theatrical production this year had said “WHEE!” like Who Killed Edgar Allan Poe?: The Cooping Theory. A heady blend of cocktails neon, poetry, and groovy 60’s tracks, The Cooping Theory called its shot as a retro horror scream-fest. The show even managed to sneak in a few moments of pathos into its gothic tilt-a-whirl. Overall, though, The Cooping Theory takes my award for sheer fun.
UCC Omega, Future Proof
I’ve followed Future Proof for a long time, and seeing them finally fully realize their vision of a comic cyberpunk dystopia at the scope of UCC Omega was immensely satisfying. The fact that this persistent world remembered me, and had developed to the point where I wasn’t sure what any of my actions would do to the plot was incredible. I love seeing the immersive world embrace comedy, and no show had me laughing harder than UCC Omega. The story living on between shows digitally is a great way to keep audiences engaged, and I still check in with Future Proof in anticipation for the next show.
Under the Bed, Candle House Collective
(Note: I am personal friends with Evan Neiden, creative director and writer of Candle House Collective.)
As far as giving me something totally new and unexpectedly effective, tele-immersive has been one of my favorite revelations of the year. The form alone would be worth celebrating, but Candle House Collective’s writing is incredible and deeply involving. I felt terrible after each production I saw (The Lucky Ones and Good Morning) in the best way possible — taking immersive theater over my own phone made the darkness all the more real, and makes lofty problems of politics and the cruel nature of fate feel personal and intimate. Watch this space — whatever is coming next is sure to continue to push the envelope.
Allie Marotta, NYC Correspondent
Galleria Esperienza, Roll the Bones
Roll the Bones captured my immersive heart with their tasting menu of curated experiences in August. From choosing poems to be read aloud to having my feet washed and buried in sand, this project engaged with the whole being and created a wonderfully sensory based journey through quite literally, our experience of things. Creating moments of ‘experience’ for the sake of well, experiencing it seems a bit trite but Roll the Bones mastered it with Galleria Esperienza. I can’t wait to see what they do next.
Next Time, Candle House Collective
Candle House Collective presented another tasting menu of sorts in the Fall, but solely comprised of remote experiences. I chose to participate in Next Time after skimming through the options, not really understanding what I was signing up for. For the most part, what designates a good experience from a ‘best’ experience for me is those moments where I find my breath catching; like I realize after the fact and have to remind myself to breathe. Next Time had me there more than once, and it still blows my mind that I was so affected by a simple phone call. Contemplating life, death, and what comes next through the lens of objectivity of your own life was an unexpected moment of catharsis, and the careful crafting of the progression was evident and appreciated.
User Not Found, Dante or Die
Part audio play, part interactive technology experiment, and part site specific movement piece, Dante or Die’s User Not Found was a surprise champion for me. I recall feeling fairly judgmental at the start, but the finesse of this experience is a slow burn and is well worthwhile once you get there. The seamless integration of live actor, private audio, and personal technology was a revolutionary success and contributed to the feeling of immersion in the story. Seeing main character Terry’s text of condolences on my own screen at the same time pulled on my heart strings. I left with tears in my eyes and a newfound gratitude for my own friends and family at times over-exuberant documentation of our lives together in the digital world.
The Rogues Gallery, Broken Ghost Immersives
This interactive, RPG-style take on Risk by Broken Ghost Immersives was an absolute treat. I had a blast stepping into the shoes of a super villain for the night, and actually ended up achieving world domination! Challenges and moments of triumph blended together in this live, hands on game to create a surprisingly fulfilling overall experience. The Rogues Gallery was a wonderful opportunity to be fully immersed and participating in something to the extent that I forgot about the real world.
Remembrance, Linked Dance Theatre
Although I enjoy a wide variety of types of experiences and shows, my eternal immersive search is for something close to the form of the greats that introduced the mainstream world to immersive theatre. As jaded as we might be about Then She Fell, it will always be what made me fall in love with the form, so naturally there is a sort of checklist for standard of perfection developed from this original encounter. Give me some site specific physical/dance based theatre with a haunting narrative and gorgeous environmental design in a promenade or sandbox setting and I am all in. Linked Dance Theatre’s latest production this past summer on Governor’s Island hit every box on my list and was a pleasure to watch. Balancing the feeling of immersion with narrative driven, non-participatory theatre is difficult and Remembrance navigated it with ease. The use of space and props was remarkable and I really enjoyed the setting of a birthday party as the audience’s way in. Overall a really solid example of taking what we know works and building something new. (Note: NoPro NYC Correspondent Edward Mylechreest was a producer on this show.)
Edward Mylechreest, NYC Correspondent
2019 Season, Sinking Ship Creations
Sinking Ship Creations have had an incredibly busy season this year, and I have had the awesome opportunity to see five of their productions in 2019. White Death is a classic LARP, a staple of the genre, one that has been recommended to me by all the LARP players that I have had a chance to play with so far, and having taken part in this haunting experience, I can see why. Through more recent LARPs like Fade and Basic Principles of Incantation, I was transported to magical new worlds. The Mortality Machine was an ambitious project right at the beginning of the year, but its size, scale and ambition were only a fraction of that of the companies final production of the year — Scapegoat. This multi-day LARP, taking place all over NYC, involving over 100 participants, was a life-changing experience, one that I am still coming to grips with — as I process this, a review will be coming to NoPro soon! An incredibly ambitious year from this well established company providing LARP experiences through every season.
Atelier Des Lumières, Paris, France
Museums continue to implement immersive theatre techniques, and the continued rise of selfie-palaces is a testament to the popularity of this. Whilst spending time in Paris, I was able to experience the beautiful Atelier Des Lumières, which for me is a shining beacon of what projections and technology are able to achieve. Whether or not this will prove to be the future of museums remains to be seen, but this was a stunning example of what can be achieved through clever collaboration between mediums.
Remote Immersive Shows, the G8B4/Escape Character/Candle House Collective
I have been blown away by the possibilities of remote immersive shows in 2019, a new wing of the immersive medium which I think has tremendous opportunity for growth in the coming years. LiVEPLAY was an intimate one on one skype call, which left me with permanent memories seeped into my kitchen table. The Aluminum Cat took game theatre and online communication, and turned it on it’s head, in a hilarious production that was entirely based on the movement of cursors alone. Most recently Candle House Collective produced their run of Under the Bed, a series of phone-based experiences, which were so varied in their style, yet each one was quite touching. I, for one, am certainly looking forward to seeing how this arm of immersive will continue to develop over the coming years, as it is a fantastic way of expanding our community with its accessibility.
The Privilege of Escape, Risa Puno, NYC
The Privilege of Escape garnered much mainstream attention this year, and with good reason. This wonderful escape room brought social issues to light in the most special of ways. A simple concept, executed magnificently, made this one of the most memorable experiences of the year. Thank you to the team for bringing social justice to light in such a unique and exciting new way. I will definitely be keeping an eye out for what this creative team decides to do next.
Blackout
Blackout celebrated its 10th anniversary this year, and it was my pleasure(?!) to experience the show. This was my first ever haunt, and of course I was terrified, shocked, and horrified. The anticipation waiting in line before the experience began was like nothing I have experienced before. Throughout the show, although I was of course scared, I bizarrely felt incredibly cared for and looked after. At every moment, as intense and scary as it was, I knew that I was in the capable hands of true haunt professionals. This was, unsurprisingly, my most shocking experience of the year, and it has certainly stayed with me ever since.
Michaela Holland, NYC & Social Media Correspondent
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Walt Disney World
I’m sure Galaxy’s Edge is on the of everyone’s list, but rightly so. Years of immersive/interactive research by the Walt Disney Imagineering team pays off in their execution of the highly anticipated Star Wars theme park expansion.
I personally arrived the day after it opened at Walt Disney World, and wow! As a previous cast member at Disneyland from 2014–2016, I have to admit that having just opened a park expansion, the cast members, app, and script within the world blew me away. Bravo, Disney on an incredibly, enjoyable experience in the physical and digital realm. I could easily spend hours in that little corner of the park unraveling the world.
Where There’s Smoke, Lance Weiler
This was one of the most groundbreaking pieces debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival this year: an off-site activation on Canal Street that took you into the very personal story of Lance Weiler, his father, and their relationship. Weiler utilized the genres of documentary, relational theatre, escape rooms, and experimental film — sharing a one-in-a-million piece of work that once you exited, lingered with you throughout the day, like the smell of smoke. It was also stunning to see the work-in-progress during the install.
The Oddly Satisfying Spa, Luxury Escapism
My hands-down top pick for XR 2019 is The Oddly Satisfying Spa. Tyler and the rest of the Luxury Escapism team take an undeniably strong step forward from their first pop-up and create an all-encompassing, cozy space featuring next level XR pieces which include hand tracking, sound baths, and various relaxing therapies, all staffed with attentively gentle spa attendants.
Under One Roof, Tenement Museum Tour
When it comes to museums, the Tenement Museum is one to watch. By taking the site-specificity of pre-existing tenement apartments and reconstructing them to look, sound, and feel like they did throughout various eras of history, they have mastered the art of immersive non-fiction. Couple that with the well-versed and knowledgeable educators — who guide you through the space, share the stories of the families that lived in the apartments, and softly nod to the aspects of the personal past that mirror the political moments of the present — and you have one of the most engaging museum tours I’ve been on, taking the form of relational theatre and the highest level of immersive production design I’ve seen. Even the use of technology at the conclusion of the tour is not only hands-on and interactive but also feels authentic and respectful of the immigrant garment workers’ experience.
After taking this tour, I became a member of the museum, so I can take a guest and myself back through this experience in the coming year.
Chicago
Patrick McLean, Chicago Curator
Stay on the Line, The Martin
I find myself still in awe and wonder when thinking about Stay on the Line, continually mining out what I learned and felt daily. While returning for its third year, Stay on the Line seems to be operating under-the-radar, with only those in the know aware of this hidden gem. This might be because each 30-minute experience is performed for only one audience member at a time. What I find downright impressive about Stay on the Line is that it’s only a three-person operation. Whitney LaMara, Nicole Faust and Emily Sharp do it all, from lights and sounds to writing and directing, showing that it doesn’t take a lot to create an immersive experience. Additionally, their skills as performers are arguably unmatched, the glue that binds the experience tightly together. Their ability to improv and dramatically guide me through the experience is masterful, allowing me to put myself in the action with them. I think it’s time that Stay on the Line did away with their hidden gem status and should instead be considered a worthy crown jewel of the Chicago immersive scene.
The Ode at Pint’s End, Birch House Immersive
It’s hard not to get overly excited each year as Birch House Immersive announces what they’ll be doing as their end-of-year experience. Part of that excitement comes for my admiration that Birch House Immersive is not one to rest on their laurels. They’re always pushing themselves to explore new genres and audience interaction, creating exciting moments of agency. It’s without a doubt Birch House leveled-up this year in setting sail with The Ode at Pint’s End. The audience agency throughout Pint’s End was deep reaching and fulfilling, making me feel like a valuable and required part of the experience. The more involved I become in the story, the more I was moved by it, its messages on the human condition resonating within me. While Pint’s End has sailed off into the sunset, I eagerly return to keeping an eye on the horizon for Birch House Immersive’s next experience.
(Disclosure: Dean Corrin is the Experience Designer at Birch House Immersive, who the author studied playwriting under while attending The Theatre School at DePaul University. He is also a former curator for NoPro.)
MassVR
Thanks to the internet connecting us 24/7, playing multiplayer video games is just not the same. No longer do your friends come over because they’ll just meet you in the online waiting room to play. I came to accept the days of having a communal video game experience were gone until a game play session at MassVR. My only experience with VR before had been Beat Saber, so I was not prepared for the power of full body VR immersion. The moment I put on the head set and saw my VR arms and fingers match the moment I was doing in real time was mind-blowing. In going head-to-head against my friends, our good nature ribbing and joking instantly transported me back to playing video games with friends after school. If you’re looking for a communal video game play experience a worthwhile VR experience, look no further than MassVR.
Reflections on Fire: Extinguishing Old Ideas, Cabinet of Curiosity
Growing up Roman Catholic soured me to any kind of organized religion, leaving me to believe that no topical answers of enlightenment could be found from an external source. Turning questions of faith and life inwards is what Reflections on Fire: Extinguishing Old Ideas brilliantly accomplished. The whole experience was pagan in its execution, being outside on a warm summer day where humanoid crows and a minotaur walking around as the sun set. Once the sun was gone, our light came the burning fire being fueled by the audience shedding the burdens what they no longer wished to carry. Every step of the experience from Cabinet of Curiosity dared me provide my own answers. In creating their own open community ritual, Reflections on Fire: Extinguishing Old Ideas created the most personal and enlightening religious experience I’ve had.
The Silence In Harrow House, Rough House Theatre
I’ve never been one for haunted houses. I find that either they’re so cheap they become cheesy or are nothing more than a series of well-done jump scares that leave you too on edge to be enjoyed. Additionally, as I have gotten older, it’s terrors that come from within ourselves that frighten me the most. It’s showcasing these inner terrors that The Silence In Harrow House perfectly captured that haunt me still. In moving around the perfectly designed hallways of Harrow House, I instantly felt unease when I realized there was no way out, the only choice to go around and around until whatever terrible deed occurred. The stars of this haunted house are the puppets that had an incredible level of detail not only in their practical design but the character work as well. I was so engrossed when interacting with the puppets that I forgot the puppeteers where even there. By creating an environment where suspense fueled the tension rather than cheap theatrics, The Silence In Harrow House was the most frightening experience I’ve had to date.
Los Angeles Team
Kevin Gossett, LA Reviews Editor
When it came to immersive theatre (and really any entertainment) this year, I found myself drawn to intentionality, specificity, and precision. Sometimes that was reflected in what the show was aiming for in terms of an emotional impact. Sometimes it was in terms of how a show was put together. And sometimes it was both.
These five shows resonated with me in really particular ways and are the ones that I’ve been thinking about a lot since I saw them (in one case, it’s been almost a whole year).
And yes, I realize only two (one if you want to get really technical) of these shows actually premiered this year, but it’s my list!
The Severance Theory: Welcome to Respite, CoAct Productions
I didn’t know what to expect from CoAct Productions’ show about Dissociative Identity Disorder. Incorporating mental health and mental disorders into something like immersive theatre presents obvious complications and requires a steady, careful hand in dealing with the subject and your participants. With this first in a series of four, CoAct exhibited the right level of care for both. They created a show that carefully positioned the audience members in a role and let everything spin out from that. The result is an exacting, affecting, and empathetic experience that guides audience members through a pivotal moment in their character’s life. On top of that (and because of it), it also manages to produce one of my favorite terrifying moments in immersive theatre.
The Nest, Scout Expedition Company
If there’s a show on this list that fully embodies the idea of precision, it’s Scout Expedition Co.’s, The Nest. I would have described the first run of this show in 2017 as impeccably crafted. That’s somehow even more true of the remount. This version pushes the ideas even further, transforming the space beyond what I expected and carefully modulating how you move through it so you see and hear exactly what you need to when you need to. And I’m not even touching on how it uses the principles of immersive theatre to lend extra weight to the story by having the environments reflect and refract the emotional journey of its central figure. But it does that too, because The Nest is one of the most considered pieces of immersive theatre out there.
Escape from Godot, Mister & Mischief
Nine months later, I’m still shocked that this show:
- Exists
- Works at all, let alone is incredible
- Captures the existential dread of that play so well
- Is fun as hell
While the whole thing has a zany, madcap vibe, it’s clear that Mister & Mischief thought through what translating this play into an escape room/immersive theatre hybrid in a really holistic way meant. The puzzles interact with the text of Waiting for Godot and the performance in just the right way. And then, the chaotic pace of the show hides just how well it moves you from beat to beat. It’s only once it ends and you can begin to unpack the intricate layers of the show that it reveals just how smart and clever it is.
Sleep No More, Punchdrunk
Sleep No More was the second immersive theatre show that I ever saw, and I walked out having positive, if complicated feelings about it. Returning to the McKittrick Hotel this year after having attended so many other shows, I wondered how it would play now. The answer? I still have positive, if complicated feelings about it. You might be asking why it’s on this list then.
Yes, the crowds can be too much and you can spend a lot of time wandering aimlessly. In spite of all of that, there is simply nothing else like Sleep No More. It’s the only show that operates at such a huge scale, but balances that with such intention in terms of sets, costumes, lighting, scents, tone, performance, and dance. On top of all of that, it has small personal moments of beauty in the show that can cut through all the noise before cranking it up to 11 in the next scene. It’s considered the godfather of modern immersive theatre for a reason and nearly a decade into its current run, it’s still capable of delivering immersive magic.
Katabasis, Four Larks
Four Larks’ journey through the underworld at the Getty Villa is the show I’ve been thinking about and coming back to all year. With Katabasis, there’s a completeness of vision that extends through the whole show, which means incorporating Greek myth, the gigantic grounds of the Getty Villa, music and lyrics, singers and their instruments, costumes, and three giant dog heads. They fit together all of those disparate pieces while sending you off to the underworld, learning the stories of those who dwell there, and then executing a cathartic ending that ties the action, music, and setting together magnificently. It wasn’t just my favorite piece of immersive theatre this year, it was my favorite thing in any medium.
Anthony Robinson, LA Correspondent
Haus of Creep, JFI Productions
How do you talk about a show like Haus of Creep without sounding like you’re slightly insane?
A sexually charged, live action horror thriller set in a working art gallery full of really weird artists and even weirder employees, JFI’s Haus of Creep managed to mash up sandbox, art installation and offbeat haunt in a way that just blew my mind. From set design, to Media Pollution’s artwork, to an amazing and huge cast, to completely shocking imagery (Yes, I still keep seeing that naked man/thing with tubes for arms in the odd nightmare), Haus of Creep hit every note correctly.
There was something for every kind of “player” — from the pro-active participant to the more passive audience. It managed to be both a large show, and wholly intimate, both at once — I found myself in two different one on ones, and two other small group encounters, completely separate from the party I attended with. There was a straight-forward storyline, and also a deeper, hidden storyline if you found the threads. Haus of Creep was both entertaining and engaging enough that my first reaction upon exiting was to want to immediately go back inside, not merely talk about it, but to do it again. Definitely an E Ticket ride.
Bar of Dreams: LA, Jonathan Pedigo and Alex Leff
Of the shows that I was lucky to see this year, Bar of Dreams: LA had the biggest heart and the most giggles. The brainchild of Jonathan Pedigo and Alex Leff turned their tiny North Hollywood apartment into a wider dreamscape filled with comedy, exploration and a righteous sense of what it means to play in a world filled with adult worries. Leff and Pedigo managed to pack in what are essentially four different mini-shows into under two hours time, all while giving every individual in the audience a chance to take center stage throughout. Bar of Dreams: LA is a DIY show that manages to pack in as much charm (if not more) than many pop-ups and experiences sponsored by deeper pockets. For me, the themes of friendship and self-love mark the show above many other things this year, as it’s one of the few immersive experiences that I came out with a sense of hope.
Savi’s Workshop at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Disneyland
I’d be dishonest if I said I didn’t spend much of the day at Disneyland’s Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge shedding tears of fanboy joy; the entire land is an immersive connoisseur’s gift box of possibility that some of us have been waiting for for almost 40 years. So, when I say that building a lightsaber inside of Savi’s Workshop is one of the best interactive experiences of the year, I’m not overstating it.
The roughly 20 minute experience has a deep emotional resonance for both young and old fans of Star Wars that leaves everyone in the room smiling wide, and for some, like me, smiling wide AND crying openly. Savi’s Workshop feels, looks and smells like a real, lived in space, and through a can’t miss script, lighting and music cues the experience of choosing and assembling “salvage” is turned into one of Disney’s best shows.
While many might make the logical comparisons to the wand shop at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Savi’s Workshop is a more remarkable experience as it simultaneously puts you in your own spotlight, while providing a shared, communal experience that’s nearly religious — even if you’re tagging along with the person building. When’s the last time you watched someone get a one on one and still felt part of that experience? Savi’s Workshop at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge does that.
Publisher Noah Nelson
Las Quinceañeras, Optika Moderna, San Diego
Any year that we get new work from David Israel Reynoso’s Optika Moderna can’t be a total wash. Between this piece , which puts the audience into the perspective of one of two young women whose budding love is torn asunder by a tragic accident, and 2017’s Waking La Llorona, Reynoso has established himself as a master of the form. The company’s signature move — putting a device on the audience’s head that mimics VR devices but is used instead to constrain point of view as the audience is moved through the space — is liable to be cribbed by other creators sooner or later, but what the audience experiences through that lens is far more valuable. Las Quinceañeras filled its short running time with layer upon layer of design and performance elements all working in concert to create a real sense of interiority for the character whose role you inhabit in the story, even as your only agency is to keep moving forward towards the inevitable end.
As such, it feels as if you’ve injested someone else’s memories, and can only hold on for dear life as you experience what it was like to be them. With so much of the conversation in immersive centered around participant agency, it’s wonderful to see the power of the form used to plunge the audience fully into a story that is very much not their own. Giving yourself over to someone else’s experience is one of the great gifts of storytelling. One that holds the fabric of culture together.
Casting, Koryn Ann Wicks, Los Angeles
The best shows are always surprises, and Casting — which was part of the 2019 Immersive Invitational produced by After Hours Theater Company — was a total surprise. The piece was conceived and realized by choreographer Koryn Ann Wicks and her team of collaborators in just 48 hours, and managed to create a slice of surreal life in a twenty-ish minute package. It’s rare when a piece puts one through nearly every emotional pace possible, let alone in that span of time. This speaks well of the instincts of Wicks and her team, and I am quite eager to see them dive deeper into the form.
bedrUmplaII, the G8B4, Los Angeles
Oftentimes in immersive work you find yourself playing a version of yourself as part of the course of the experience. Sometimes that version is exaggerated, perhaps a deliberate left turn from who you normally are. The “mirror universe” self. Occasionally you find something else coming up: the better version of you. That’s what I regularly find happening as part of Keight Leighn’s bedrUmplaI series: one-on-one pieces that are set in the private spaces of the performers and that invite you to bring an aspect of yourself to the fore.
You know how you learned in elementary school that people can be one way with one set of friends and another way with a different set? And how first that was really upsetting, but then you realized that we all do it, we all slip into different roles and that just means that we contain multitudes within us?
But then we get older and we become our role. We carve out a space here or there to be the other versions of ourselves, but those spaces get infected with the world’s expectations of us as well.
Yet every once in a while we find a spot where we can let go of all the masks and find some lost part of ourselves looking back at us through the eyes of another.
That’s the gift Keight and her collaborator Elizabeth Faye Stranathan gave to us this year.
Vader Immortal, ILMxLAB, Oculus Quest/Rift
Look, I tried picking something else for this list, but I’d be lying if I did.
I’ve spent more time in the lightsaber dojo of Vader Immortal than I probably have with any game or other experience this year. Weeks and months after finishing the story and I’m still going back.
Yet it was the story mode — which wraps players up in a first-person adventure inside the castle of Darth Vader, hitting a film’s worth of Star Wars tropes over the course of the three episodes — that had me buying into the series in the first place. These are only the first steps of long form, interactive storytelling in VR. Thanks to ILMxLAB, the field is already walking when it could be crawling around on all fours.
Dandelions, The Art Department, Los Angeles
A lot of this list has been about personal scale work, and there is some of that in The Art Department’s Dandelions, which also let patrons in one at a time to experience their transformation of an old power substation into a wish factory.
The design itself was as impeccable as it was whimsical, but what puts it on the list is the fact that they transformed a piece of old pubic utility infrastructure into a piece of art. Sneaking wonder into a forgotten place that had been built for purely utilitarian reasons. Its very existence feeling like a message from an alternate timeline. One where our nation acknowledged making art & culture as a good in and of itself, and not just as a means of making heaps of cash for multinational corporations.
Check out the companion piece: TOP MOMENTS OF 2019.
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