Review Rundown: Hauntingly Good Times & Stunningly Good Theatre
Boston, Pennsylvania, San Francisco, LA & NYC all BRING IT this week in a big rundown with EIGHT REVIEWS.
This week we have EIGHT REVIEWS. Haunts. Site-specific theatre. Opera. Big outdoor installations. All over the United States.
There’s so much there’s no time for anything but to GET RIGHT TO IT!
Need even more of an immersive fix? Follow the trailheads and hit up last week’s Rundown with works in NYC, London, and Singapore.
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DATMA: Shelter 2023 — Massachusetts Design, Art, and Technology Institute (DATMA)
Free; New Bedford, MA; through Oct. 23rd
Massachusetts Design Art and Technology Institute (DATMA) is doing something really special. They’re an “institute without walls” that brings free, accessible, arts programming to Massachusetts’ SouthCoast region — and their 2023 show, Shelter, is a testament to the power of art to transform and revitalize a community. I recently had the opportunity to meet with DATMA’s Executive Director, Lindsay Miś. Lindsay who walked me through two of Shelter’s featured works, Maxwell Emcays’ New Bedford: Our Woven Story and Mark Reigelman’s Threshold.
Emcays’ New Bedford: Our Woven Story, affectionately known as the “silver pineapple,” sits across the street from the ferry terminal. A few years ago, the first thing you’d see after stepping off the ferry from Newport or New York was a string of burnt-out industrial buildings. Now the pineapple’s metallic exterior glows like a strange jellyfish, teasing passersby with glimpses of its vibrant interior, covered in textured, tattering strips woven together from fabrics donated by the community. Step inside the installation and you become a part of that story.
Two blocks inland you’ll find Reigelman’s Threshold; a massive door that stands approximately 20 feet tall and slightly ajar in Custom House Square. This piece invites you to question your perception, both of yourself and the city. The door is open, but it doesn’t move. You have to contort yourself to pass the mirrored threshold and once you do, it’s hard to put a finger on what’s changed. Are you inside, now, or out? Sheltered or exposed? Threshold is a piece that resonates with the New Bedford community, having undergone rounds of public opinion testing and careful collaboration to ensure its endurance throughout the season. It’s playful and thoughtful, like DATMA’s other 2023 offerings, Silvia López Chavez’s Community Tides mural and Open Studios on the Sidewalks exhibits from local artists.
What surprised me about Shelter is how clearly it made the point that public installation art can be more than a decorative addition to city streets. In New Bedford, installation art is a cohesive storytelling medium used to shine a light on the city’s history — did you know that Frederick Douglass started the abolitionist movement here? — and its future. Miś told me that local businesses have reported significant boosts in traffic when DATMA places art near their establishments. Because visitors don’t merely observe immersive art; they step into it, becoming active participants in creating New Bedford’s new narrative. If you’re in the area, it’s worth trying to catch the show (and explore a new city) before it goes dark on October 23rd.
— Leah Davis, New England Correspondent
Dreams of Dracula — Never More Immersive
$69 and up, Through November 11
When you review countless shows, especially in the immersive space, it can be tempting to always want to chase the next big thing. I’ve said before that people joke that I’m like Stefan from SNL, but sometimes I worry that that’s what I’ve become. Soon enough, my perceptions might be so warped by every show I’ve seen that I won’t enjoy anything but the fringes of extremity.
I say this because in a certain way, Dreams of Dracula is nicely not the next big thing. It takes well executed elements, tropes, and structures from across the immersive space and makes a nice night out of it. Upstairs, see a pared down three room version of Sleep No More telling the story of Dracula in continuous dance. Downstairs, lounge with a cocktail and be pulled into a series of charming one on ones with various literary figures (and Sigmund Freud, for some baffling reason). Glittering masquerade masks make a fun party favor and strengthen the clear allusions to Punchdrunk.
The acting is all top notch; trading quips with Oscar Wilde over whiskey in the dark velvet and marble of the bar was just as much fun as Mary Shelly and Lord Byron leading us through the history of the infamous Villa Diodati writing contest and then preparing custom ink blots for our party. We played chess with Van Helsing and lost terribly, and Dracula menaced us and threatened to make one of our party “his queen”, teasing her with the chess piece. The narrative dancing is indifferent, but some burlesque numbers entertaining the patrons in the lower bar were a great addition to the night.
Would it be damning with faint praise to use phrases like “it was good” and “I liked it”? No, because I think everyone would like it. Your mom is going to like Dreams of Dracula. Your roommate is going to like it. Your college friends who just want a drink are going to like it as much as your little sister who just turned twenty one and grew up on gothic novels. It is hard to make such an appealing product, and just because it’s not a dizzying revelation, it doesn’t mean that Dreams of Dracula isn’t worth praise and attention.
— Blake Weil, East Coast Editor at Large
Halloween Nights at Eastern State Penitentiary — Eastern State Penitentiary
$39 and up GA, $59 and up , Through November 11
After last year’s successes, Halloween Nights seems to have fallen into an easy rhythm, maintaining the same attractions with minor fine-tunings and tweaks to make them stronger yet. Fan favorites like Delirium, their 3D maze, and Nightmare, which makes amazing use of the long corridors of the prison to build tension, remain.
This year, though, scares felt better timed, and actors felt better empowered to make bold choices in targeting patrons. My party got stalked through almost the entirety of one house by a man in black tactical gear following us well beyond the room he was stationed in, only encouraged by my party’s anxiety. Beyond that, they’ve upped the amount of physical contact for those who choose to opt in. My head was grasped and examined, my ankles snatched at, and my neck breathed on from the darkness.
The Bloodline Lounge, a vampire-themed cabaret attached to The Crypt, Eastern State’s gothic horror house, finally seemed to work this year. With immersive actors mingling between sets, and a variety of cocktails available, it finally feels like Eastern State is expanding on its strengths in non-horror Halloween entertainment. For general admission patrons, The Bloodline Lounge comes close to matching the strengths of their annual VIP Speakeasy at Al Capone’s Cell.
On that note, one caveat about ticket tiers. For those considering purchasing alcohol, the VIP admission more than pays for itself with both a free drink in the beer garden, and admission and a drink in the Speakeasy at Al Capone’s Cell. The Speakeasy continues to be a highlight, with a variety of jazz performances, blackjack tables, and the best photo-ops of the evening.
— Blake Weil, East Coast Editor at Large
Ivanov — Exodus Ensemble
PWYC; San Francisco; Run Concluded
You know that feeling when your friend’s parents start arguing in front of you? You stand awkwardly in their home, unsure who to look at or what to do with your hands. That’s what watching Ivanov felt like, but in the most incredible way.
Ivanov is the Exodus Ensemble’s take on Chekhov’s 19th-century Russian drama by the same name. Exodus is a collective based in Santa Fe, New Mexico, started by friends from DePaul University who moved in together during COVID aiming to create “the most exciting theatre company they could dream up.” It’s safe to say they’ve succeeded in that goal.
It was clear how much time the ensemble has spent living inside Ivanov’s story and characters. The original was lovingly torn apart and placed back together in a modern world that audiences can easily imagine themselves living inside of. The characters feel like real people. They shepherd the audience around their home, confiding in us, asking for advice and support as their lives fall apart.
The ensemble adapts the work to new spaces when they travel, and, in San Francisco, that space was a tech co-working space. They certainly made the most of it. The intentionally tiny audience of around 8 people was squeezed together in small rooms and hallways, while arguments, hook ups, and deaths happened in front of our eyes. Being brought so closely inside a story as dramatic as Ivanov was viscerally intense, but the talent of the actors (not to mention their extremely close proximity) made it impossible to not be fully engaged.
Ivanov was no joke, but somehow, it was still funny. Just when everything felt like it was about to explode, the tension was cut with humor, and music, drinks, and snacks, all of which were certainly necessary. In the end, the experience lasted over 4 hours. And while time moved quickly in the world of the play, it was still too long.
Ivanov was the most intense and intimate artistic experience I’ve ever had. If you’re ever in the proximity of an Exodus ensemble performance, don’t miss it.
— Elissa Mardiney, San Francisco Correspondent
Jenny Holzer — Ready For You When You Are -
Free; West Hollywood; Oct. 21
Since the late 70’s text based artist Jenny Holzer has long been a fixture of the contemporary art world. Whether via banks of LED message boards, large scale projections, or simple engravings on benches, she has creatively illuminated current issues that society faces. In her current installation, now on view at Hauser and Wirth West Hollywood, she investigates two hot button topics in as visceral a manner as possible, Donald Trump and Artificial Intelligence.
Upon entering the gallery, one encounters two complimentary pieces about Donald Trump, “Cursed” and “WTF”. “Cursed” are a series of tweets by Donald Trump stamped onto distressed lead and copper plates which are littered all over the ground, while
“WTF” has an ominously large LED screen, also visually assaulting you with tweets by Donald Trump and posts from QAnon, swinging above “Cursed” randomly running back and forth on a twenty five foot track. These pieces combine to form a kinetic manifestation of the bull in a china shop years we all endured, with text violently swinging through the space like a battling ram of grievance.
Further back in the gallery lie “Good” and “Bad” which are much less mobile but still quite powerful. Two hung LED message board columns rotate while AI generated text crawls vertically upwards, either about love and rapture (“Good”) or in the style of Alt-Right propaganda (“Bad”). While less physically intimidating than “WTF”, “Good” and “Bad” still require patrons to give the works a wide berth as they also mechanically move that could easily take out an oblivious patron. Complimenting “Good” and “Bad” are a series of gold leaf paintings featuring various redacted government documents, which add a static context to the various kinetic message boards.
With this current installation, Holzer forces us to focus on the moving target of violent political discourse amidst a landscape of AI generated text made for unknown means. Upon leaving the gallery, I was struck on how disconcerting I found every piece installed. If you look away from the spinning lit object that can cause you bodily harm, you’ll see a golden manifestation of information redacted into uselessness, each frightening in their own way.
–Martin Gimenez, Correspondent at Large
Pennhurst Haunted Asylum — Pennhurst Asylum
$52 General Admission, $99 VIP, Through November 4
Scale and professionalism separate Pennhurst Haunted Asylum from many of their East Coast competitors. Tunnels are long, plumes of fog thicker than you can fathom, anamtronics stories high, and costumes detailed and extravegant. It’s clear that the main haunted houses have been refined for years, with continuous investment building them to spectacular heights. Memorable rooms include a wild variation on the common spinning tunnel gag, a demon puppet that guests have to dash past and dodge, and the longest single corridor I’ve ever seen in a haunted house. This year’s new VIP only maze, The Catacombs, is particularly interesting in the haunt space, an actor-light simulated cave tunnel that leans heavily on strong scenic and lighting design.
Acting and scare design are spectacular too. While there are plenty of the usual jump scares, there were also more interesting subtle scares, forms of menacing, and even some light immersive theatre elements. Pennhurst has space to spare, and so is unafraid to give you long stretches without scares to let tension mount. Said space is gorgeous, the crumbling institutional buildings providing a touch of realism for the majority of the maze’s scenarios being set in the 1950s.
The verisimilitude is a double edged sword, though. While the decrepit halls and tunnels of Pennhurst may lend atmosphere, they do lend a tinge of bad taste when the production leans into asylum themed horror, terrorizing us with inmates. In actuality, Pennhurst is one of the most notorious sites of patient and resident abuse in the country, and one of the most often cited reasons for psychiatric reform. Still, there is at least some excuse in that the event is the most major source of income for the asylum to preserve the grounds and buildings as a monument in a state of arrested decay.
At the end of the day, I strongly recommend Pennhurst for those looking for a Northeast haunt at the scale of something like Halloween Horror Nights. The experience is a cohesive full package in the traditional haunt space.
— Blake Weil, East Coast Editor at Large
Whispers: Echoes from the Halls — Boston Opera Collaborative
$15 — $25; Boston, MA; Run Concluded
Boston Opera Collaborative (BOC) once again showcased its commitment to pushing the boundaries of traditional opera with Whispers: Echoes from the Halls, a 45-minute immersive horror production held at the historic Shirley-Eustis House. This unique promenade experience invites both opera enthusiasts and newcomers to delve into the tale of a heart-broken woman seeking revenge on her disdainful lover by summoning the undead. Together we explored themes of love, betrayal, and murder through the innovative fusion of opera and immersive theater.
This playful approach is super on-brand for BOC, even if it was born out of necessity. Back when it was founded in 2006, the group realized three things. First, permanent venues are expensive, so they were better off looking for adaptable spaces. This strategy quickly became a BOC trademark. Last fall’s The Lives They Lived was set in Jamaica Plain’s Forrest Hills Cemetery and the upcoming Room & Board & Opera will take place in the Newbury Street furniture store Room&Board. Next, they noticed that the gap between opera and the general public was widening. This prompted them to create shorter, more accessible operas with low ticket prices for diverse communities. Finally, they realized that talented emerging performers often lacked the vocal power to fill large spaces like The Metropolitan Opera House. This sparked a company-defining philosophy: staging intimate operas in alternative settings, offering audiences up-close encounters with emerging talents would fast-track newcomers’ comfort levels with the art form while encouraging burgeoning performers, producers, choreographers, and designers come together and experiment with an otherwise tradition-born genre. BOC’s Executive Producer, Alexis Peart, encapsulates this ethos perfectly: “I’m a big proponent of opera as play.”
Whispers: Echoes from the Halls was a technical marvel, harnessing the venue’s eerie ambiance with a minimalist design that embraced unsettling colonial aesthetics, dramatic lighting, and strategically placed doorways that allowed performers to melt in and out of rooms. The performances were mind blowing, thanks to a combination of talent and acoustics. But I’m not sure Whispers was a horror story so much as a ghoulish little tragedy. From an immersive point of view, I noticed many audience members who seemed uncertain of their role, even after an informative introduction to both immersive and opera norms from BOC. This uncertainty likely arose from the tension between Whispers’ immersive staging and the fact that the audience was never asked to show up as anything other than traditional spectators. While this aspect could be refined, it didn’t detract significantly from my overall experience. BOC approaches immersive as one of the many tools at its disposal to bring opera to the public. Ultimately, I’m happy to see other genre’s embracing immersive to expand their reach and impact. Final verdict? Whispers was a wonderful entre to spooky season — and opera.
— Leah Davis, New England Correspondent
Zero — Exodus Ensemble
PWYC; San Francisco; Run Concluded
Inside of the House of Web3, an invite-only crypto workspace in San Francisco, a heated argument is happening between the CEO, marketing director, and coder of an innovative tech company. It’s the kind of conversation that probably occurs all the time at House of Web3, but this time, the stakes are life and death.
Zero, an immersive theater experience created by New Mexico’s Exodus Ensemble, is intense from the start. Audience members file into an ominous arena and choose one of four players who sit slumped, unconscious and mostly nude under red lights. A robot voice speaks from above, and the players violently reanimate.
Over the course of the experience, Zero alternates smoothly between acted scenes and audience participation. We watch interpersonal drama between the characters play out, and then fight to save those players in Squid-Games like competitions run by the rogue AI. Four characters enter the arena, and only one survives (that happened to be the character I was playing for, but don’t worry, I’m not biased.)
The show was definitely at home in San Francisco, with an audience full of software engineers and tech founders familiar with the dangers of AI. My only complaint, though, is that a lot of the plot felt borrowed from things like Ex Machina, Her, and Squid Games. Exodus’s artistic director, April Cleveland, has noted as much, saying they look at those shows as inspiration for live experiences. These obvious influences meant that some moments felt predictable. But the thing is, this kind of plot clearly still works, even if audiences recognize it. I know, because I’ve seen Ex Machina three times, and I was still enthralled by Zero. (But, quick question, does the humanoid robot always have to be an attractive, empathetic female in a black bodysuit that fulfills the male characters’ emotional voids?)
Zero sets an example for how to make theater feel less stiff, masterfully balancing audience agency with narrative scenes. And Exodus’s ensemble, some of whom I saw in their other production, Ivanov, are incredibly talented. I’m excited to track their upcoming work and I hope they come back to SF soon.
— Elissa Mardiney, San Francisco Correspondent
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