‘The Nest’ Wins Coveted Thea Award
The indie LA immersive takes come a prize from the Themed Entertainment Association
Here at NoPro we’ve made no secret about being fans of Scout Expedition Co.’s The Nest, having enjoyed it in its original backyard and fully built out editions.
So it’s a joy to share the news that the Themed Entertainment Association has honored the team behind it with a Thea Award, the highest prize there is in the themed entertainment realm.
The Nest, which is honored for Connected/Immersive Storytelling, joins other 2020 Thea Award winners such as Disney’s Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, The Bourne Stuntacular at Universal Studios Florida, and the D.R.E.A.M. Centre of the Chailey Heritage Foundation in Lewes, UK.
PRESS RELEASE FOLLOWS
Immersive Experience “The Nest” Receives Themed Entertainment Industry Award
Scout Expedition Co.’s Flagship Production Honored with
Thea Award for Outstanding Achievement
Los Angeles, CA (November 19, 2020) — Scout Expedition Co., one of Los Angeles’ leading immersive theater companies, announced today its flagship immersive show, “The Nest,” has been recognized by the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) with a Thea Award for Outstanding Achievement. Regarded worldwide, the annual award is presented to the theme park, museum, and immersive attractions that best exemplify excellence and innovation in the themed entertainment industry.
“The Nest” is an intimate, immersive experience in Los Angeles that combines elements of immersive theater, video games, and escape rooms into a completely new storytelling format. Praised by NPR as “art you can walk through” and “a dramatic and emotional experience that is utterly unique” by The Verge, “The Nest” opened to critical and commercial success in September 2019, completely selling out a six-month engagement before temporarily pausing due to Covid.
“As we were creating ‘The Nest,’ it was clear that we were on to something special,” says Jeff Leinenveber, Co-Creative Director of Scout Expedition Co. “We realized that by blending together some of our favorite forms of entertainment, we were creating a new audience-driven form of storytelling. We’re incredibly honored to be recognized by the TEA for the efforts made by the entire Scout team to create ‘The Nest,’ and look forward to welcoming audiences back in the near future.”
From a modest beginning in 1994, the Thea Awards have grown to become an internationally recognized symbol of excellence. Hosted by the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA), an industry association with over 1,600 member companies around the world, the Thea Awards bring recognition to top achievements, talent and personal excellence within the themed entertainment industry.
“The entire cast and crew are humbled to receive such a great honor from the Themed Entertainment Association,” says Jarrett Lantz, Co-Creative Director of Scout Expedition Co. “Creating ‘The Nest’ has been such a fulfilling experience, from our first planning meetings to seeing the reactions on guests’ faces at the end of the show. We’re happy to be recognized among an impressive set of truly amazing experiences.”
In “The Nest,” a woman named Josephine Carroll has recently passed away, leaving behind a storage unit filled with decades of her collected memories and cryptic secrets. Equipped with a flickering flashlight, audience members explore her storage unit in order to piece together the tragic events of her life.
Although temporarily closed due to Covid, “The Nest” will reopen as soon as health guidance allows. Due to the show’s unique two-person, private-booking format, “The Nest” is uniquely positioned at the forefront of live entertainment in our new world.
About “The Nest”
“The Nest” is an award-winning immersive experience in Los Angeles that gives audiences the freedom to uncover the story of a mysterious woman, Josie, who has just passed away. Equipped with a flashlight and tape player, audiences will explore their surroundings and listen to audio cassettes to piece together the dramatic narrative of Josie’s life. For more information visit www.thenestshow.com.
“The Nest” has been featured in The Verge, NPR, Forbes, and others, and has received a Thea Award for Outstanding Achievement, an Immersion Award for Best Immersive Set Design, and is featured as one of No Proscenium’s Best Shows & Experiences of 2019.
About Scout Expedition Co.
Founded in 2016 by themed entertainment industry veterans, Scout Expedition Co. is an immersive entertainment company based in Los Angeles, California. By uniquely blending various entertainment mediums, Scout transports audience members into never-before-seen story worlds. Scout’s work has been featured at the LA Times Festival of Books and The Immersive Design Summit, among others. After creating its flagship, award-winning immersive experience “The Nest,” Scout is in production on several new live and digital experiences for 2021. For more information visit www.scoutexpedition.co.
About TEA
The TEA (Themed Entertainment Association) is an international nonprofit membership association for the creators of compelling places and experiences. TEA was founded in 1991 and is based in Burbank, Calif. TEA presents the annual Thea Awards and the TEA Summit and hosts the annual SATE Conference series. TEA also produces a variety of print and electronic publications, including the highly respected international industry resource, the TEA/AECOM Theme Index. For more information visit www.teaconnect.org.
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