Director Marissa Pattullo had long been on on radar as an actor before her directing debut with last year’s site-responsive production of 5 Lesbians Eating A Quiche (read our review), a debut that impressed us so much we asked her to take part in this year’s Los Angeles Immersive Invitational representing New Forms LA.
Which is where she met actress Victoria Strange who had returned with the Spies Like Us crew, and as these things happen one thing led to another and suddenly your staging Shakespeare in Hollywood’s favorite New Orleans themed bar, the Sassafras Saloon.
Romeo & Juliet is coming up for a weekend run August 28th - 30th and we got
Marissa to spill the tea on just what’s happening in fair Verona this time.
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NO PROSCENIUM: Tell us a little bit about your experience! What’s it about? What makes it immersive?
Marissa Pattullo: We’re telling Shakespeare’s most iconic love story as a very ambitious adaptation: lesbian, queer, immersive, and completely site-specific. We’re taking over Sassafras Saloon and transforming the entire space into our version of Verona. The audience will move through the venue alongside the characters, following the story from room to room and living within the scenes as they unfold around them.
NP: What was the inspiration for your upcoming experience?
MP: The concept started with the actors playing Romeo and Juliet, Sarajane Bradford and Victoria Strange. They had this dream of seeing the story in a new light—one that reflected their own romantic experiences and their genuine love of Shakespeare. That became the jumping-off point for everything.
For me as the director, the big question was: how do we make this feel like more than just a gender-bent Romeo & Juliet? I’m interested in how we can honor a classic text while making it feel accessible and relatable to a modern audience. Shakespeare can be intimidating, and I really want people to understand the story, connect with these characters, and have fun—even if they don’t consider themselves Shakespeare people or immersive theatre people.
That’s where my own love of rom-coms, dramedy, and immersive theatre comes in. I wanted to find the humor and femininity in the story alongside the tragedy, and then use the immersive format to make all of it feel even more immediate. The goal became: how do we make this unmistakably Romeo & Juliet, but also create a version that could only be ours?
NP: What do you think fans of immersive will find most interesting about this latest experience?
MP: I think the biggest thing will be the way we use the space. Sassafras hosts a lot of immersive events, but to my knowledge, it hasn’t been used for a fully staged theatrical production quite like this. We’re really trying to use every nook and cranny and let the architecture of the venue become part of Verona.
For immersive fans specifically, I think it’ll be exciting to see how a story they already know transforms when it’s happening all around them.
NP: Once you started designing and testing what did you discover about this experience that was unexpected?
MP: I’ve started looking at the whole production as a bit of an experiment. We all know how Romeo & Juliet ends, but figuring out how we get there in this particular space has been where a lot of the magic—and surprises—have happened.
The biggest (and scariest) questions have been: how do we seamlessly move an audience from room to room, upstairs and downstairs? How do you strategically light a show in a space that was not designed for theater? How do we make the balcony scene happen? Can everyone hear the actors? Where does the audience go next without us having to tell them?
What’s been unexpected is how much those logistical questions have actually shaped the storytelling. We knew this was ambitious going into it, but I think we’ve discovered just how ambitious it is. We’re constantly testing, adjusting, and finding solutions. When something clicks, it’s incredibly exciting. Fingers crossed we pull it off! ;)
NP: What can fans who are coming to this, or thinking about coming to this, do to get into the mood of the experience?
MP: It never hurts to revisit the play, and I always encourage dressing up for the theme! We are going for “ren faire chic.” Also come in comfortable shoes as you will be moving throughout the space and climbing stairs. (Unfortunately no elevators.) Also, for the two evening shows, come ready to PARTY after the show!
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