Immersive creator and choreographer Koryn Wicks is one of our favorite people here at NoPro, ever since we clocked her piece I Love You So Much, SQUEEZE ME TO DEATH in 2019. 

That piece led to an invitation to the very first L.A. Immersive Invitational, where her piece CASTING took home the prize and would later tour to Denver, NYC, and a remount in Los Angeles. 

Wicks has written a series of articles on crafting immersive for NoPro, been a frequent podcast guest, and has continued to experiment both in her personal practice and in a career that has led her into themed entertainment.

So it’s no small thing that she’s back with new work, which will be at the After Hours Theatre space in North Hollywood this June.

We checked in with Wicks about the new,Tarot-inspired piece, YOU MUST BE HERE FOR THE READING, an intimate work for up to 8 guests at a time and got some really insightful answers about the process behind the show. 

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NO PROSCENIUM: Tell us a little bit about your experience! What’s it about? What makes it immersive?


Koryn Wicks: Guests arrive for a unique Tarot experience led by Constance, a Tarot reader of great renown. When she doesn't show they are thrust into the role of Tarot reader themselves. Attendees interpret the cards for themselves and their fellow audience members with the guidance of immersive performers and interactive soundscapes. The show is designed to encourage anyone, whether they come to the performance with prior knowledge of Tarot or not, to participate in interpreting the deck. 

The show is immersive in the way it invites the audience to collaborate in meaning making. The deck uses archetypes and symbols with cultural significance whose meaning can shift based on the reader and their context. YOU MUST BE HERE FOR THE READING invites audiences to participate in this process in hopes of creating a space for personal and communal reflection.

NP: What was the inspiration for your upcoming experience? 


KW: The obvious answer is Tarot. I started playing around with developing an immersive Tarot piece back in 2022. I’m not a Tarot expert. I use Tarot as a journaling practice, I find doing so gives me perspective. I also enjoy reading about Tarot and exploring different decks. I find it interesting the way a card’s meanings can shift depending on your context, source material or in relation to different spreads or questions. I see the act of interpreting Tarot as a creative act that happens in collaboration with the cultural subconscious. Through this lens, Tarot lends itself really well to immersive work. 

My first attempts at an immersive Tarot piece left me unsatisfied, so I kept at it. Eventually I realized what interested me most about the idea wasn't just harnessing Tarot as a theme, or even getting people to read Tarot, it was getting people to generate meaning together. To explore symbolism and myth, how they are shaped and how they shape our understanding of ourselves.

 YOU MUST BE HERE FOR THE READING evolved gradually and with the generous artistry of my cast and collaborators Sam Alper, James Cowan, Haylee Nichele, Alex Lough and Audrey Rrachelle. I also have two new collaborators, Keith Comely and Parker Sela joining this month and look forward to what they will bring to the process. 

NP: What do you think fans of immersive will find most interesting about this latest experience? 


KW: One thing that comes to mind is the interactive soundscape by Alex Lough which is really beautiful and responds to the reading. Alex is a long time collaborator of mine and an original collaborator on CASTING, I love you so much, SQUEEZE ME TO DEATH, and MUSIC TALKS. His work has been essential to the uncanny environments I try to build in my work. 

Another unique aspect of the piece is that in addition to engaging with the performers, audiences are encouraged to engage with one another. This begins with the onboarding and continues throughout the experience. There are many and varied opportunities for interaction. No two audience members will have the same experience, however everyone's interaction come together to form each iteration of the piece. 

NP: Once you started designing and testing what did you discover about this experience that was unexpected?


KW: My background is in dance, more specifically ballet, contemporary, and modern dance. Dance tends to be more abstract than theatre or games, because it is not generally based in language. Over the last few years my work has shifted into a more narrative space. I’ve discovered that it isn’t always easy for me to articulate my vision through words and I often need to play ideas out and make mistakes in order to find my way. There is a story running through YOU MUST BE HERE FOR THE READING. Balancing that with the audience experience was a big challenge throughout the creation of this piece. 

In the process of playtesting YOU MUST BE HERE FOR THE READING I developed an onboarding process that is more elaborate than anything I’ve done previously. I don’t want to give too much away, but I wanted to give the audience the opportunity to dip their toe into Tarot before being thrust into a reading. Initially, my intent was to make this a very open ended process, however through playtesting it became clear that participants needed clearer direction and a sense of purpose for this section so it evolved to include that. 

NP: What can fans who are coming to this, or thinking about coming to this, do to get into the mood of the experience? 


KW: Think of an area of your life you are seeking guidance in. It can be a question, or a general area like romance, career, or travel. Here are some questions that people brought in during playtesting: 

What will it take to get me un-stuck?

Am I ready to start dating again? Or do I still need time to heal from my heartache? 

How can I be brave? 

How can I find better balance in my work life? 

Discover the latest immersive events, festivals, workshops, and more at our new site EVERYTHING IMMERSIVE, home of NoPro’s show listings.

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