The mysterious, secretive Candle House Collective creates interactive theatrical experiences by fusing storytelling and agency. They first burst onto the immersive scene in early 2018 with a remote experience called lastcandlearx, a “psychological fairy tale examining the nature of justice.” Last fall, they followed that up with Crossed Wires, a remote micro-theatre anthology that NoPro writer Lauren Bello called a “masterclass in interactive acting.”

Their work centers around personalized, intimate encounters —both in-person and remote — which are often emotionally charged and deeply meaningful. Candle House are back this Spring with a new show called moonlight serenade; but, to give any more details might be to spoil the experience for future participants.

We spoke to Evan Neiden, Founder of Candle House Collective, over email to learn more about their work and moonlight serenade.

No Proscenium (NP): Can you tell us a little about yourself and your background in the immersive arts?

Evan Neiden (EN): I found my way to immersive art at the intersection of two pre-existing passions of mine. First, I come from a background of traditional folk storytelling — a family coming together by passing down tales from one generation to the next. Second, I developed an early infatuation with alternate reality games — discovering or dismantling or creating a world behind a computer screen, stories and secrets hidden in plain sight. I was and continue to be in awe of the extent to which both of these blur the line between what’s “real” and what’s “pretend.” So, naturally, when I saw my first immersive piece — The Grand Paradise by the inimitable team at Third Rail Projects — I was instantly obsessed. Reality and fiction blurred closer together than I had previously imagined possible.

NP: What, in a nutshell, is moonlight serenade about?

EN: I was afraid you’d ask that. Personally, I’ve always loved surprises, especially when it comes to immersive theatre; the less I know about an experience ahead of time, the more likely I am to enjoy and remember it authentically — something I have found to be true for many immersive theatre-goers. Memory has the inimitable capacity to fix the most indescribable moments in time and space, so Candle House Collective works to put forth experiences that are truly momentary — surprising, unaffected by foreknowledge, and designed to vanish completely when their time runs out.

What I can say is this: Serenade Exploration — a small not-for-profit created to catalogue the stars of outer space — was founded in 1997. They went for-profit in 2012, when they began selling naming and ownership rights for their catalogued star designations to the public. At the moment, Serenade is in the midst of a major sale and, from April 13 onward, a representative will contact those who have submitted their information (and pre-payment) to match them with the perfect star designation.

NP: Why did you create moonlight serenade? What inspired you?

EN: In creating, my goal is always to explore — particularly, the spaces between things; the variable relationships tethering together constant human phenomena. moonlight serenade is an exploration of the relationship between creativity and loneliness — what connects them, what pushes them apart, how they inform one another. The road to finding one’s own voice, in any capacity, can be an awfully lonely one, but it is a journey that will forever inspire those who choose to attempt it.

…Oh, and there’s the song, of course. Can’t forget that.

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NP: The moonlight serenade experience is done entirely remotely. Could you explain how that works?

EN: This experience transpires entirely by way of phone calls, text messages, emails, etc. It is live, wholly interactive theatre, personalized to each individual participant and accessible to anyone with a text-enabled mobile phone. Our previous works have been referred to as “sentient radio dramas” — a term that I believe rather aptly describes moonlight serenade as well. Much like a traditional radio drama, our emphasis is always on the story, though a “story” is as much about the narrative as it is the assemblage of small and indescribable moments along the way.

NP: How is the audience incorporated into moonlight serenade? What kinds of choices or decisions can the participants make, without giving too much away?

EN: A decision isn’t always between a fixed set of options. Things are rarely as simple as a fork in the road. Sometimes, the most immense decisions are not the choices themselves, but how we choose to navigate their consequences.

NP: How are you designing around audience agency, consent, and safety, given how intense the content can be?

EN: moonlight serenade is, arguably, less thematically extreme than our previous offerings. That being said, all of our pieces explore complex and intense emotional themes, meaning the well-being of our participants is always our number-one priority. Given that the work is responsive, even conversational in nature, we work closely with each ensemble member to engage in interactive encounters that are as authentic and they are mindful. While moonlight serenade is narrative-based, the participant can shift or guide the interactions within however they choose, if they choose. Additionally, we have implemented a safe phrase — “TRAFFIC LIGHT” — that will instantly end a participant’s experience should they communicate it to us.

A quote from the start of our previous experience: “Keep an open mind, but know your limits. We are, after all, here for you.”

NP: Who is the ideal audience member for moonlight serenade?

EN: Someone who likes stories and, of course, surprises — who is willing to come along blind and fly with us for a little while. We want to give participants the opportunity to live authentically within our work, and we encourage each participant to engage as nothing more or less than themselves.

NP: What do you hope participants take away from the experience?

EN: If our participants come away inspired; if they come to see ownership as a culmination and loneliness as a transition; if, when it’s quiet, they think the man in the moon is crying… job well done.

moonlight serenade is created by Evan Neiden; directed by Jonathan Connolly, John Ertman, and Evan Neiden; and featuring the voices of Evan Neiden, Jonathan Connolly, Rae Covey, Jack Drummond, Alessandra Hernández, Daniel Hendon, Riley Nelson, and Leo Merrick. Visual art is by Daniel Hendon.

The experience is currently sold out.

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