This week we saw something that we haven’t in a while: a little flurry of mainstream press attention on the immersiverse.
Quartz, CNET, the LA Times, and The Bold Italic all had pieces this week, and our first travel guide to immersive in the United States was published on Meow Wolf’s site.
What does it all mean? Just that more people are getting their first taste of the immersive world — and thankfully there’s great work for them to engage with.
And there’s so much more on the horizon!
Office facilities for No Proscenium are provided by…
No Proscenium is made possible by our generous Patreon supporters.
[We’re on the march to 1000 backers. Every $1 and $5/month pledge makes all the difference in the world.]
HERE SUMMIT & FESTIVAL
Pasadena — March 27–29, 2020
The next great gathering of the immersive creative community.
Pre-Registration Open, 3-Day Badges on Sale
ON THE PODCAST THIS WEEK
Luke and Madison Rhodes of Cross Roads Escape Games join us to talk about how these horror-loving theatre kids wound up running one of the most innovative and immersive escape game companies in Southern California. Join host Noah Nelson as we talk about their smash debut hit The Hex Room, the game-changing The Psych Ward, and the 2019’s pop-up theatre piece The Seance.
COMMUNITY
PARIS, FRANCE: Immersive Meet Up X HERE FEST
Tues., Jan 21 Liquorium 11 rue Saint Denis, 75001 Paris, France
Théâtre Immersif’s Melanie Dorey hosts the first official satellite event of the 2020 HERE SUMMIT & FESTIVAL.
NYC: Everything Immersive Meetup
Wed. Jan 22, Shades of Green Pub & Restaurant NYC; 125 E 15th St
Room Escape Artist’s David & Lisa Spira host the recurring E.I. meetup in NYC.
SUNDANCE: Welcome to Biodigital Theatre
Thurs., Jan 30, The Box at The Ray, 1768 Park Ave., Park City
A panel discussion moderated by Sarah Ellis (director of digital development at the Royal Shakespeare Company) and featuring creators Toby Coffey (All Kinds of Limbo; Royal National Theatre in London), Gilles Jobin (Dance Trail, VR_I), Yetunde Dada (Atomu), Theo Triantafyllidis (Anti-Gone), and Noah Nelson (publisher of No Proscenium).
FROM THE WIRE: SHOWS, EVENTS, & EXPERIENCES
NYC: Pure
Chicago: The Boys in the Band
Sign up for our newsletters to get new immersive experiences sent straight to your inbox.
Get No Proscenium’s stories in your inbox
Join Medium for free to get updates from this writer.
SubscribeSubscribe
Submit your show to us here or at pitches@noproscenium.com.
REVIEWS
From No Proscenium:
‘Bon Voyage Aloha’ Sends Us To Russia, With Love (Review)The make-believe travel agency transports its attendees abroadnoproscenium.com‘The Immersive Nutcracker Cocktail Fête’ Puts the Audience On Stage (Review)Camp-infused participatory moments create a hilarious, festive experiencenoproscenium.comThe Jane Jacobs-Inspired UP CLOSE Festival Brings Kids ‘Close’ to the Action (Review)Family-friendly immersive theatre finds its way in the West Villagenoproscenium.com
From David & Lisa Spira of Room Escape Artist:
The Eckstein Experiment at Mass Escape was large and packed with detailed and unique spaces. There were a lot of fantastic team-based challenges and a fantastic character.
STORIES
From NoProscenium.com and our Twitter feed:
Meow Wolf x No Proscenium's Guide to the Immersive U.S. | Meow WolfAcross the country it has led to what we at What does this mean? It means all the art, theatre, and games that are…meowwolf.comPicks of the Week (1/15/20–1/22/20)Take time to catch up with what you’ve missed!noproscenium.com
From David & Lisa Spira of Room Escape Artist:
Looking for an escape room to play? Here are a few we haven’t played yet, but expect to be outstanding.
THE DISCOURSE
Discussions and posts from Everything Immersive & Twitter:
CNET reporter Scott Stein gets a look behind the scenes of the upcoming AREA15 in Las Vegas: a destination retail and entertainment complex that will be the site of Meow Wolf’s 2nd location when it opens later this year. CEO Winston Fisher hopes to fill all 200,000 square feet with primarily “immersive-type” tenants. — Kathryn Yu
Immersive creators know that drawing the magic circle is no easy feat. Quartz takes a look at the design details that make up the worlds of immersive experiences and help audiences suspend their disbelief; they break down specific techniques used in the creation of Sleep No More’s McKittrick Hotel and SXSWestworld’s town of Sweetwater. — Kathryn Yu
The Bold Italic digs into the San Francisco immersive and interactive art scene, including what organizations like Gray Area have been up to lately.
Rise of the Resistance and the immersive revolution happening in our theme parksSit back and enjoy the ride? Not at cutting-edge theme park attractions. Disney's new Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance…www.latimes.comA single contact lens could give your entire life a head-up displayThere aren't many meetings in Las Vegas during CES that still make my jaw drop. The few I can think of mostly involved…www.cnet.comThe Top 50 VR Games Of 2019The VR industry saw major growth in 2019. Here are the top 50 VR game titles across all platforms. No discussion of VR…www.forbes.com
NOW FUNDING
Ironlights
A VR fighting game of skill, style, and strategy
E McNeil is one of the original indie developers in this wave of VR, and an incredibly nice guy to boot. E’s shipped seven games already, with many of them either starting off in VR (DarkNet) or getting an adaptation.
Now he’s developing the thing we all want: MULTIPLAYER SWORD FIGHTING.
GET. IT. MADE. PEOPLE. — Noah Nelson
PROFESSIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
Jobs, Grants, Gigs, and more
INDIECADE 2020
SUBMISSIONS ARE OFFICIALLY OPEN at indiecade.com/submissions! It would be great if you could share this post so that we reach maximum eyeballs and can find as many game-makers as possible.
This year we have one application for opportunities to showcase at multiple events throughout 2020, including E3 in June and IndieCade Festival in October! We’ll also be adding additional opportunities in the coming months so stay tuned. Thank you! — IndieCade 🧡
Punchdrunk Resources
A “resource pack is designed for students and teachers keen to learn more about Punchdrunk’s practice and explores the company’s methodology through past productions and example exercises.”
NoPro is a labor of love made possible by our generous Patreon backers: join them today!
In addition to the No Proscenium web site, our podcast, and our newsletters, you can find NoPro on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, in the Facebook community Everything Immersive, and on our Slack forum.
Office facilities provided by Thymele Arts, in Los Angeles, CA.
Discussion