This weekend finds us in Long Beach, CA at Midsummer Scream, where I’ll be hosting a panel on immersive world building with some of the most dynamic and experiences hands in the business.
Early in the week I was on the ground at SIGGRAPH 2019, and I’m still processing all that I saw. You’ll find two of my diary entries below.
There’s also a ton of links from our partners and contributors, as a traditionally slow time of the year — those weeks before Spooky Season — has become part of the non-stop march of all things immersive.
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ON THE PODCAST THIS WEEK
Jackalope Live Action Studio’s Matthew Webb rejoins us to talk about their latest forays into making blockbuster LARPs. We talk Night City, their Cyberpunk 2020/2077 game (check out some awesome photos of the event along with us at the top of the show), and the revamp of The Night In Question, the Studio’s successful Vampire: The Masquerade game which has led to their announcement at GenCon this week of The Elysium Chronicles, a serialized immersive LARP launching in 2020.
For more from Matthew, including an in-depth discussion on blockbuster LARP and the state of the art, check out Episode 149 of the podcast.
FROM THE WIRE: SHOWS, EVENTS, & EXPERIENCES
Toronto: Search for Simurgh
NYC: Museum of Future Experiences, Lucidian Playtest, Those Before Us
Pittsburgh: Project Amelia
Chicago: Pakalolo Sweet
Seattle: O Succulent!
San Francisco: The Gay Divorce Play
Los Angeles: The Society Now — Babalon, Beasts From The Sea! (EXTENDED), IT Chapter Two — The Derry Canal Days Festival and Funhouse (Standby Line Only), Miss Jezebel’s Tea Party
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Submit your show to us here or at pitches@noproscenium.com.
REVIEWS
From No Proscenium:
Promenade Play ‘Elgin Park’ Renders Small Town Americana in Miniature (Review)The collaboration between Wildrence and Drew Petersen is magical but doesn’t fully connectnoproscenium.comIn One-on-One Immersive, Empathy and Empowerment Makes (and Breaks) ‘Between Us’ (The NoPro Review)A look back at the Denver Center for the Performing Art’s spring triptychnoproscenium.comQuestions Linger After The Dance: ‘The Green Waltz’ (The NoPro Review)Charismatic acting carries a mystery with a murky plot at LA’s Heritage Square Museumnoproscenium.com
From David & Lisa Spira of Room Escape Artist:
We reviewed The Curious Case of Cariboo Cameron at Escape Maze in Ontario, a company located in an old barn on a sprawling, active farm, where the games are set in the late 1800s.
We reviewed The Tape Escape’s Love Without Late Fees in Toronto, an immersive theater and escape room hybrid with an unusual structure.
STORIES
From NoProscenium.com and our Twitter feed:
SIGGRAPH 2019 Diary Part One: A Whole Lotta Magic LeapGoing hands-on with the latest from the augmented reality companynoproscenium.comSIGGRAPH 2019 Diary: The Future is UnrealNotes from Epic Games’ presentation and Hololens 2 demo.noproscenium.com
From Michael Andersen of ARGN:
Billed as “Sleep No More, but for selling you things” Showfields is a retail store with paid actors that sounds like the future we deserve, and might even want. -MA
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Immersive theater/experiences have become a hot topic for a shared experience for friends, families, couples, etc. When someone can write a lighthearted, funny satirical article about a topic, you know people are paying attention. And we’ve all joked about this happening! — Michael Small
From Laura E. Hall of Timberview Productions:
This writeup of a new fourth wall-breaking Pacific Rim ride with promenade theater elements in Trans Studio Cibubur near Jakarta, Indonesia is an exciting glimpse into the future of immersive in theme parks around the globe
THE DISCOURSE
Discussions and posts from Everything Immersive & Twitter:
NOW FUNDING
Linked Dance Theatre’s Remembrance: Step inside the mind of a woman living with Alzheimer’s — FINAL WEEK
NOIRTOWN: an immersive experience
The newest immersive theater experience from WITNESS plunges audiences into the world of film noir — FINAL WEEK
The Ode at Pint’s End
Chicago’s Birch House preps an immersive folk tale
The Ode at Pint’s End, written by Lauren N. Fields and Janie Killips, is an epic folktale that features traditional Irish music and new music by Janie Killips.
As they celebrate a full year on dry land, three Irish sailors recount the story of a shipwreck that changed their lives and the secrets they found at the bottom of the sea that still haunt them. Their tale unfolds in increasingly magical ways with the help of the mystical Merrows, the sailors’ wives, and the audience. The Ode at Pint’s End explores the journey from ambition to wisdom, the weight of our choices, and how we learn to let go.
The Speakeasy Society’s Johnny Cycle Returns to LA
Reimagined with new content, this theatrical experience explores the impact of politics and power. Tickets also now on sale.
PROFESSIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
Jobs & Grants
Philadelphia — Auditions for Cirque du Nuit
Announcing The Virtual Being Developer Grants (Guest Blog)A Day at the Virtual Beings Summit brings hope for a new form of immersive entertainment.noproscenium.comApplications Now Open: Ideas for Immersive Technology in the ArtsLearn how to apply and read more about our special issue on the topic.immerse.news
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