News from Las Vegas, SXSW, GDC, and more
It’s another huge week of news in immersive-land this week: Joe and Anthony Russo’s company, AGBO, have expanded into interactive location-based entertainment by teaming up with The Tension/Lust Experience team to develop new immersive experiences, destinations and brand partnerships — and their next stop is Las Vegas.
That’s right, that’s in addition to the upcoming Meow Wolf expansion there and the just-announced Perry Farrell backed immersive music-driven playground that’s being planned.
Meanwhile, Team NoPro wrote up their experience at SXSWestworld, we interviewed ARG star Bryan Bishop about his SimuLife experience on the podcast, pinned down Lauren Ludwig of Capital W just long enough to have her answer the Immersive 5, uncovered layers upon layers in our review of trip.LA’s 4PLAY, and also reported live from GGC straight from the convention floor of Moscone Center in San Francisco.
Oh, and both the LA and NYC newsletters come out this weekend, and we sent out another edition of the new North America newsletter.
Do you have a burning need to know about immersive theatre, site-specific performances, installation art, and selfie factories in-between newsletter issues? You can always check our Now Playing section to see what’s available in your area: LA, NYC, the Midwest, and our new North America page. Tell a friend!
Plus… our #NoProGoesPro campaign keeps on going! We’re revamped our Patreon campaign with updated backer tiers/rewards and details on our exclusive podcast “The Irregular” for backers at the $5 level and above. That’s right, for the cost of one cup of fancy coffee a month, you can support our coverage of immersive theatre, escape rooms, themed entertainment, virtual reality, experiential marketing, and more. Join now!
ON THE PODCAST THIS WEEK
Our dear friend Bryan Bishop of The Verge has just come back from a once-in-a-lifetime experience at SXSW. There he was one of just two participants in an elaborate, four day long immersive experience called a “Simulife” by the creative think tank known as Interactive Deep Dive.
Host Noah Nelson, who walks in clueless (What else is new?), journeys with Bryan into the heart of what made this so special. The answer: Soylent Green. (I mean, from a certain point of view.)
SHOWS, EVENTS, & EXPERIENCES (NEWSWIRE)
Baltimore: HUMBUG: The Great P.T. Barnum Seance
Columbus, GA: Behind Closed Doors
NYC: Letters in the Dirt; The Senses: Design Beyond Vision; Lysistrata Jones; The Tempest; Nocturne; Let Me Cook For You; The Silver Dream Factory Presents Femme Fatale
San Francisco: Roman Women
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Seattle: SMOKED!
REVIEWS
Both our own, and from around the web!
Big Little Loop: SXSW’s ‘Westworld Experience’ (The NoPro Review)Hit the streets of Sweetwater in this in deep dive into HBO’s stunning immersive activation.noproscenium.comLove’s New Normal: ‘4PLAY’ (Review)trip.LA’s unconventional staging of a 21st century romancenoproscenium.com"The Wrong MacGyver Solution" [Room Design] - Room Escape ArtistAllowing for player improvisation in an escape room (or MacGyver-ing) creates some of the most incredible moments that…roomescapeartist.comVR is getting very, very goodTech is playing a larger role at SXSW with every passing year, and despite the deeply irritating fact that some…www.avclub.comMADHOUSE re:exit - an interactive, immersive experience - ReviewMadhouse re:exit is an immersive theatre experience set in the bowels of 'Paradise Fields' a notionally luxury social…www.londontheatre1.comThe Escape Game - Nashville [Review] - Room Escape ArtistAfter years of players asking... we finally played Nashville. Location: Nashville, TN Date Played: February 11, 2018…roomescapeartist.comStrap on your sleep pack! The trippy VR show that takes you to dreamlandImmersive entertainment is so widespread now, from the intimately disorienting surrealism of You Me Bum Bum Train to…www.theguardian.comSomnai review - ambitious VR show that needs to get realI'm at the edge of a rocky canyon, about to jump. Looking down at my arms, it seems my body has become a network of…www.telegraph.co.uk
STORIES
Game Developers Conference 2018 Diary, Part 1: Finding a Bridge to EmpathyOur San Francisco Editor is live at the 2018 Game Developer’s Conference this week in SFnoproscenium.comThe Immersive 5 with Lauren Ludwig of Capital WThe LA based writer-director shares her laser-sharp insightnoproscenium.comHow Steven Spielberg Filmed The 'Ready Player One' Oasis ScenesIn Ready Player One , much of the action takes place inside a virtual universe called the Oasis - a vast collection of…www.slashfilm.com57. Clio Yun-su DavisGame designer and interactive media writer Clio Yun-su Davis talks podcasting, immersive theatre, and the beauty of…oneshotpodcast.comI Went to Space and Floated Above Earth Thanks to This Immersive HelmetNEW YORK - Looking down at the vast curve of planet Earth hundreds of miles below, I can see its white cloud cover…www.livescience.comThey Talk About Porn in This Show. Audience Participation Is Encouraged."So much immersive theater is afraid of entertainment, which is a shame," Mr. Green said on a recent afternoon in the…www.nytimes.comHTC Vive Announces Vive Pro Pricing at $799Share TweetPre-orders start today. Current Vive headset gets price-cut. We finally have a price for the recently…vrscout.comCreator | Magic LeapMagic Leap Creator Portal. Developers can download Lumin SDK, discover tutorials and other learning resources, and join…www.magicleap.comBWW Interview: Terry Ray And Mel England Share Their ELECTRICITY And More Prior To Palm Springs…With ELECTRICITY, the hit LGBT comedy/drama starring stars Terry Ray ('My Sister is So Gay') & Mel England ('Best Day…www.broadwayworld.com3 Rules for Designing Primo Virtual RealityIt's Christmas 2016-prime gift-giving season. As many in the retail industry predicted, millions of people are…www.wired.comIGDA Director Says Capital, Not Unions, Will Keep Game Development Jobs SecureIGDA Executive Director Jen MacLean talks Trump, gun violence, and unions at GDC 2018. Feature by Matt Kim, 03/19/2018…www.usgamer.netAn Immersive Production of Hamlet in a Mansion on First HillNo theater company has ever produced a play at the Stimson-Green Mansion on First Hill before. The house has, however…www.thestranger.comThe Drake X HogtownThe Hogtown Experience is the brainchild of Sam Rosenthal (Producer/Director) and Drew Carnwath (Producer/Writer)…www.thedrake.caIn 'Prurience,' Take Your Seat for Group Therapy That is Also TheaterWhen you walk into the theatrical piece,, it will feel like walking into the kind of bare office-room where a group…www.thedailybeast.comWorldbuilding in Immersive Theatre, and the Punchdrunk styleEarlier this month I took a one-day design masterclass with Punchdrunk, the immersive theatre company. I've previously…emshort.blogTomb Raider, Lisa Halliday, Immersive theatre, Front Row - BBC Radio 4The verdict on the return of video game heroine Lara Croft to the big screen.www.bbc.co.ukCHORUS Proves that the Future of VR is Shared Experiences - VRScoutShare TweetShared VR experiences seem to be the hot trend making rounds at film festivals this year. It wasn't long ago…vrscout.comGoogle Opens Maps API So Devs Can Create 'Pokémon Go'-style GamesDuring the Google Developer Day presentation at GDC 2018, Product Manager Clementine Jacoby and Engineering Lead…www.roadtovr.comThe VR Metaverse of 'Ready Player One' Is Just Beyond Our GraspVirtual reality, as it's been promised to us by science fiction, is a singular realm of infinite possibility. Star…www.wired.comThe rise of experiential commerce"$43 million and the only thing you can buy in it is a coffee." So said Samsung's Senior Director of Store Development…techcrunch.comRusso Brothers Find New AGBO Storytelling Front: Interactive Venture With 'Saw II's Darren Lynn…EXCLUSIVE: In launching their company AGBO while directing back-to-back The Avengers sequels, Joe and Anthony Russo…deadline.comStep Inside the Growing World of Immersive Dining That Proves 'All the World's a Stage'Dinner theater reaches the next level when you and your food are part of the show.www.foodandwine.comVoices of VR PodcastEach year, the Sundance New Frontier features VR experiences, films, and live performances that push the boundaries of…voicesofvr.comHTC Vive Focus Confirmed For International Release Later This YearA busy week at this year's Game Developers Conference (GDC) in San Francisco just got a little bit busier for HTC…www.vrfocus.comStuntin' on SXSW: How Westworld IRL Changed the Experiential Game - PanoplyHowdy y'all! HBO's Westworld raised the bar on experiential marketing at SXSW 2018. Laura and Alexa sat down with the…www.panoply.fmLittle Baghdad - PYT FairfieldPowerhouse Youth Theatre (PYT) Fairfield once again heads out into the local community to do what they do best - that…concreteplayground.comNew opera brings together family, tragedy, destiny and NYC's immigrant historyA new opera at the Eldridge Street Synagogue is bringing together family, tragedy, destiny and New York City's rich…www.ny1.comThe SXSW Creative Experience "Arrow" AwardsAnnouncing the winners of the inaugural SXSW Creative Experience "Arrow" Awards, celebrating creativity and innovation…www.sxsw.comGDC 2018 'Day 3' Roundup - Oculus Go Details, Vive Focus Global Launch, New Qualcomm VRDK, and More…Here's a roundup of news from the third day of our GDC 2018 coverage. Qualcomm's latest reference headset supports Vive…www.roadtovr.com'Hamletmachine' an Ambulatory performance debuts this weekUpon entering the theater for a performance, most audience members usually take a program and find their assigned…www.gonzagabulletin.comThe Russo Brothers' AGBO to team with "Saw 2" director to develop new immersive experiences |…The Russo Brothers have been busy. As if directing the biggest superhero movie of all-time and what's being called the…www.insidethemagic.netWhy SXSW Started an Awards Program Recognizing Immersive Experiences This YearOver the past few years, brands have ramped up the number of immersive experiences at South by Southwest in Austin…www.adweek.comA Long-Dead L.A. Magician Is Bringing Angelenos Together to Solve a Puzzle - Los Angeles MagazineParticipants in a 49 Boxes game Courtesy Michael Borys This elaborate, immersive storytelling game is a nod to L.A.'s…www.lamag.com
https://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/gXVcKKxJgADqmTy6MmEV/full
THE BIZ
TENTClose TENT is the Toronto Fringe's free immersive summer program for emerging theatre producers. During the 12 days of…fringetoronto.comGame Engineer (Contract) - Arcade GamesWe are looking for freelance Unity game engineer to us help us build and modify amazing games for the incredible…twobitcircus.applytojob.comOculus Open Applications For VR For Good ProgramOculus have once again opened up the doors to their Oculus VR for Good initiative and the Creators Lab program for the…www.vrfocus.com
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