It’s that time again—time for Everything Immersive This Week, No Proscenium’s round-up of immersive news, articles, reviews, and show announcements!
So what all happened this week? Microsoft launched a developer edition of the HoloLens 2 headset. Even more hype (if that’s possible) is building around Disneyland’s Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, as the new land in Anaheim nears its late May opening date. Exeunt Magazine asked some questions about immersive theatre and audience consent regarding the new experience Barzakh. An immersive activation for John Wick 3 hit Brooklyn this week, as select New Yorkers got to step into a real-life version of The Continental for one day. The slate for this fall’s Without Walls Festival by La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego has been announced, including new work from Third Rail Projects (Then She Fell, The Grand Paradise, Ghost Light) and David Israel Reynoso/Optika Moderna (Waking La Llorona).
And our own Noah J. Nelson got to both try Vader Immortal on a brand spankin’ new Oculus Quest, but also speak to some of the folks behind the new VR experience on our podcast!
Plus we interviewed the creators of a museum of memories in NYC, a live action game in Denver, an VHS-themed escape room-immersive theatre hybrid in Toronto. And we also reviewed a remote three-day theatre experience, an interactive art auction, a two person bathtub-centric show, a hyper-reality VR experience, an immersive art installation in LA, and more! Plus: guest columnist Aaron Vanek offers us his perspective on consent as a producer of LARPs and interactive events.
All that and more, below.
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ON THE PODCAST THIS WEEK
We visit Facebook’s LA campus to talk with the team behind Vader Immortal, the launch title for the Oculus Quest that finds you captured by the Dark Lord of the Sith and set on a task only you can accomplish. Director Ben Snow, narrative designer Mohen Leo (ILMxLAB) and Oculus’ Colum Slevin (Head of Media, AR/VR Experiences at Facebook) join us to talk about the brand new adventure which debuts this month.
Plus: host Noah Nelson’s hands-on impressions of Vader Immortal and the Oculus Quest.
Read our review of Vader Immortal.
OUR GUIDE TO HOLLYWOOD FRINGE IMMERSIVE
NYC: SAVE THE DATE!
FROM THE WIRE: SHOWS, EVENTS, & EXPERIENCES
Buffalo, NY: Girls Who Walked on Glass
Chicago: Rabbit Hole Society: Spring Edition
LA: Dandelions; The Drunken Devil: Cantina del Diablo
NYC: I, MIGRATION; Urban Imprint; Walk the Silver Dream; Memory Home; A Dirge for Eldest
Minneapolis: Make a Scene!
Redwood City, CA: The Riggstone Records
San Diego: Without Walls Festival
Seattle: The Arsonists
Vancouver: PACK
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REVIEWS
From No Proscenium:
The Hand of the Dark Lord: ‘Vader Immortal’ Episode One (The NoPro Review)We set out on a Quest to a galaxy far, far, awaynoproscenium.comThe Stars Are Aglow in ‘moonlight serenade’ (The NoPro Review)Candle House Collective’s latest experience takes us to distance placesnoproscenium.com‘Beneath the Gavel’ Reveals Art Auction Secrets (Review)The interactive hybrid piece allows the audience to bid on art while enjoying dinnernoproscenium.comContemplate Extinction in ‘The End of the World Bar and Bathtub’ (The NoPro Review)On creating magic circles, casting the audience, and designing for agencynoproscenium.comThe Bunny Gets The Pancake: ‘Ralph Breaks VR’ at The VOID (Review)Let’s get digitizednoproscenium.comThe Art Department Crafts A Moment of Fleeting Joy in LA With ‘Dandelions’ (The No Pro Review)A wish comes true in the unlikeliest of placesnoproscenium.com
From David & Lisa Spira of Room Escape Artist:
“We played some outstanding escape rooms in Montreal last month. Escaparium is known for their Wizard Four escape rooms series. Here are our reviews of both games.”
Escaparium - The Wizard Four and the Book of Black Arts [Review] - Room Escape ArtistBarry Hotter: The Fellowship of the Wands Location: Montreal, Canada Date Played: April 7, 2019 Team size: 3-7; we…roomescapeartist.comEscaparium - The Wizard Four and the Rise of Lord Thulsa [Review] - Room Escape ArtistPowerglove! Location: Montreal, Canada Date Played: April 7, 2019 Team size: 3-7; we recommend 3-5 (best with 4)…roomescapeartist.com
STORIES
From NoProscenium.com and our Twitter feed:
Visit the Worlds of Aboriginal Australian Teens in ‘Future Dreaming’ (Q&A)A conversation with creator Sutunoproscenium.comExplore a Museum of Memories with ‘Inheritance’ (Q&A)An interview with creator Katya Stepanov and director Christy Caseynoproscenium.comVHS-Themed ‘The Tape Escape’ to Blend Escape Rooms and Immersive Theatre (Q&A)Outside the March’s new experience is set in a real-life former video storenoproscenium.com‘The Last Defender’ Puts Participants at the Center of the Cold War (Q&A)We talk to Nathan Allen, Sandor Weisz, and Charlie Miller about the upcoming interactive experiencenoproscenium.comInformed Consent for Immersive EventsGuest columnist Aaron Vanek offers us his perspective as a producer of larps and interactive eventsnoproscenium.comImmersive theatre, and the consenting audience - Exeunt MagazineHow can you write about show you've never seen? There's a lot you can't capture secondhand. A mini rule-of-thumb I have…exeuntmagazine.comI saw the finished Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge at Disneyland and you're going to be blown awaySeeing the mandible tips of the 100-foot-long Millennium Falcon poking into view in the open backstage elephant doors…www.ocregister.comHow Beat Saber beat the oddsVirtual reality is the ultimate money pit. Tech giants are selling low-margin hardware on which users play software…techcrunch.comARGNet Insider 2.3 - Will We Finally Find Satoshi This Time?End of the IHK (for now...) - Reflector Entertainment's Institute for Higher Knowledge ARG came to a conclusion last…mailchi.mpHoloLens 2's Spatial app wants to bring Avengers-like holograms to your conference roomYou've seen this cinematic vision of the future: holograms in your conference room, consulting on glowing, floating 3D…www.cnet.com
From Laura E. Hall of Timberview Productions:
“This Atlas Obscura list of community-submitted local theme parks highlights some real gems, including Oregon’s wonderfully worn Enchanted Forest. Three cheers for the weird designed spaces that shaped our childhoods and that we love as adults:”
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