This week features a pair of projects emerging out of New York City's bustling immersive scene.

One can be experienced from anywhere in the world via a web browser, and the other takes place in Brooklyn. Let's get to it!

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labRats – Remote


cirqueSaw 
PWYC; Remote (Web browser); Jan. 15 - Mar. 19th 

Recently presented in The From-Home Fest, labRats is a digital interactive narrative sandbox escape room experience from cirqueSaw. Using a web browser, up to 20 audience members each assume the role of a rat being subjected to benign testing in a laboratory. Presented in the style of a binary, top-down video game, the rats must work together to overcome obstacles to escape captivity while possibly discovering the true intentions of the testing. 

Once again, cirqueSaw delivers a handcrafted, accessible experience that’s cooperative, charming, and thought-provoking. Key to labRats success is how seamlessly audience collaboration is fostered and solidified. In labRats’ first third, the audience responds to prompts from lab technician Mallory (Nicole Orabona) that grow complex, requiring coordinated responses. As the audience can only communicate via a chatbox, these prompts force audience interaction, allowing for an effective, supportive rapport to bloom. This is important as the only way to accomplish anything is through collaboration as there’s too much to see and do without the coordinating actions. At one point, I found an important item yet hadn’t come across a manner in which to use it. Upon announcing my find in the chatbox, someone informed me to follow them, leading me to an area I hadn’t explored to use the item in a manner that benefited everyone. This was merely one of countless moments experienced, a powerful testament to cirqueSaw’s mastery of audience engagement. 

Related, labRats’ expansive laboratory is an absolute pleasure to explore. The retro ‘80s video game aesthetic is an ingenious choice; the low-tech presentation not only is incredibly accessible and approachable for all audience types, but subverts expectations regarding gameplay encounters. Simply put to avoid spoilers, the audiences will interact with environments, videos, images, and text that runs an expansive technical gambit. By ensuring the basic act of exploration is a consistently and constantly gratifying action, labRats guarantees regardless of what happens, the audience has a rewarding experience. 

But mildly frustrating technical elements are present. When using the chatbox, it eclipses the entirety of the webpage and is unmovable. While not problematic itself, there’s no scroll lock when reviewing older text, so finding an earlier key piece of information becomes arduous. Similarly, while all the audience needs to utilize is the arrow keys and their mouse, it’s not always clear when one, the other, or both are required. It’s in areas presented as images where this is particularly problematic, as audiences must hunt-and-click on everything, presuming that idea even crosses their mind. 

Related, the narrative structure feels misbalanced as too much happens too quickly at the end. For labRats’ majority, Mallory simply scolds the rats without issuing impactful repercussions nor providing context for the experiments (though it’s possible that’s discoverable information I didn’t encounter). Only when rats successfully start escaping does Mallory explain everything, including a heart-wrenching reason to stay. But by then I had escaped, trapped in the closing animation with no way to reconsider the choice. Basically, I was presented with an intriguing dramatic choice (individual freedom versus the greater good) only after completing labRats. 

While there are technical and narrative frustrations, ultimately labRats continues cirqueSaw’s winning streak of creating highly original, engaging online experiences. Every interaction in labRats produces a delightful, rewarding surprise that warrants attending multiple performances.

– Patrick B. McLean, Chicago Curator & Remote Experiences Editor

Roomies LIVE! – NYC


Collin Blackard / Lazy Hawk Productions, LLC
$40; Brooklyn Art Haus; Nov. 21 - Feb. 20

Landing confidently at Brooklyn Art House, Roomies LIVE! is a loving pastiche of 90s sitcoms, following three down-on-their-luck roommates as they clash with an eccentric landlord. The audience is quickly folded into the premise, cast as the live studio audience for the taping of two new episodes.

Writer Collin Blackard anchors the evening as the sitcom’s Stage Manager, a quick-witted and sardonic presence who introduces each episode’s outrageous mystery and arms us with stock reactions and catchphrases to be used throughout the night. This conceit walks the line between a traditional improv show and something more experiential–but the most immersive adventure is reserved for each episode’s “Guest Stars.”

Once per commercial break, one guest is elevated to serve as the cast’s third roomie. This promotion comes with the agency to join in on the show’s recurring bits, sight gags, and interactive hijinks. Each participant is also given a hero moment – a unique game or activity that makes them integral to the story. This format is super effective. Segmenting the episodes means that no participant is overburdened or overstays their welcome; presenting two episodes each night lets the show play with continuity and call back to earlier Guest Stars. This is used to great effect in a denouement best left unspoiled. The production even shines on a more macro level – rotating through an ever-growing list of episodes, to keep the show fresh and encourage repeat visits.

In lesser hands, Roomies could have succumbed to cloying nostalgia-bait, but the ensemble cast of Dani Letsche, Thomas Burns Scully, and Chris Enright consistently delivered charm over cringe with loveable characters and quick improvisation.

If the show stumbles, it’s only at the margins. A “guess the ending” mechanic put Guest Stars on the spot without much payoff, a comedy set at intermission was unnecessary, the show ran long. But these are all screws that will continue to tighten as the show finds its footing.

With clever interactions, meaningful audience participation, and impeccably curated 90s schmaltz, Roomies LIVE! brings refreshing levity to the immersive community.

– Zach Zamchick, Guest Contributor

Discover the latest immersive events, festivals, workshops, and more at our new site EVERYTHING IMMERSIVE, home of NoPro’s show listings.

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