Sometimes an Everything Immersive submission pops up and we want to know more.
Such was the case with Minneapolis’ Strange Loop Projects’ production Bazaar Bizarre, which popped up and intrigued us.
Here’s how they describe the show:
Step inside a strange and seductive world populated by dancers, curious characters, intimate encounters, and unexpected spectacles. There is no traditional stage and no fourth wall. The performance unfolds throughout Strange Loop Laboratory, surrounding you and drawing you deeper into the world of the Bazaar.
The deeper you venture into the Bazaar, the more the world splinters into unexpected encounters, hidden moments, and things not everyone will see.
Some things will happen right in front of you.
Others you may only glimpse.
Some you may miss entirely.
We checked in with Zhauna Franks, artistic director of Strange Loop Projects whose own performance credits include Sleep No More and Then She Fell about the show which runs through Halloween.
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No Proscenium: Tell us a little bit about your experience! What’s it about? What makes it immersive?
Zhauna Franks: Bazaar Bizarre is an immersive night circus populated by a collection of strange, beautiful, and sometimes unsettling characters. It's a world of faded glamour, theatrical illusion, and unexpected encounters, where dance, physical theater, music, and visual storytelling converge.
Audiences travel through a series of interconnected spaces at Strange Loop Laboratory, encountering intimate performances and unfolding fragments of narrative along the way. Rather than watching from a fixed seat, you're moving through the world of the production, sometimes just a few feet from the performers. Two audience groups follow different paths intermittently coming together. Each person's experience is shaped by where they stand, what they notice, and the connections they make.
NP: What was the inspiration for your upcoming experience?
ZF: I’ve always been fascinated by the idea of a night circus as a place where beauty and strangeness coexist, where outsiders become extraordinary and the ordinary rules of the world no longer apply. I often draw on a film noir aesthetic in my work, and a magical night circus felt like the perfect world in which to explore it.
Cabaret has also been a recurring influence throughout my career. With the current political climate, it felt like the right time to revisit that tradition of irreverence, subversion, and finding beauty in the unconventional.
NP: What do you think fans of immersive will find most interesting about this latest experience?
ZF: What makes Bazaar Bizarre exciting is the sensation of being completely surrounded by its world. You're close enough to catch a fleeting expression, notice a tiny detail, or feel that a moment is unfolding just for you. There are moments of spectacle and theatrical excess, but also quiet, intimate encounters that can feel surprisingly personal.
Because the experience is partially guided, there's none of that familiar immersive-theater anxiety of wondering where you're supposed to be or what you might be missing. You can surrender to the journey, knowing you'll be led where you need to go. And because two audience groups follow different paths, each person leaves with their own collection of images, sensations, and encounters—a unique experience within a shared world.
NP: Once you started designing and testing what did you discover about this experience that was unexpected?
ZF: One of the discoveries was how much power there is in simplicity. In an immersive environment, performers don't always need to do more to create an impact. Sometimes a believable action, a moment of stillness, or a genuine connection with one audience member becomes the most compelling thing in the room.
We also discovered how important it was to balance freedom with clarity. We wanted audiences to feel curious and adventurous without feeling uncertain about what was expected of them. The experience invites you to observe, explore, and follow your curiosity without requiring you to perform or participate.
NP: What can fans who are coming to this, or thinking about coming to this, do to get into the mood of the experience?
ZF: Imagine arriving at a traveling circus that has somehow slipped out of time. Think grayscale, film noir, faded velvet, old carnival photographs, surreal cabaret, and the strange beauty of things that are just a little past their prime.
The mood board? David Lynch meets film noir meets contemporary dance, with a touch of faded carnival and cabaret glamour.
Come with an appetite for the unexpected and a willingness to surrender to the atmosphere. You don't need to prepare a character, solve a mystery, or worry about being singled out. Just bring your curiosity, keep your eyes open, and allow yourself to be drawn into the world.
Bazaar Bizarre runs Oct. 16-31, 2026 at 1629 Hennepin Ave. in Minneapolis, MN; tickets are $45.
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