L.A.’s DrownedOut Productions has made a name for themselves over the past few years with spooky, small scale work that harkens back to the vibe of the early days of the Southland’s immersive scene. 

A good deal of that is a matter of the company leveraging the skills its team has honed working at the big local theme parks, and taking that kind of environmental storytelling an applying it to intimate scaled work.

That trend is continuing with The Shoebox Museum, a new experience for up to just two guests at time which has taken up residence at North Hollywood’s After Hours Theatre space.

We checked in with DrownedOut’s Jackson Mancuso about the new show which has just extended its run through July 12th.

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NO PROSCENIUM: Tell us a little bit about your experience! What’s it about? What makes it immersive?


Jackson Mancuso: The Shoebox Museum is an intimate, multi-sensory, immersive experience about the little things we hold on to. By examining artifacts from a past relationship, the memories come alive through a variety of theatrical and sensory vignettes. Asking what do we keep when the story is over?

NP: What was the inspiration for your upcoming experience? 


JM: The idea for the show came after a breakup I went through late last year. I had all this stuff left over I didn’t want to keep but didn’t want to throw away either; cards, stuffed animals. That’s where the original idea came from. The Shoebox Museum ended up being a great home for a lot of those items. 

Structurally, the show is heavily inspired by similar environmentally driven experiences like Viola’s Room and The Nest but visually pulls from the work of Petra Collins. My previous shows have all been horror adjacent and I wanted to step out of that, push myself and chase a new emotion. Make a show that really has a heart. 

NP: What do you think fans of immersive will find most interesting about this latest experience? 


JM: I find our way of interacting with the story really engaging. Without giving too much away, there is a tactility and control you have as an audience member over how you experience the story and move it forward. You are really empowered to explore the environment at your own pace. The interaction mechanics also helps drive our themes home. 

NP: Once you started designing and testing what did you discover about this experience that was unexpected?


JM: I initially was approaching this as a dark ride, having the lights and sounds lead people from room to room, from vignette to vignette. It wasn’t until later it became apparent how much I would need to rely on video games mechanics to set people up successfully for how I wanted them to interact with the environment. The Last of Us series was definitely an inspiration for the way written ephemera and environment design can move a story forward. 

NP: What can fans who are coming to this, or thinking about coming to this, do to get into the mood of the experience?

JM: If you’re interested in coming, the museum takes donations from previous relationships. If there are memories sitting in the back of your closet you don’t want to keep but can’t get rid of, the museum is happy to provide a safe home for them. 

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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