The latest event from Future Proof tries to tie multiple pieces together
“Not your real name! Your hacker name!” the guard at the door barks at me.
I jump back a little. The man standing at the entrance to an unmarked warehouse in Williamsburg, clad in Matrix-chic black leather and fingerless gloves, rolls his eyes. He explains to me, as if it were common knowledge, that the corporate spooks at LUX have eyes and ears everywhere, and we would all be much safer if we stuck to our hacker names. My new hacker name is then swiftly generated mad-libs style, picking two words out of fishbowls to create my new, amazing moniker of “Cyber_Mage.”
This procedure launched me and the rest of the night’s participants headfirst into the world of Future Proof, a series of interconnected events straddling the line between a party, a role playing game, and a theatrical production. Each guest that night was in character as a master hacker, working for one of two rival factions to hack a mysterious black cube that had fallen from the sky. Please Resist, Thank You (cheekily abbreviated to P. R. T. Y.), the third event in the series, was referred to as a game, but other than playing small mini-games to win prizes Chuck E. Cheese style, goals could be vague. For example, you could play Madden on a PS1 in the corner with a a frat bro type named Bruce but where this could potentially lead was left unsaid.
Now operating for close to a year, Future Proof has clearly been refining their concept. Last year’s UVX (a dry run of this universe’s concept, with a new UVX production to be launched in Spring of 2019) at the Abrons Arts Center didn’t quite gel. Audience participation was limited to phone voting, and glimpses of a deeply involved, elaborate backstory buried beneath absurdist humor and breaks for the audience to throw paper planes at the actors. By hosting a party and letting guests pursue whatever plot rabbit holes they choose, or just dance to an amazingly spun soundtrack by DJ Faith in the Glitch, there was a nice availability to control your level of immersion and how involved in the plot you wanted to be. Previously, these events had been framed as a party sponsored by LUX, the in-universe sinister yet utterly incompetent corporate entity the plot revolves around, and a mystery send-up surrounding a will reading. This time, Future Proof paid homage to such sources 90’s schlock classic Hackers and the book Neuromancer as a surrealist barcade.
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The venue and production design definitely created a ’90s cyberpunk hacker fantasy. Dominated by old computer monitors and what seemed to be a chandelier made of CRTVs, and dotted with old plush sofas, the set felt like a cross between a William Gibson novel and a well-appointed basement from the ’90s. Games were also well themed, including laser tag set around a dayglo lit pile of trashed computers and a custom-built Pong machine gushing with exposed wiring.
Future Proof’s problems as a younger production company were apparent though — lines were enormous, with not enough activities for as many people in attendance, no ability to dance or participate in other low plot activities while you waited, and games breaking as the evening went on. The actors were all game improvisors, but without conversational hooks or large-scale scenes, conversations all seemed to turn into a cyberpunk flavored version of watercooler chat.
Probably the most frustrating thing, though, were the consistent promises of agency without a clear picture of what effects any of the attendees actions had on the experience. While we were promised that we could impact how the evening went, there were murmurs of doubt that players could change which of the two factions in play (the anarchic Resistance or mild-mannered Troubleshooters) would ultimately succeed in hacking the cube.
Generally, though, what was lacking as an immersive piece was made up for by its virtues as a party. Players all had smiles on their faces and gamely played along with the plot. Despite mixed successes, Future Proof is a company of enormous ambition and a clear upward trajectory. It’s exciting to see where the next step of this plot and universe will take audiences, and what genre will get remixed through their zany lens next.
Please Resist, Thank You has concluded. Learn more about future events on the Future Proof web site.
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