‘UCC OMEGA’ Realizes the Potential of a Theatrical Universe (Review)

by Blake Weil
Blake Weil
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November 18, 2019
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5 min read

We often forget that after the first Iron Man film was released, the movies that heralded the wider Marvel Cinematic Universe were… not necessarily cinema classics. For me, I had seen Hulk for the first time at a drive-in theater, where almost everything sounded incoherent, and so I gave it a pass after the first viewing. In the time since I’ve re-watched the film and can safely say it’s pretty clear why it’s been forgotten, despite Marvel now sitting as the most popular and profitable franchise of our generation. These early missteps in the MCU were effectively corrected; we eventually got our Avengers, and Guardians of the Galaxy, and Black Panther. But it took time.

I kept thinking about that course correction when visiting UCC Omega (UCC standing for “Ultimate Cinema Convention”), the latest chapter in the Future Proof Theatrical Universe. Nothing has marked Future Proof as a company more than their enormous ambition and potential, and their history of failing to meet that potential, such as in their last production, The UVX. Now, following a buzz-generating debut and a series of Hulk-esque stumbling blocks, Future Proof has produced their first show I can confidently call an unequivocal success. For the first time, the persistent elements of a theatrical universe felt worth it, while still welcoming newcomers. The tech worked. The jokes landed. The onboarding brought everyone up to speed. At last, that ambition was achieved and potential fulfilled.

Set in Future Proof’s universe of comically inept cyberpunk mega-corps and the freedom fighters who oppose them, UCC Omega is a convention for the villainous corporation, LUX, to debut its new products and initiatives, each one as shabby and sinister as the next. Imagine if William Gibson and Andy Kaufman produced a D23 Disney trade show together. While previous productions had the issue of tech constantly breaking, destroying story and agency, UCC turns this ongoing issue into its biggest strength. Break it yourself! Every element of the night is designed and informed as “breakable” by the audience from the beginning. The party is a social wreck room, an opportunity to wreak gleeful mischief and havoc against easily duped corporate drones. Assorted conspiracy theorists and hacker-chic freedom fighters also have infiltrated the con, providing an easy in for anyone looking to knock LUX down a peg.

The evening takes over one and a half stories of a warehouse space in Williamsburg. Unadorned, the space is fairly plain and ordinary seeming, whitewashed and drab. It’s a blank slate, one that’s perfect to be turned into an archetypically lame convention center, festooned with banners and pavilions celebrating fictitious corporate initiatives. Theme park junkies will get a chuckle out of some of the very on-point reference gags, from the “Carousel of Paulbert” exhibit detailing the history of LUX’s founder to one of the two bars in the show serving as a lovably groan-worthy parody of Margaritaville. The decor here is more than just scene-setting and gags, though. The first 15 minutes of the show are constrained to one section of the convention hall, which happens to be littered with banners about the history of LUX as previously established in prior shows. Those new to the universe have the chance to watch the trailer for “Most Dangerous Man,” the film at the centerpiece of their previous show, The UVX and encounter “celebrity guests,” who happen to be primary characters from the previous shows. This approach effectively brings newcomers, such as a first-timer friend of mine, up to speed.

From there on out, the evening plays like a live action point-and-click adventure. Slip the bartender an in-universe bribe, and you might get access to the writers’ room, where you can help destroy the keynote address. Perform minor tasks to prove your loyalty to LUX, and you can get access to (allegedly) a miniature version of the UVX to conduct some espionage. Cause as much damage as you can, as quickly as you can, then see the results when the final speeches and announcements are being made at the convention main stage.

Beyond the more structured, more goal-oriented quest lines, ample opportunities are provided for the audience to make its own fun. An open-ended form to get LUX to help launch your own startup was an audience favorite. I personally got LUX to sign off and invest in a competitor for themselves when I proposed a shell company for the hacker freedom fighters called “Arcana, Ltd.” Getting to see comically upset corporate goons read out the exact pitfalls I had led them into was a highlight.

The technical problems of past Future Proof productions were mostly gone. Perhaps a few pieces of technology didn’t work here and there, but I didn’t notice in the slightest. Everything necessary for the evening’s capers was analog. The tech aspects added a nice flavor to the event, but still worked within the limitations of believability. Future Proof’s usual excuses for something going wrong finally rang true; this is a comedy of errors, so, of course, the tech itself is going to be a mess!

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Future Proof has also finally found a balance for establishing continuity between shows. The bonuses for returning participants to their universe were unobtrusive and non-exclusionary but still felt meaningful. When I finally proved my worth to the resistance and got my a hacker name, their leader beamed at me and said:

“You don’t need a new one! Of course, we’re happy to welcome back our brother-in-arms Hyper_Mage! Long may you stream!”

The fact that my one-off gag name (from a show exactly one year ago) was not only remembered, but still tied to me to the world as a person with both a history and reputation, shows the level of care that can go into making an immersive universe. After my last visit to Future Proof, I suggested they scale back and re-focus on their strengths in their next show. With UCC Omega, they honestly went bigger than I’ve ever seen them, but focused almost exclusively on their strengths: theming, comedy, and interaction design. They even managed to turn their company’s history of technical difficulties into a delightful narrative. By boosting their strengths, accounting for their weaknesses, and providing more opportunities for creative but structured roleplay for the audience, I think that the company has finally found a winning formula. UCC Omega feels like a graduation for Future Proof, as the collective goes from a group of friends experimenting in immersive theater, to a production team worth paying closer attention to. I can’t wait to see what Future Proof can do as they continue to experiment with new stories and spaces.