Do you pick the hat or does the hat pick you?

My alarm goes off at 6:00am, and I find myself rushing to get ready. I brave the brisk morning as I make a dash for the subway car to take me downtown. My phone in hand, I exit at 34th Street and move towards the Javits Center, eagerly looking for the first clue of the day. The experience had begun.

But first, let me explain how on earth I found myself rushing around the old NYC dockyards at such an ungodly hour in the morning.

I had been fortunate enough to attend New York Comic Con for the very first time the day before, and in the lead up I was told to look out for the Westworld Experience, a new immersive experience that had previously been on offer at the San Diego Comic Con. Obviously as a fan of all things immersive, and an avid watcher of the show, I knew this would be one of my first points of call at Comic Con.

However, as I wandered around the Javits Centre, exploring the aisles upon aisles of memorabilia and merchandise, I could see no sign of this new experience. On the map, nothing. The information kiosk had no knowledge of it. I asked as many people as I could, but no one seemed to know anything about Westworld at all. Perhaps my contacts had got it wrong? There would be no Westworld in NYC.

But as the day went on, posts started appearing on social media — pictures of badges, selfies by doorways, and all sorts of questions and comments about hats. I reached out to one of the lucky few who seemed to have found Westworld and found out that it all begins with an early morning treasure hunt for the location. A clue is sent out at 7:00am, and you must get there as soon as you possibly can.

So, with this new information in mind, I find myself right next to the Javits Center at 7:02am, trying to decipher the tweeted clue for the day: a short video with a blurry map visible for a split second, ending with a latitude coordinate, but no longitude coordinate. I am stumped. But luckily, I am not the only one.

Right around the building, you can see people looking at their phones, talking to one another, pointing towards street signs, and it is clear that I am not the only one on this treasure hunt. I spoke with a group of fans, and they confirmed they were looking for this elusive sign-up location too. After some debate, we decided to head uptown and to work together in finding the location.

Now all of this may seem quite beside the point. After all, what does this have to do with the actual experience itself? All I can say is that this moment, this unifying moment of searching for a sign-up location, just to be given the remotest chance of even taking part in the Westworld Experience, is a rush unlike any other. The intense desire to be part of this world is palpable, and for those of us who know the show itself, this is exactly the strategy of the Delos Incorporated, the company behind this impossible world of entertainment. The collective energy of Reddit and Twitter are working on the puzzle, people are live-tweeting their locations and asking questions, and people are running around in search. Excitement is in the air.

We find what we believe to be the location, along the westernmost point of 42nd Street, and join a line of excited fans. At this point, we are still only hoping that this is the correct location. It could well be that we are all waiting in the wrong place, having read the clue incorrectly. It is not until 8:00am when a second tweet is released that we breathe a collective sigh of relief as it is confirmed that we are in the right place. The line is made up of all manner of attendees, with many who are fans of immersive theatre. This made for some spirited conversations about pieces which are currently playing here in NYC.

Shortly after this, a black van appears and out jump three suited men. They begin to set up a gazebo, and two “hosts” take their place behind their computer screens. For those who are not familiar with the show, a “host” is an android developed to serve and entertain the clients of Westworld. The line continues to move, and a sign is given to a man 10 spots in front of me, that reads ‘Last Spot for Guaranteed Entry.’ My heart sinks, as I know there is no way I would be able to attempt this again tomorrow. The line continues to move, and thankfully I am ushered forward to make an appointment. The impossibly beautiful host takes my name, and I am issued with an appointment time, 3:30pm. I am given a business card and told to find the address on the back of the card, and to not be late.

Time passes, and I find myself in front of an unassuming building with the Delos Incorporated logo etched onto the windows. I know I am in the right place. At 3:30pm exactly the door opens, and the small group of us head in single file.

We are greeted with a cold white room and a host welcomes us. We are introduced to a second host and lead into a waiting room. Costumes and props from the show surround us, and a large screen plays an advertisement for Westworld — not the show, but for the place, as if we were really awaiting entry into the world. A teaser for what we are soon to be a part of.

Knowing the show well, I decide to ask questions of the hosts, to see what I can get out of them. They respond in that uncanny valley sort of way that the hosts of the show do, where they feel so real, but something is not quite right. They are warm and welcoming, but there is a coldness below the surface.

“Cease all motor functions,” I mention to Ralph, the male host. He stares blankly right back at me.

“Access denied,” he replies.

The performances throughout the experience are incredible. I would expect nothing less than fantastic performances from the actors, but the realism and accuracy of their portrayal compared to the TV show is incredible. The level of detail of the entire production is commendable, with small Easter eggs there for you to see, if you are looking closely enough.

I am next lead into a room for my evaluation to see what the corporation can do to best fulfill my time in Westworld. I am met by a new host, and she asks me a series of questions. Some are very personal. Some are absurd. And some are far deeper questions about my own sense of morality. All the while, she smiles and continues to ask away, probing into my answers.

At this point, I am very aware of what she is doing. From a performance point of view, she is trying to get information on me, so that in a moment she can surprise and wow me with her evaluation of me. But all of my experience and expectation is blown away by her read of me. I try so hard to maintain composure, to keep a poker face, to not allow her to see that she is getting to me. I try to convince myself that she is not getting to me. I find myself grinning. Every word she says, I feel is uniquely attributed to me, every comment is exactly who I believe I am. It’s an incredible moment of artistry, where the performance has transformed from an external place to internal mind game. And all of this is coming from someone who considers themselves fairly well-versed in the immersive theatre world.

The culmination of this questionnaire, and this reading, is to be given a hat, either a white or a black one. The question being, do you pick the hat or does the hat pick you? I contemplate this, and the symbolism of the hat I wear, as I am taken further into the experience.

I am ushered into a saloon, where the hosts continue to interact with the small group of us, all the while a self-playing piano accompanies our conversations. Drinks are elaborately made, with a story being embellished around each of the cocktails produced. The hosts flirt and ask us about our plans here, what we hope to see, to achieve, and to do. Westworld feels so tantalizingly close, as close as the drink that is in my hand. I am ready to begin my adventure.

It is at this moment then that the whole experience must end. A malfunction occurs, and we are quickly dragged out by security for our own safety. Sirens wail. The hosts stand lifeless, staring blankly into nothingness. We are pushed out into the streets and the glare of the sun now feels alien on my face.

The Westworld Experience is a pop-up immersive treat. While thousands of people attend Comic Con, HBO and the creative team behind this project choose not to engage with the masses, but instead with a niche crowd of fans. Only six people get to experience the entire show per 30-minute session. Throughout the weekend this exclusive experience will have played to only around 600 people. Each and every one of those in attendance have worked to be there, and are desperate to be immersed into the Westworld Experience. The exclusivity and mystery of this campaign is by far its greatest strength.

To focus in on the individual, to give each person a unique experience and memory is something that we as a NoPro community believe in, know, and love. How rewarding to see performances like this, where a large business is willing to devote the time, effort, and finances to making something extra special for a select few. I will keep this memory with me for a long time.

We are many years behind the technology of the show, and who knows if we’ll ever reach that level of technological sophistication. For now, this experience has been a wonderful insight into the possibility of that world. I wear my hat with pride as I enter back into reality following this taste of a life without limits.

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