Interludes

VIEWPOINTS – A recap of this fall’s immersive theatrical experiences, which memorably include USER NOT FOUND, FOUND, and BLACKOUT

• By drediman
• November 13, 2019
• No Comments

After last night’s unique User Not Found in Brooklyn, I thought it would be a good time to take stock of the notable immersive theatrical experiences I’ve come across this fall. These were in addition to Sleep No More and Then She Fell, New York’s two most deservedly recognizable, ongoing immersive entertainments.

Chris Goode’s “User Not Found” at Greene Grape Annex.

USER NOT FOUND
Dante or Die / BAM’s Next Wave Festival / Green Grape Annex
RECOMMENDED

As many of you know, I’ve been tracking David Binder’s maiden season curating BAM’s Next Wave Festival. So far, he’s exceeded my expectations, and his winning streak continues with his import (from the U.K.) of the site-specific User Not Found, which is written and performed by Chris Goode. Staged at the Greene Grape Annex, a cozy cafe just a few blocks from the BAM’s Peter Jay Sharp Building, the solo piece is a soulful depiction of a gay man grieving and processing the death of an ex-lover. It’s also an insightful meditation on — literally — life after death, in the form of our continued presence in the Internet. To accomplish this, Mr. Goode employs tools that have historically been antithetical to live theater. Indeed, noise-canceling/enhancing headsets and interrupting smartphones play an integral part in creating an experience that’s at once personal and communal, which ironically are characteristics of good theater.

Mikel Glass’s “Found” at the cell.

FOUND
Mason Holdings / the cell
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

This fall, Hell’s Kitchen-based visual artist Mikel Glass took up a one-of-a-kind residency – entitled Found – at the cell in Chelsea. This immersive theatrical installation, which has been directed by Kristjan Thor (who is also one of the masterminds behind Blackout; see below), intersects fine art with live performance in a disarmingly compelling manner. I would have raved over the project if it were simply an art installation, which transformed the cell into a anything-is-possible fun house graced with Mr. Glass’s plethora of frisky, whimsical creations (encompassing both painting and sculpture). However, as you progress through the gallery, brilliantly in-character actors playfully enhance the viewing experience by forcing you to engage in the artwork in visceral, direct, and surprisingly synergistic ways. The experience culminated with an encounter with Mr. Glass himself, in a room filled with his latest inquisitive ideas. I’ve equated the meeting to an encounter with the Wizard of Oz or Willy Wonka; I don’t think I was significantly off the mark to have described it as such.

Josh Randall and Kristjan Thor’s “Blackout” at 342 West 37th Street.

BLACKOUT
342 West 37th Street
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

In recent years, one of the most sought after extreme haunted house experiences has been Blackout. For its 10th anniversary, creators Josh Randall and Kristjan Thor have returned the series to New York (where it began; it’s also been seen in L.A. and Chicago), as well as to the experience’s psychologically terrifying solo-walk through roots, bringing back many of its most perverse, greatest hits characters. As you may already gather, Blackout is a relentless experience (even at only 25 minutes) that’s not for the faint of heart. But for those of you brave enough to muster the courage, what you’ll find is an uncommonly astute psychological dive into human depravity, and one of the most thrilling and memorable immersive adventures I’ve recently been to. Be forewarned, after signing a waiver, you’ll be exposed to the following: extreme S&M scenarios, intense groping, physical manhandling, shameless humiliation, anxiety-inducing asphyxiation, extreme sexual fetishes, and simulated but highly convincing brush-ups with bodily fluids (and solids).

Most of the other immersive experiences (SOMEWHAT RECOMMENDED) I had over the last few months also not surprisingly coincided with Halloween, that most theatrical and immersive of “holidays”. Although not quite as wholly successful and noteworthy as those documented above, the following were nonetheless bold forays into the world of alternative theatrical experiences.

• I Can’t See, a sightless but otherwise sensory-driven experience in which you must brave an increasingly scary — if elementary — scenario.
• Killing an Evening with Edgar Allan Poe, actor John Kevin Jones’ slight one-man re-enactment of some of Poe’s most famous short stories in the historic and appropriately atmospheric Merchant’s House Museum.
• Who Killed Edgar Allan Poe? The Cooping Theory 1969, a free-flowing interactive gathering of and séance among Poe obsessives (and you’re one of them).