Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – THE TWENTY-SIDED TAVERN exuberantly brings the D&D gaming experience to the stage, to the delight of non-traditional audiences

• By drediman
• May 20, 2024
• No Comments

One of the more fascinating ventures in commercial theater this spring is Dungeons & Dragons: The Twenty-Sided Tavern, which recently opened Off-Broadway at Stage 42. In essence, the production attempts to theatricalize the vintage Dungeons & Dragons role playing experience (which celebrates its landmark 50th anniversary this year!), complete with an exuberant and experienced Dungeon Master and an actual onstage Tavern Keeper — heavy imbibing is encouraged to buoy the evening — played terrifically by “DAGL” and Sarah Davis Reynolds, respectively.

What emerges from this unlikely task is a uniquely crowd-pleasing concoction that’s likely to attract various groups of non-traditional theater-goers. Apart from D&D gamers (and there are plenty of them out there), fans of the fantasy genre at large will also find themselves drawn to this live adventure. And given that The Twenty-Sided Tavern capitalizes on the immersive and interactive aspects of role playing — from storytelling to character building — the production will also likely catch the eyes of fans of immersive theater and escape rooms. Happily, the endeavor operates on a number of levels — both as loving parody, as well as a geek-out session for more experienced gamers, who will likely delight in the faithful recreation of D&D’s rigorous gameplay. That being said, newbies need not be concerned — the show’s creators have ensured that first timers receive a helpful tutorial before the fellowship embarks on its quest. So where does this leave your traditional theater-goer? Well, if you enjoy comedy or improv performances, then this curiosity may be up your alley; just don’t expect anything beyond frivolous entertainment.

Handsomely framed by imposing scenic elements (the transporting designs are by K.C. McGeorge), the production unfolding under the onstage guidance of Dungeon Master DAGL. Most notably, the experience includes a number of nifty interactive features — accessed via cell phone — that give audiences substantial agency in the proceedings. These are manifested in the form of a trio of cheeky, enthusiastic onstage avatars — at the performance I attended, they were R. Alex Murphy as the Warrior, Madelyn Murphy as the Mage, and Diego F. Salinas as the Trickster. Because each step of the journey is basically dictated by the whims of the audience and the avatars’ dice rolls (just as in the underlying game), The Twenty-Sided Tavern ensures that no two performances will ever be alike, thereby inviting audiences to return for encore campaigns to save the world.

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DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: THE TWENTY-SIDED TAVERN
Off-Broadway, Play
Stage 42
2 hours, 30 minutes (with one intermission)
Open run