COMING SOON: Space Opera
A theatrical roleplaying event set in a faraway galaxy lands in Philadelphia this month
Philly-based Obvious Agency has a history of blending game mechanics and the theatrical to create original works that explore complex questions, all while entertaining a whole lot of folks.
And that’s exactly what they’re up to with Space Opera, an ambitious multi-session event that mixes “tabletop roleplaying games, democratic organizing practice, and theatrical spectacle” into a unfolding Science Fiction narrative where the fate of the universe of 21st Century American’s ability to practice democracy in the City of Brotherly Love.
No sweat, right? Right?
We checked in with Obvious Agency Worker-Owner Joseph Ahmed about the event which starts up on June 14th and plays out across three dates.
This is No Proscenium’s COMING SOON, a look at ongoing immersive experiences & events. To learn more about how your event could be considered for the feature check out How To Get Covered By NoPro.
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No Proscenium: Tell us a little bit about your experience! What’s it about? What makes it immersive?
Joseph Ahmed: Space Opera is about saving the world together. A far away world in another galaxy, yes, but also our own little Earth right here and now. In it we’re combining some of the nerdy things that delight us (sci-fi fantasy, tabletop roleplaying games, playable theater) with things that empower us (democratic group process, organizing, community building). The result is a massive theatrical roleplaying game where up to forty people at a time play hard to save a fictional galaxy, meet new people, break bread together, and reflect on how to impact our own world.
At the experience’s core is a brand new tabletop roleplaying game we’ve been creating over the last several years. Players alternate between representing communities arguing for planet-size decisions to narrating the lives of individuals caught up in the events of the galaxy and fighting to affect them. The story that arises from this gameplay is brought to life by a team of professional performers, facilitators, and designers who play characters, embody the universe, and immerse players in a world of lights, original sound design, and more. Oh, also there’s a live band that introduces the “story so far” at the top of each day. And yes, there’s a keytar.
NP: What was the inspiration for your upcoming experience?
JA: adrienne marie brown writes that “science fiction is simply a way to practice the future together.” Inspired by this idea and the visionary work of writers like Ursula K. Le Guin and Octavia Butler, we wanted to create a place where people could use the distance and playfulness of sci-fi from our own world to get creative, playful, and collaborative.
We initially began playing with these ideas four years ago (WHOA) within Powered by the Apocalypse and Legacy: Life Among the Ruins but quickly realized that we needed an original system to support larger groups of players collaborating all at once.
Through all of this we’ve been trying to capture both awe at the grand scale of time and space — the movements of planets and stars, the rise and fall of civilizations and empires — and empowerment in our individual ability to, in small but might ways, shift the movements of those celestial bodies and shape the fabric of our society.
NP: What do you think fans of immersive will find most interesting about this latest experience?
JA: If you’re into tabletop roleplaying games, Space Opera is definitely for you — it’s an opportunity to engage in the player/gamemaster relationship at a scale that you’ve never experienced before. It also essentially puts you into the middle of an actual play where you’re surrounded by lights, sound, and original design elements. Come for multiple days and these design choices will directly reflect the story you make up!
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These elements of the world will also appear to fans of immersive work who don’t want to feel like they’re onstage. We have ticket options available to observe (with some light optional interaction) which lets you explore our world and take in the storytelling of both players and professional performers.
NP: Once you started designing and testing what did you discover about this experience that was unexpected?
JA: Oh man, so much! We’re constantly figuring out how theatricality meshes with gameplay in a way that is satisfying and keeps up the flow of the game. At first this was really separated — we tried having players create dramatic theatrical entrances for the Galactic Phase, in which all the Societies roll dice to resolve their actions. It was fun, but took forever. Now we focus on moving the plot forward through performance — such as by having the live band recap the story so far or having characters pop up to deliver important new plot points. We’ve also continued to build theatricality into the game structure for players — such as an Individual Phase where players can lean into more fully embodied roleplaying and character building.
NP: What can fans who are coming to this, or thinking about coming to this, do to get into the mood of the experience?
JA:
Read
Pretty much any books by Octavia Butler
The Broken Earth Trilogy by N.K. Jemisin
The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin
Saga by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples
Emergent Strategy by adrienne maree brown
Pleasure Activism by adrienne maree brown
Watch
Star Wars: A New Hope
Andor
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Firefly
The Fifth Element
Jupiter Ascending
;)
Listen
Brainstorm playlist we made for our live band!
The Curious Case of The Starship Iris
Dirty Computer — Janelle Monae
Play
Citizen Sleeper
Legacy: Life Among the Ruins
I’m sorry did you say street magic
Browse
Inspiration pinterest board created by our designers!
Discover the latest immersive events, festivals, workshops, and more at our new site EVERYTHING IMMERSIVE, home of NoPro’s show listings.
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