Immersive Review Rundown: The One With Jane Austen & Sonic Scares

This week we’ve got a two-hander that is really a four-hander, as Danielle gives an overview of DARKFIELD’s arrival in Denver with three experiences on their slate.

Then it’s over to Las Vegas where NoPro’s resident Queen of Cosplay Briana gets her Regency era best on for Jane Austen’s EMMA at Majestic Rep.

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DARKFIELD: COMA, FLIGHT, SÉANCE
Presented by DCPA Off-Center and Realscape Productions
Individual ticket $25; Denver, CO; Through September 1

If you’ve never experienced 360 audio before, put on a pair of headphones or earbuds, crank up the volume, and watch this video: 3D Audio Sensory Experience — Shadowscape.

(Note: this video has nothing to do with DARKFIELD; it’s just a good example of how 360 audio works.)

Now imagine a fully produced 3D audio experience like this, but inside of a realistic set built inside a shipping container, in the dark, for 30 minutes.

It’s a wild experience to have your other senses heightened when one is taken away, and truly remarkable how our brains are able to fill in the missing details. Suspending your disbelief has never been easier than when you put on a pair of DARKFIELD’s headphones and the lights go out.

The UK-based company has brought three of their shipping container experiences to Denver — SÉANCE, FLIGHT, and COMA— each with the goal of creeping you out using nothing but 30 minutes of 360 sound and a few glimpses around the set before you’re bathed in darkness and immersed in hyperrealistic audio.

I found all three to be unsettling in their own unique way — from the paralyzing internal monologue of COMA, to the persistent existential dread of FLIGHT, to the sensation of possession in SÉANCE. I clocked two jump scares across all three attractions, and two other times the audio literally made my skin crawl.

This seven-week run (already extended by three weeks before opening night) is presented by DCPA’s Off-Center, the same folks that brought us David Byrne’s Theater of the Mind two years ago. At first glimpse, it may seem like a big leap for Off-Center’s patrons to jump from the bright, colorful and whimsical world that was Theater of the Mind to DARKFIELD’s horror-leaning, sightless audio experience in a box. But upon closer consideration, I see similar mechanics at play between the two, most notably how both manage to activate the parts of our brains that allow them to play tricks on us.

Did I really just get a whiff of someone’s strong cologne, or did my brain make that up at the suggestion of it? Is there an actual jet engine attached to this container revving up for takeoff as we taxi down the runway? How is it that I can feel and hear a man pacing up and down this narrow table in front of me that stretches from one end of the container to the other? While far from what I would call “scary,” even for the general public, these DARKFIELD container experiences are certainly ominous, eerie and contemplative.

I, for one, am thrilled to see dark content like this on the local immersive menu at all, let alone in the middle of the summer and supported by one of our city’s biggest and most popular arts organizations. When I asked Senior Creative Producer and Creative Director Victoria Eyton where the next stop might be for DARKFIELD, she couldn’t give any specifics, but said there’s interest from “lots of cities” and they’re being very intentional about deciding which one will be the right fit.

If you’re lucky enough for it to be your city, definitely do not miss your chance to experience it for yourself.

— Danielle Riha, Denver Correspondent

Jane Austen’s EMMA - Majestic Repertory Theater
$50; Las Vegas, NV; Now-August 11

Las Vegas is known for bright lights and flashy spectaculars, but some of its best new shows can be found in the heart of the up-and-coming downtown Arts District. Tucked away there amid vintage shops and local favorite dive bars is the Majestic Repertory, a small venue with big ideas. Inside, the brilliant mind that brought us the viral sensation Scream’d: An Unauthorized Musical Parody, and the captivatingly immersive The Wild Party, unveils a new musical exploration of classic literature, EMMA, sitting at the satisfying sweet spot between the two.

The shows begins as we are ushered into a wedding — or perhaps it starts before that in the lobby, when we’re introduced to Mr. Martin and learn of his fascination for a certain fair lady — but that’s foreshadowing, if you don’t know the story. The year is 1815, and there is love in the air. As the year progresses, we watch the infamous matchmaker Emma and her pre-Internet social network navigate the rocky waters of relationships, disappointments, and the relatable development of hidden feelings for one another.

Coco Lane Rigby is absolutely effervescent in the title role, and you’ll assuredly fall in love with her wit and charm, not to mention her beautiful voice. Writer/director Troy Heard borrows as much from Jane Austen as Amy Heckerling’s Clueless, infusing modern classics like Unwritten by Natasha Beddingfield and Shut Up and Dance by Walk the Moon into memorable moments, accompanied by a live string trio. Coco and the incredibly talented ensemble excel in letting loose and pumping up the party, which happens to be the one word I would use to describe this show. As the seasons come and go, each brings with it the event of the season, and the cast make audience members feel like the guests of honor at every moment, pulling them into stories and plot points like beloved friends who’ve been waiting to spill the tea.

This is one show where audience engagement is definitely encouraged. Wear your finest regency or cottagecore attire to enhance your immersion, and don’t be surprised when you’re asked to share a dance or play a couple of period party games. Your host Mr. Woodhouse, played with aplomb by Erik Amblad, will be delighted if you introduce yourself, and maybe learn at least one verse to “The Holly and the Ivy” for his holiday soiree. (Alternately, you may invite his disdain by simply bringing him a cupcake. You can tell him it’s from me.)

Emma comes highly recommended to fans of Austen, romance novels, Bridgerton, theater lovers, and anyone who knows it doesn’t say RSVP on the Statue of Liberty. It’s the perfect date night or GNO, but even solo guests had a wonderful time, as you are encouraged to engage and interact with everyone around you, characters and participants alike. Take lots of pictures and videos, because after all, “Today is where your book begins…”

— Briana Roecks, Social Media Correspondent

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