NOW FUNDING: Family Meal
The Speakeasy Society’s next show enters its final days of crowdfunding just as tickets go on sale in LA
You could call this a comeback.
LA’s Speakeasy Society, who have been been crafting a variety of experiences outside of LA for other companies the past few years have teamed up with Chef Ben Baron for a high-end, six-course, three hour show and dinner called Family Meal that puts the troupe smack dab back in the middle of Los Angeles at Rita House not far from The Grove.
The pitch on the show goes like this:
As dinner guests at Chef Landwald’s retirement party, you become part of the restaurant ecosystem — tasting sauces, plating dishes, navigating kitchen chaos, and influencing outcomes. Do you lend a hand? Take sides? Or — CORNER! — get out of the way?
From a lively cocktail reception with roaming characters to an unfolding dinner service punctuated by a family drama that will leave everybody reeling, the show blends performance, play, and culinary art into one unforgettable evening.
The audience’s choices matter — and their allegiances will help shape the final act.
The Speakeasy Society and Chef Baron took to crowdfunding platform Seed & Spark to raise the funds to get the production off the ground and a hungry community responded, lifting the campaign up to 100% of its goal as of this writing.
Now the campaign enters its final days, culminating on Thursday the 11th, just as tickets go on sale on Wed the 10th for performances October 3–5 & 10–12 and again November 7–9 & 14–16. At three hours and six courses from the recent chef de cuisine at Petit Trois Le Valley those tickets will set you back $300, for starters.
We checked in with Matthew Bamberg-Johnson: Co-Artistic Director, The Speakeasy Society and Siobhán O’Loughlin: Crowdfunding Campaign Manger for Family Meal about the upcoming show and ongoing campaign.
This is No Proscenium’s NOW FUNDING, a look at immersive experiences & events currently crowdfunding. To learn more about how your event could be considered for the feature check out How To Get Covered By NoPro.
No Proscenium: Tell us a little bit about this planned experience. What’s it about? What makes it immersive?
The Speakeasy Society: Family Meal explores complex human dynamics, intimate relationships, and community, all in the backdrop of a high paced, high-end restaurant experience. Audiences won’t just be sitting at the table with us for a meal, they’ll be adventuring with us throughout the space in between our six course full service.
Whether you want to dive in and get your hands dirty, or let the drama unfold around you, there’s room for everyone to engage to their level of comfort. If you like King Lear, The Bear, or Succession — and appreciate the art of cooking — you’ll find much to love when you join us. It’s not just dinner and a show: it’s dinner AS the show.
NP: What is the inspiration for your upcoming experience?
TSS: Family Meal is “King Lear” and “The Bear” rolled into one. This experience was inspired by the often untold stories of chaos and camaraderie born from a life in the kitchen, and the impact that it has on individuals and family systems. When accomplished chef Ben Baron reached out to the Speakeasy Society and presented his concept for an interactive performance, it felt like the ideal opportunity for a new collaboration.
Family Meal combines two communities who work in deep camaraderie: the service industry and the arts and entertainment industry, both striving to create meaningful memories with their patrons.
NP: What do you think fans of immersive will find most interesting about this upcoming experience?
TSS: While other immersive productions have featured food and beverage pairings, or used dinners as a central storytelling moment, in Family Meal, each dish is a character in and of itself, an extension of the characters that the guests are coming to know and understand.
As in many of The Speakeasy Society’s productions, it’s impossible for one guest to experience every possible scene or character interaction, so parties who attend together may have a wildly different understanding of the characters and the events that led to this highly anticipated event.
Not only that, but patrons who support our Seed & Spark campaign have the chance to receive pre-show messages and exclusive content straight from our characters to you. You’ll be getting to know the drama before the drama even begins. (That’s some pre-show TEA right there).
NP: Have you crowdfunded before? If so, is there anything different about your experience (or expectations) this time?
The Speakeasy Society was immensely grateful for the community support that helped to bring The Johnny Cycle”to life in 2019, and we’re so grateful for the continued generosity of our patrons and community. Joining forces with Ben Baron’s team (who have NEVER crowdfunded before!) has been a thrill: we can see how excited the immersive community at large is, and we are proud to funnel that excitement into our stretch goal to deliver the most savory experience possible.
NP: What are some of the perks on offer for backers?
TSS: We’re thrilled to offer exclusive cooking tutorials, after parties, and heck: even your own private speakeasy for those heavy hitters. Our perks are designed to meet our supporters’ needs both locally and beyond, with remote versions of all of our offerings available.
Thank you so much for your support.
It’s our privilege and pleasure to serve you once again.
Discover the latest immersive events, festivals, workshops, and more at our new site EVERYTHING IMMERSIVE, home of NoPro’s show listings.
NoPro is a labor of love made possible by our generous Patreon backers. Join them today and get access to our Newsletter and Discord! You can also GIFT memberships.
In addition to the No Proscenium website and our podcast, and you can find NoPro on Bluesky, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, and in the Facebook community also named Everything Immersive.