NOW PLAYING: Castle in the Sky

Under the Rose is a new production company made up of entertainment industry vets who are looking to make a splash with Castle in the Sky.

This, their first production, has secured the famed penthouse of the Oviatt Building, a storied location in Downtown LA (the Cicada Club is downstairs) for a site-specific work that will transport guests back to a Prohibition Era night hosted by the building’s namesake.

Of course, this is LA in the era that gave us both Art Deco and the stories that would become the fodder for Film Noir, so we can expect that all that glitters… you know the rest.

We checked in with the creative team: directors Tracy Phillips & Denna Thomsen and producer Kristin Campbell-Taylor about the new show which runs through November 30th and whose tickets run $150.

Follow Under The Rose on Instagram.

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No Proscenium: Tell us a little bit about your experience! What’s it about? What makes it immersive?

Castle in the Sky Creative Team: Castle in the Sky transports you back to the 1920’s — to a party at the home of James Oviatt, held at the perfectly preserved penthouse in DTLA. The moment you step into the elevator, you’re fully immersed in the party as one of Mr. Oviatt’s personal guests and throughout the night, you wander from room to room of the penthouse. Sometimes you’re a fly on the wall to a private moment, others you are integrated into a scene by one of our actors. In all moments, you are up close and personal with our actors — it’s a very intimate experience. As the party progresses, you learn more about our characters through both dramatic spoken scenes and dance numbers, culminating on the rooftop terrace with a live band and bar. The performance becomes an actual party for the audience to enjoy at the end, and we encourage them to come dressed in their period best.

NP: What was the inspiration for your upcoming experience?

CitS: As creators, we were inspired by the location itself — the meticulously preserved Art Deco home of James Oviatt, the fashion mogul. Steeped in old Hollywood glamor, the space is a conduit for our audience into the 1920’s for the evening. As we learned more about the people who lived in and visited this home, we realized how rich the story of James and the rumors surrounding his life were as inspiration for an immersive production.

NP: What do you think fans of immersive will find most interesting about this latest experience?

CitS: What that audience finds most interesting will vary based on their interests. They choose their path for the night, so some will gravitate towards certain characters while some may feel drawn to certain rooms of the penthouse. We expect some to find more intrigue in the characters’ conversations, while others do dance performances. The night offers each audience member an individual adventure to discuss at the party on the terrace afterwards. It’s the type of immersive experience you’ll want to visit again and again, choosing different paths and learning more with each visit.

NP: Once you started designing and testing what did you discover about this experience that was unexpected?

CitS: It surprised us to learn how willing our test audiences were to dive into the experience. Immersive theater isn’t something everyone has experience with and it can be intense at times in a great way. But our audience isn’t set apart from the action in any way — they’re right in it — and we were so pleased that people were open to that and embraced the agency to choose their own path.

NP: What can fans who are coming to this, or thinking about coming to this, do to get into the mood of the experience?

CitS: To get the most out of the night, we encourage people to look at the history of the Oviatt building and get a sense of the history there. We also invite our audience to show up in period fashions and dress to impress — they’re all part of the ambiance for each other! Follow us on social media to get a sense of what the experience holds.

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