Review Rundown: The Spooky Ooky Fun Continues

This week’s Rundown has a little bit of everything.

Mystery boxes. Livestreams. Pop-up activations. Dinner theater. Spooky walks through the woods. Classic haunted house vibes. Experimental VR storytelling.

Man, we love October. It’s the “ALL OF EVERYTHING” month.

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Campsite X — Rara Avis Productions
$50; Sands Point, NY; Through Oct 31

There’s a very admirable attempt in Rara Avis Productions’ Campsite X to make lemons out of lemonade. Covid protocol making it too dangerous to bring groups indoors? Let’s do our haunt in the spooky woods! And spooky the woods are; without spoiling too much, Campsite X turns a nighttime nature hike into a jump worthy fright.

It’s occasionally disappointing, though, that the haunt itself can’t live up to the grandeur of the woods. Compared to the nuanced and often surreal scenes of their prior Dreams and Nightmares, the scenes set up in the woods can often feel rote or cheap, especially as plastic props are contrasted against the striking forest backdrop. I also wonder if certain audience members might feel a bit cheated. Although the website promises a 60 minute event, our hike lasted only 30, and occasionally felt rushed. At $50, the event would be quite reasonable for the attention you would receive over an hour, but feels a bit scant at half that running time.

What does work is the evening’s progression. Campsite X gamely balances horror and comedy, the tone steadily reaching a fever pitch as the trail becomes more ominous and the true nature of the woods gets revealed. My group laughed along at our rangers corny jokes, but as the tone shifted from “Jungle Cruise” to Friday the 13th, we were all eventually shrieking. While I may feel that this event doesn’t live up to the highs I know Rara Avis is capable of, I’m more than willing to look fondly on my tie on the trail and chalk this year’s flaws up to pandemic weirdness. Whatever disappointments the night presented fade from memory as minor annoyances, while delightful shivers thankfully remain.

— Blake Weil, Curator At Large, East Coast

The Dark House — Psycho Clan NYC
$30+; Philipstown, NY; Through Oct 31

Do you remember that old haunted house gag of dipping your hands into bowls of “eyeballs” (peeled grapes), “guts” (cold spaghetti), etcetera? The Dark House elevates this Halloween tradition into a delightful evening of spooks. Taking inspiration from the classic short story The Toll House, audience members are led through a spooky Halloween night adventure completely blindfolded, guided by “umbilical” ropes lining the walls of the theatre, audio cues, and performer intervention. These manage to engage all the senses, with consistent things to touch, different terrains to walk on, and occasional items to smell and taste. The effect, all in all, is more fun and charming than truly horrifying, but certain moments manage to have a lingering spookiness. Sensory interactions are increasingly surprising; special props to the funhouse floor and the gently shaking taxi cab ride which were my favorite moments of the piece.

Occasionally, though, the performance stumbles. A framing device about a mental implant company testing your “courage” via a simulated horror experience provides the opportunity for a great onboarding sequence, but really goes nowhere. Additionally, the simulation purporting to test “whether you are a hero or a coward” equally goes nowhere, with no possible alternate routes but to be branded a coward after succumbing to the horrors of the evening. Lastly, the space occasionally seems a bit small, with the path often dizzyingly looping back on itself to keep the audience walking in a set terrain for the duration of the scene that calls for it.

In the grand scheme of things, these are minor gripes. The Dark House is good spooky fun, and deserves to be engaged with as such. For a series of goofy sensory gags, The Dark House manages to form a cohesive, charming whole for those willing to venture up the Metro North line.

— Blake Weil, Curator At Large, East Coast

FIVARS — Festival of International VR & AR Stories: Fall 2021 Los Angeles
In person: $85; West Hollywood; Run Concluded
Online: $45; Through Nov 2

The first thing to note is that there is far, far more in the FIVARS lineup than could be done in the two hour timeslots that the in-person version in West Hollywood was offering up this weekend. Luckily the programming will be available in the online version running through November 2nd.

This weekend I got a look at four pieces: Andy’s World, Barnstormers: Determined To Win, Belongings, and Surviving 9/11– 27 Hours Under The Rubble. Each piece was a radically different kind of experience from each other. There was the documentary storytelling of Surviving 9/11, which merged motion graphics, archival photos, and original 360 footage to tell the story of the last survivor found in the rubble of the World Trade Center on one end. On the other end of the spectrum was the technical marvel that was experiencing the redirected walking of Andy’s World on a Quest 2 on the ground floor garage of the building with the whole thing being cast to me from a PC in the building above me. The whole thing was in Chinese so I only have a sense of what it was “about ”— a technorganic riff on biodiversity — from the strong environment-building and the artist’s statement. Still: a marvel.

Both left me shook in entirely different ways and equally amp-ed about how the potential of VR, even with our current hardware, is barely being exploited. (Admittedly the 9/11 piece left me more agitated than amp-ed, dredging up some memories. But I expected that going in. I didn’t expect to learn a bit about why the pandemic went down the way it did based on how evacuating the towers went. That is to say: badly.)

Belongings takes a non-linear approach towards exploring memories through objects left by one who has passed. The piece includes a fascinating use of time — always pressing forward at its own rate without a nod towards agency of the viewer. It’s emotionally effective, although later iterations of the piece could stand some polish on the transitions, as sometimes the disconnect is jarring in a bad way. Even with that: the sense that you’ve got a version of someone’s life comes through beautifully.

Barnstormers was a little more of a mixed bag, with solid storytelling chops that puts the audience in the perspective of a baseball star of the Negro League during the heyday of baseball. The experience could benefit from a longer runtime — short vignettes and a voiceover get the point across but make little room for drama in the most non-interactive dialogue scenes. The bits where we actually get to play baseball are equal parts thrilling and aggravating, functioning as the equivalent of video game “quick time events” that one must get right in order to advance. It undercuts the casting of the audience into the roll of a Negro League star, but when you DO get it right? Well… it’s an instant reminder of why baseball can be such a joy, and it connects that joy. And connecting that feeling to the still unfolding story of racial justice in America? That’s brilliant.

— Noah Nelson, Publisher

I Know What You Did Last Summer (Activation) — Amazon/JFI Productions
Free; Hollywood; Run concluded

Look: we don’t normally run notes about marketing activations that have already run their course here in the Rundown, but I wanted to give a shout out to what Just Fix It Productions built for Amazon’s I Know What You Did Last Summer this past week: because it was a blast.

The makers of Creep reskinned the set of this year’s show in ways small and large, and created a totally different vibe that captured the B-movie feel of the new TV series. The cast was clearly having a blast and that joy not only rubbed off on the participants but it shines through in the social media. Easily some of the most fun I’ve had at one of these things.

Yet its the cleverness of upcycling the already-in-place Creep 2021 structure and pulling in the cast to deliver on the thrills that has the inside baseball part of my brain taking notice. This is one way towards sustainability for the field — and instead of the whole thing melting away now that the Instas and the TikToks have been posted, Creep 2021 is back in its home and doing its thing again.

And what do you know? I went home and I watched the pilot for the IKNWDLS reboot after I was done kicking it in the lounge. So: IT WORKED.

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— Noah Nelson, Founder and Publisher

The Keeper and the Fungus Among Us — Headlock Escape Rooms
£75 (up to six players); Remote (Zoom); Ongoing

No Proscenium may not be known for “morning routine” or “productivity hack” articles, but if you’re looking for possibly the best way to start your day, one which is relentlessly charming, creative, with puzzles recommended by experts, and includes 150% the daily dose of punny camaraderie, you’ll want to book a spot for The Keeper and the Fungus Among Us by Headlock Escape Rooms.

It’s a hero’s journey set in a miniature world, complete with interactive puppets accompanied by original music and songs. The stakes couldn’t be higher: every 1,000 years the evil Mushroom King awakens and threatens villagers and their animal-based existence. Will The Guardians step in to support The Keeper on their quest to save the villagers? And will The Guardians stop laughing long enough to focus on the critical tasks at hand?

Conducted via Zoom, the production is an excellent example of creators continuing to navigate our ongoing, pandemic-altered entertainment landscape. As some escape rooms reopen their physical spaces and audiences weigh their screen fatigue, The Keeper and the Fungus Among Us embodies an escape room experience that can only happen via a remote, screen-centric format. The result is intentional and delightful experience design.

At the end of the day, life is unpredictable. However, The Keeper and the Fungus Among Us offers a few guarantees: there are no questionable morels (okay, only one), it’s impossible to be spored, and if you’re in truffle, help is on the way!

— Laura Hess, Arts Editor

The Light in the Mist — PostCurious
$32.00; Remote (At-Home Box); Kickstarter Closed

The Light in the Mist is a “tarot puzzletale” where one to four players investigate the disappearance of their high school friend, Sam. Players’ only hope of finding Sam lies in discovery and examining clues hidden within her tarot deck.

Notice how I didn’t call Mist an “escape room box?” That would be an insult to it and an unfair comparison to the best escape room boxes available. Mist is closer to a sandbox immersive experience mixed with a Choose Your Own Adventure book. After reading the first pages of a story booklet, I open the tarot card box to begin. Each Major Arcana card contains a puzzle where specific Minor Arcana cards help to solve the puzzle. When confirming the puzzle’s English word answer in the solution index, I’m directed to read a passage in the booklet, the mystery of Sam’s disappearance both deepening and becoming clearer.

Except for the first and last Major Arcana cards, the deck can be done in any order. I loved choosing cards at random, allowing fate to dictate my journey. The variety and depth of the puzzles is stunning. The artwork is gorgeously captivating and vibrant. It’s mind blowing how many Minor Arcana cards are used to solve different Major Arcana cards. This is a testament to how clearly and carefully Mist’s design and structure has been thought out. Also, the hint system is fantastic.

I’ll note Mist’s narrative ending is too open to interpretation. The box denotes “5+ hours” to play but best to prepare for 10 hours minimum over multiple sittings. And between the size of the tarot cards and how much is on each one, some details are challenging to decipher.

Despite these criticisms, Mist is one of the most highly original, lovely, and creative puzzle-based experiences I’ve ever encountered. It’s a tour-de-force entry in the at-home box genre.

— Patrick B. McLean, Chicago Curator

Mulan Rouge — The Vaults & ShayShay
£45–60; London; through January 23rd

A mashup that would drive SNL Weekend Update’s Stefan into uncontrollable giggles: Walt Disney meets Baz Luhrmann in the tunnels underneath Waterloo Station. This show has everything — cabaret performing drag queens & kings, a four-course meal, good old fashioned British humor, and a runtime that won’t leave you feeling like you didn’t get your money’s worth (it runs 3.5 hours, woof).

The only thing Mulan Rouge is missing, in NoPro’s view, is any practical immersion. Guests are encouraged to dress up for the occasion and provide some traditional English pantomime callbacks, but besides the show being staged in traverse within a non-traditional theatre setting, there isn’t much to differentiate this show from standard cabaret dinner theatre. There’s no audience agency or effect on the narrative and — apart from one opportunity to volunteer for an activity in front of the group — there’s nothing for the audience to do but sit back, chow (mein) down, and watch the cast get their fabulous #DragOn.

(Visitors should note that all enforced Covid safety regulations have been lifted in the Vaults and guests are highly likely to be sat next to strangers at long banquet tables, sharing family-style platters of Flavourology’s bespoke menu.)

Immersive, no. Decadent and hilarious? Hell yes.

— Shelley Snyder, London Curator

Sun & Sea — Rugilė Barzdžiukaitė, Vaiva Grainytė, and Lina Lapelytė
$25; Los Angeles, CA; Run concluded

Pre-2019, I doubt anyone had the following on their bingo card: an operatic production rooted in our climate crisis and set on a faux beach as vacationers sing poetic about life’s mundanities and magnitudes. And yet, at that year’s Venice Biennale, the team of Rugilė Barzdžiukaitė, Vaiva Grainytė, and Lina Lapelytė presented such a production to great effect and fanfare; Sun & Sea was awarded the highest honor at the exhibition.

Premiering in Lithuania in 2017, the performance was translated into English for the Venice Biennale and only recently traveled stateside to tour four U.S. cities. For just three days, MOCA hosted the production in partnership with the Hammer Museum and CAP UCLA. Touring vocalists were locally supported by Tonality, an LA-based choral ensemble specializing in concerts with themes of social justice.

Ten tons of sand created the seaside setting and performers delivered crystalline harmonies — often from a completely reclined position — amidst the standard beach-going activities: sunbathing, badminton, card games, surfing, knitting, crosswords, fetch (yes, a dog was one of the performers), and endless snacking. Lyrics about romance, sunscreen application, workaholic tendencies, and resort packages mingled with ones of pollution, extinction, algae blooms, and bleached coral.

And now, in 2021, perched atop scaffolding, the masked audience peered down on the manufactured scene, emphasizing the production’s zoo-like, scientific quality. The same year of Sun & Sea’s international premiere, a Swiss art curator created an environmental memorial, For Forest, which consisted of 300 trees planted in an Austrian sports stadium. The installation “imagined a world where trees would only exist like species of animals in a zoo.” Great art alone cannot solve our climate emergency, but powerful, experiential works like Sun & Sea and For Forest, which reframe our most pivotal challenge, are worth celebrating.

— Laura Hess, Arts Editor

Underworld Radio, Vol. 1 — Museum of Future Experiences
$33+; Brooklyn, NY; Through Nov 7

Underworld Radio, Vol. 1, a series of short immersive horror audio dramas delivered via a patented “Ambisonic” spatial audio system, punctuated by lighting effects, is above all else, gilded. The spatial audio system is spectacular — the use of directional audio without headphones is a theme park magic trick brought to the intimacy of a small theater. The lobby brings Black Lodge-realness, with undulating curtains bathed in red light, chevroned towards the theater proper, ominous and dark at the end of the space. My time exploring the space, listening to deliciously tinny oldies on a crackling radio and perusing a series of spooky sculptures was supremely pleasant.

The problem Underworld Radio runs into is a disappointing level of attention given to the script. With such a polished periphery, it’s a pity that the center of the piece is so weak. Each of the four stories, framed as being broadcast from Hell’s favorite radio station, is certainly spooky in terms of presenting an audio landscape, but lacks character or dramatic tension. It reminds me of Tales from the Crypt, if it lacked dramatic irony, each tale setting up a thinly sketched character before quickly executing them. The final tale was the only haunting entry, leaning into a chilling callousness that built upon the frame story. I found myself constantly shifting in my increasingly uncomfortable Barcelona chair, eager for the show to wrap up.

While I had a good time, the forgettable nature of the event left me a little bit cold on recommending it. With this thin level of thought placed into the way the audience interacts with the work, Underworld Radio comes across as a very elaborate tech demo more than an evening of compelling theatre. And, of course, unlike the Bose store, you’re paying for this one out of pocket.

— Blake Weil, Curator At Large, East Coast

Welcome to the Blumhouse Live 2021 — Little Cinema
Free; Remote (Web Site); Run Concluded

Now in its second year, Welcome to the Blumhouse: Live is an online promotional event that stews together the themes and motifs of the year’s crop of Amazon Prime Blumhouse releases. This year, exploring vampirism, hypnotism, the pains of aging, and Faustian bargains, the show is a clean, well-structured promo that makes the audience curious about all the promoted films without necessarily spoiling any of them. Highlights included a collaborative escape room that turned into a sort of horror-chic Dora the Explorer, a few explorable environments with light puzzles, and small areas in which you could interact with the cast offering both personalized performances and potential clues.

I’m torn as to how I feel the evening stacks up to last year’s event, though. On the one hand, it’s clearly a more polished experience, offering a slick multi-act structure with a distinct, unmissable climax. For a goofy horror comedy about a girl searching for her grandma with her flamboyant bestie, cracking wise all the while, the aforementioned climax was surprisingly… intense. On the other, I kind of miss the psychedelic weirdness of last year’s scrappy experiment. What happened to the meandering mixology lessons with Leonard Cohen in the background? As Little Cinema continues to refine their formula for a promotional event, part of me wonders if some of their personality is beginning to get lost.

Nonetheless, for a free event serving primarily to advertise a film imprint, I had a great time. As a non-fan of Blumhouse, Little Cinema has proven they can attract me no matter what property they explore or promote. So I’ll continue to tune in, no matter where they take me next.

— Blake Weil, Curator At Large, East Coast

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