The Immersive 5 with Jennine Willett

This week No Proscenium is brought to you by SEE TICKETS, which has proudly supported thousands of clients across the globe in areas as diverse as historic attractions like Stonehenge, immersive theater like The Burnt City, and important cultural touchstones like LA Pride.

As a founding member of Third Rail Projects, who’s award-winning immersive experience Then She Fell was named the “Top Ten Shows of 2012” by The New York Times, Jennine Willett’s immersive work focuses on being reflective of real life experiences. With an interest to share ideas and foster conversations with the audience, this makes her latest collaboration with Albany Park Theatre Project a perfect match. Together, the two socially minded companies have created Port of Entry, an experience delving deep into the modern immigrant experience in Chicago.

With the opening of Port of Entry, we invited Willett to talk about all the little elements and ideas that go into creating a project of such large size and scope.

The Immersive 5 series asks creators across the various immersive disciplines the same five questions in search of both their approach to crafting work, and the elusive nature of immersive work itself.

No Proscenium: What does “immersive” mean to you, and what terms do you use when talking about your own work?

Jennine Willett: ‘Immersive’ can have so many meanings. I use it to describe what the audience can expect–that they will share space with performers without a fourth wall, they’ll move through the performance physically with some degree of agency, and stories will wrap around them (360 degrees) and include them in various ways. Since so much of this kind of work relies on building trust with the audience, framing each show is important to guide expectations. We spend a lot of time getting taglines and performance information just right so we don’t accidentally promise one thing and deliver another.

NP: What should every creator be thinking about first and foremost when designing for the audience?

JW: There are a few things that have been working for me so far. Come up with ideas from the audience’s point of view from the beginning, detailing their experiences from the first threshold to the last. Then, direct in the audience’s shoes. The tricky part is that, as a director, you can get too close to the story and the experience. When you can’t tell if something is working and start to doubt yourself, phone some friends. Getting objective feedback is really helpful early on.

NP: What did you wish you knew when you were starting out with this stuff and what’s the one thing you’d tell a creator starting out today?

JW: I wish I knew that it’s okay to feel like you are in over your head and not sure of what the heck you are doing. That’s just par for the course, especially if you want to do things that have no formula or manual attached to them. Now, I’m more comfortable with declaring that I am not sure if what I am doing is going to work, and I have a lot more patience and grace when ideas crash and burn. Just come up with new ones and pray for the best.

What would I tell creators starting out today…expect to learn along the way and view each project as an opportunity to crack the code on new things that you haven’t done before. And surround yourself with collaborators who are brilliant and generous.

NP: Why do this kind of work and not something more “traditional” that might have more mainstream appeal at the moment?

JW: Sometimes when overwhelm sets in on a giant project that has so many details and moving parts…I joke about wanting to make my next show with one performer, naked on a small stage, lit with a flashlight, moving in silence. But the reality is I live for the layers, the details, and the complexity. That’s what gets me excited. And when I get to work with a directing, design, and production team that also loves working in this way and brings so much thought into every element, it is the best time ever.

It’s always a gift to be able to take out the immersive toolbox. We all know it’s not easy to get the support and resources to make these types of shows, especially ones with small audiences. Only this format offers the most freedom to pull out all the stops and have the most control over the audience’s sensory experience, inviting them to step into the stories we tell. When, even for a moment, someone loses themselves in a show, their heart swells a little, and they see the world through a different lens, looking out from the inside. That’s powerful and meaningful — worth its weight in gold.

NP: What inspirations — and anything is fair game here — are currently shaping your creative practice?

JW: My collaborators…I am not sure “inspired” is enough to describe how I have been feeling over these past months leading up to the opening of Port of Entry, our five year collaboration with Albany Park Theater Project. All the incredible talent and dedication I have been surrounded by is the most inspiration I could ever ask for.

Port of Entry currently runs through August 12th, returning in the fall from October 6th to December 16th, with 2024 dates yet to be announced. Tickets range from free to $140, utilizing the Pay What You Can ticketing model.

Thanks again to SEE TICKETS for sponsoring this year’s Next Stage Immersive Summit Making An Impact Pillar.

Discover the latest immersive events, festivals, workshops, and more at our new site EVERYTHING IMMERSIVE, new home of NoPro’s show listings.

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