The No Proscenium Podcast

Friends of the show Lauren Ludwig and Monica Miklas stop by to talk about lessons learned from the recent remount of Hamlet-Mobile, which was pretty much host Noah Nelson's favorite thing in 2015 that wasn't a Star Wars movie. All that plus: we've got some free tickets in the Bay Area to David Byrne's Neurosociety thanks to our friends at Epic Immersive, Noah embarrsess himself no less than TWICE during the news and notes, and you can update your NYE plans in LA. It's No Proscenium! Brought to you by our friends at drafty-app.com and Patreon backers JUST. LIKE. YOU. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jon Braver, the mastermind behind Delusion--backbone of LA's immersive horror world--joins host Noah Nelson for a quick chat on the patio lounge of the show. Get a glimpse behind the forces that put this powerhouse show together, and peer into the virtual future of Delusion on this episode of your faborite (we hope!) immersive entertainment podcast. Oh, yeah: News & Notes and a Call to Action! Plus we promise you a Christmas present. All brought to you by our friends at drafty-app.com and Patreon backers like YOU! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From NYC: Zay Amsbury talks with Kendra Slack and Jordan Chlapecka of Linked Dance Theatre, who have been working on some exciting stuff. Meanwhile, in LA, Noah makes some dumb jokes about Krampus and pitches us all on becoming Patreon backers. Whatever, Noah. All that and a modicum of News. Brought to you by our friends at drafty-app.com and brave, tolerant Patreon backers like you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Noah here with some updates, a call to action for our End of Year episode, and the latest show annoucements we've got! Back next week with a full show! Brought to you by our friends at Drafty (drafty-app.com) and Patreon backers like you! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lisa and David Spira of Room Escape Artist join Zay in New York City to talk about how they got into reviewing escape rooms, and the trio breaks down their reaction to Paradiso: Chapter One--the theatrical escape room game that's been the talk of NYC. All that plus news and more. Brought to you by our friends at Drafty (drafty-app.com) and Patreon backers like YOU. Theme music by Chris Porter. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Marlee Delia and Anna Mavromati of Shine On Collective join host Noah Nelson to talk about their show Devoted, one of the gems of LA's Spooky Season. Plus News & Notes. Brought to you by our friends at Drafty: drafty-app.com and Patreon backers like you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bryan Bishop, senior reporter for The Verge, has been on a quest for all of October. He's been digging into the immersive horror scene in Los Angeles and joins host Noah Nelson to talk about The Tension Experience, how immersive is bigger than any one medium, and what gets him excited about our rapidly evolving art form. And, yeah, the News & Notes. Brought to you by our friends at drafty-app.com and Patreon backers like you! Head's up: there's some profanity if you listen open air style. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, a vacationing Noah takes some audience questions about the nature of immersive and the International scene. Then he delivers a rant about value and cost in live immersive entertainment. Plus the usual News & Notes! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Noah journeys into the man cave of Bob Glouberman... wait. That's not right. Nevermind! MEET: the creator of Get The F Out: The Virus, one of the most enjoyable escape rooms in LA! MARVEL: at how he and host Noah Nelson pack so much nerditry into such a short span of time! WONDER: how many more exclamation marks we have in this Costco pack we bought last week!!!! All this plus the news, notes, and a reminder to send us your questions for next week's OPEN FORUM via email and voice message to [email protected]. Brought to you by our friends at drafty-app.com and Patreon backers like you! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Zay talks to Andrew Hoepfner and Melinda Lauw of Whisper Lodge, a recent experiment in live ASMR experiences in New York. Zay caught up to the creators right after his experience in the lodge, so it's all super fresh. Meanwhile: we've got a raft of News & Notes from headquarters-- new shows, new reviews, and a tiny little breakdown of what's up at IndieCade's NIGHT GAMES this Saturday night in LA. Brought to you by our friends at Drafty (drafty-app.com) and the generous support of Patreon backers (patron.com/noproscenium). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Before you go any further, we just want to remind you that puns were once considered the highest form of wit... What happens when you put old friends in a room and get them talking about theatrical games? This episode of No Pro, that's what. Noah sits down with Myles Nye and Greg Snyder of The Wise Guys--whose careers have involved building challenges for Survivor-- to talk about their upcoming immersive gaming event Heritage Scare: An Evening of Competitive Murder on Oct. 30th in LA. Bonus: you can catch a preview of one of the games at the upcoming IndieCade: Night Games event on Oct 15th. All that plus the usual News & Notes, and a coda about The Grand Paradise from Myles. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

East Coast Represent! West Coast Represent! It's the return of the AFTER DARK podcast. Hosts Noah Nelson and Zay Amsbury plug in their microphones and open up the good stuff to get down to some no holds barred talking. Bad marketing, hidden burlesque shows, what drives us nuts and what keeps up turning up for show after show. Pour yourself your favorite drink and settle in. But only... After Dark. Brought to you by our friends at drafty-app.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Host Noah Nelson sits down with creator and performer Jenapher Zheng to talk about her "video game theatre" piece Oblivious, performing in immersive, movement-based work, and how gaming influences her sense of design. All that plus the usual News & Notes! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From the Think Tank podcast studio in DTLA comes the latest episode of NO PRO. Host Noah Nelson is joined by Think Tank's Jacob Patterson to talk about Traphouse.la, the art show/escape room/immersive venue that Think Tank is popping up for Spooky Season in LA. Annnnnnd to announce the advent of Think Tank's own podcast A.R.T.- Artist Real Talk, which is bowing this week. All that plus the News & Notes-- featuring the announcement of No Pro's involvement with IndieCade's NIGHT GAMES event on October 15th, and our BRAND NEW THEME MUSIC by Chris Porter. So, you know, just your average episode. ;-) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jonathan Josephson, Paul Millet and Jeff Rack are the creators of the perennially popular WICKED LIT in Altadena--a triptych of literary adaptations that provide an immersive twist on Halloween fun. The team, best known as Unbound Productions, sits down with host Noah Nelson in the Think Tank Podcast Studio to talk about this year's Wicked Lit, the history of the company, and the non-Spooky Season shenanigans they get up to. All that plus the News & Notes, and Noah makes the case for why you should be backing No Pro on Patreon. (Hint: because we need you to!) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

THE TIME OF THE HARVEST IS UPON US! ALL SHALL... oh, sorry. Wrong podcast. THIS WEEK ON THE SHOW: Mike Fontaine & Russell Eaton of My Haunt Life join us to talk about the best that LA's Spooky Season has to offer. We go IN on haunts large and small, extreme and home. If you want to know what to do in LA for Halloween scares THIS IS THE PLACE TO BE. All that plus a whole lot more. (How "a whole lot more" is even remotely possible, I don't know. But it is!) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For the past few months in Los Angeles a mysterious cult has been up to no good... or so the makers of The Tension Experience would have you believe. After months of speculation and rumors the cat was finally let out of the bag when what appeared to be an Alternate Reality Game turned out to be the lead up to: an immersive horror experience. So that's a two-fer for NoPro. Our interest was piqued. Yet there was still little in the way of information on just who was behind all the cloak and dagger shenanigans. That is, until today. The Tension Experience pulled back the curtain for the LA Times and revealed its creator as Darren Lynn Bousman, director of Saw II, III, IV and of Repo! The Genetic Opera. We were lucky enough to sit down with Bousman a couple of weeks back to talk about The Tension Experience, how a filmmaker finds himself doing immersive horror, conspiracy theories, and his deep passion for immersive theatre. Oh, and we also talk about how hard it is to get a show up and running in LA. This is one of my favorite interviews in the who series so far. I hope you dig it too. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This one's for the record books. John Rosenberg of the (currently) Culver City-based Hella Fresh Theater joins host Noah Nelson for what can only be described as a late-night dorm conversation about high school theatre, putting plays on in your own living room, and the living legacies of the worst people ever. Not exactly the usual chit chat. All that plus News & Notes on this, the 60th episode of No Proscenium. (Contains strong language.) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last year play collaborative arts venue, one of the producers of immersive and interactive shows in LA, was shut down by the vice squad for running a DIY performance venue. For the past month Noah--our host--has been helping out the campaign to "legitimize play" and bring performing arts back to the space that until now has been zoned as an art gallery. You've probably heard us talk about it on the show. In this episode Noah talks with the power trio at play--Nicole Rosner, Meredith Treinen, and Scott Monahan--about how the campaign came to be, the obstacles they've faced in bringing the space back, and more. Check out the play IndieGoGo campaign at https://igg.me/at/playdtla/x/7051521 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the experimental Think Tank podcast studio Noah sits down with Ben Taylor of Escape Authority--a new site focusing on escape room games--and calls up Ben's partner Chris Moschella in Orlando to talk about their new site and what makes a great escape room. All that and a Noah riff on the VRLA Expo that took place this weekend in LA as part of the News & Notes. Brought to you by our friends at Drafty, the lighting, projection and sound design tool for theatrical designers: drafty-app.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In NYC: Zay talks with choreographer Avital Asuleen, co-creator of the immersive dance theatre piece Ephemera about this dream ballet fueled by drinking and debauchery. Meanwhile, in LA, Noah has the news and notes. And he probably shares TMI. That is his M.O. these days. (That and writing in the third person again.) Brought to you by our friends at Drafty: the CAD program built from the ground up for theatrical designers by a theatrical designer. Learn more at drafty-app.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week host Noah Nelson is joined by Julianne Just, Genevieve Gearhart, and Matthew Bamberg-Johnson of LA's The Speakeasy Society to talk about their latest production Johnny: The Shell. This is the second part of their cycle of work exploring Dalton Tumbo's Johnny Get Your Gun, which opens on July 21st at St Mark's Episcopal Church in Glendale and runs through August 13th. All that plus our usual news and notes. Brought to you by our friends at Drafty--the theatrical design program built by and for theatrical designers--check it out at Drafty-App.com--and the support of our Patreon backers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 2014 Boxcar Theatre's The Speakeasy was the most talked about immersive experience in San Francisco, and then it disappeared. Now, after an extensive rebirthing experience the show is returning with a brand new, custom-built space. NoPro SF's Albert Kong visits the site of the new show while it is under construction to talk to Boxcar's Artistic Director Nick Olivero and producer David Gluck for a walk through. Then, though the magic of the internet, host Noah Nelson speaks to Gluck and Olivero about the unique crowd-investing plan that is powering The Speakeasy's rebirth and setting a path for the production's future. In other words: this isn't your usual episode. Brought to you by our friends at drafty-app.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Host Noah Nelson is joined by Chris Eng, founder of Mojo Maps Expedition Co., an LA-based theatrical walking tour group that mashes up history and improv in Venice, the Arts District, and Echo Park. The two dig into Chris' background as a business guy at Walt Disney Imagineering, creating experiences in urban landscapes, and just what the market is for this kind of work. All that plus the usual News and Notes, brought to you by our friends at Drafty-app.com: the theatrical design tool built by and for theatrical designers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week: Noah interviews writer Ruth McKee, one of the core members of LA's Chalk Repertory Theatre, about her latest play 'In Case of Emergency.' The conversation ranges from the themes of the play itself, to how McKee's writing process is driven by a sense of space. A great, into the artistic meat of it, kind of episode. All that, plus the news and notes-- and a call for feedback. THIS MONTH'S EPISODES ARE BROUGHT TO US BY OUR FRIENDS AT DRAFTY-APP.COM Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you've been following the LA scene you have probably heard of Screenshot Productions, or at least their work: the company popped up during last year's spooky season with the solo haunt "Fear Is What We Learned Here" and since then have mutated into something... unique. Screenshot founder Nicholas Sherwin Jr. and his partner Meghan Farrington sit down at No Pro headquarters with host Noah Nelson to talk about crafting one-on-ones, taking the step beyond extreme haunts and food. What? We're human. Humans talk about food. (Trust us, it makes total sense in context.) All that plus your news and some notes that take us beyond theatre. Brought to you by our friends at Drafty. The Computer Aided Design program built from the ground up for theatrical designers by a theatrical designer. Learn more at drafty-app.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sophie Bortolussi is the choreographer and co-director of LA's immersive hit The Day Shall Declare It (which just announced an extension). Sophie sits down with host Noah Nelson in the back patio of the show right before a performance in the Arts District of DTLA (so, you know, it's gonna get loud) to talk about the show, how her training with the Martha Graham company led to a career in immersive theatre, and oh yeah: the art of all this stuff. All that and the usual news and notes, brought to you this month by our friends at Drafty (drafty-app.com): a computer aided design tool for theatrical professionals. (And yes, we explain EXACTLY what that sentence was all about herein.) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Steve Peters, host of The Story Forward Podcast--a show about the future of storytelling and entertainment--joins our own Noah Nelson for this hybrid of both shows. Fun fact: Steve and Noah have known each other for a few years now, but they've never sat down and had a one on one before now. Another fun fact: Steve isn't just a podcast host, he's also an experience designer. Both with his company No Mimes Media and at other experience design houses Steve has worked on some of the biggest Alternate Reality Games ever. So big that he's still not allowed to mention some of them by name. But you're all some of the world's finest detectives, I'm sure you can figure them out. Yes, it's a big show--with a big News & Notes to lead us in. One that includes Noah's super fresh impressions of Annie Lesser's 'Apartment 8' at the Hollywood Fringe Fest. LET'S GET TO IT. (And thanks for 50 episodes, y'all. Here's to 50 more.) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this oh so special episode hosts Noah and Zay connect for a little late-night philosophizing over the role of narrative in immersive experiences. This is one you're going to want to pour a drink and mull over. Content warning: I think we might get a little salty. Frankly, it's been a minute. Better just avoid playing this around kids. All that and the usual news and notes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The director of Second Skin, a site-adaptive piece currently performed on the Santa Monica beach, joins host Noah Nelson for a discussion about site-specific theatre. This one gets *philosophical*, but in a totally fun way. All this plus the usual news & notes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Zay Amsbury (@zayamsbury) takes over the interview duties this week to talk with Jennine Willet and Elizabeth Carena of Third Rail Projects (@TRPNYC) about the development of the company's latest show The Grand Paradise ahead of its scheduled close at the end of May. Secrets are revealed, ideas dissected, and a rando calls in with some weird story. All this and the usual news and notes from Noah Nelson on the West Coast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Noah is back in LA with lessons learned from his NYC trip inthis host-only episode.We kick off with an extended news & notes before leaninginto some thoughts on The Grand Paradise,Accomplice, Then She Fell, Sleep NoMore, how to manage problem guests, and wrap with programnotes and a question for you, the No Pro audience. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With Noah in New York City, No Pro's dynamic duo gets to go on an adventure together. They pick Janet Cardiff's 'Her Long Black Hair' an audio walking tour piece from 2004 that feels like it could have been made last week. Set in Central Park, 'Her Long Black Hair' takes listeners on a journey that can leave you feeling like you've slipped the bonds of times.This episode was recorded in Central Park, NYC.Access the play: https://phiffer.org/hlbh/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One of our favorite shows of 2015 is returning to the site of its run in LA's Arts District. But what they found might surprise you... or not, if you know the Arts District.The work to get The Day Shall Declare It back up on its feet for a May 10 bow has begun, and Wilderness founder Annie Saunders takes host Noah Nelson on a tour of the site where they talk about the future fate of the Arts District.All that plus news, notes, and some advice on how to get in on the pre-sale for The Day Shall Declare It, which starts on April 9th. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Host Noah Nelson (@noahjnelson) takes YOUR questions about the--still emerging--immersive art form.All that, plus news and a special announcement about a favorite show returning to Los Angeles. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Designer Uriah Findley (@theuriah) has been caught up with some of the most talked about long-form immersive experiences of the last decade. His work with Nonchalance on "The Jejune Institute" was documented in the film "The Institute" and he was instrumental in the building of "The Latitude," which reached its controversial conclusion in San Francisco this Fall.In the wake of "The Latitude" Findley and game designer Anthony Rocco (@anthrocc) have teamed up to create their own experience design firm: Foma Labs.Host Noah Nelson talks with Findley and Rocco about the ethics of experience design, how Foma approaches the work, and what lessons they both took away from "The Latitude."Get your thinking caps on: we get philosophical up in here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Host Noah Nelson drops in on NoPro SF curator Albert Kong and gets a lesson in Bay Area public/prankster performance art, and a glimpse into how Albert approaches his version of the newsletter. A fun conversation to be sure! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lauren Ludwig (Hamlet-Mobile, Lost Moon Radio) is the director and adaptor of And The Drum, a movement based immersive in LA's Koreatown that is one part dinner party and two parts exploration of the poetry of Martha Marion. The piece, performed at Marion's own home, is one of the more stunning pieces of work to be staged on LA's immersive scene in the past year.Ludwig speaks with host Noah Nelson (@noahjnelson) about her process for And The Drum in this fast paced, insightful discussion.All that and the usual news and notes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

NEW YORK CITY: Zay Amsbury talks with Jennine Willett and Elizabeth Carena of Third Rail Projects, the company behind Then She Fell and The Grand Paradise. Settle in for a history of the company, a SECRET ORIGINS special if you will. (Ed. Note: No one but you will get that reference, Noah.)In other words: this is the big one. The episode we've been dying to do since the start of the podcast... and we're less than a year old. All that, plus Noah Nelson has the usual news and notes.Sign up for the newsletter: NoProscenium.com.Check out the Medium collection.Follow us on Twitter and Facebook. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We go off the beaten path this week to talk to the creators of Escape Room In A Box: The Werewolf Experience, which aims to bring the escape room genre home. The duo behind the game--Juliana Patel and Ariel Rubin--are two stay-at-home moms who love escape rooms but find it increasingly hard to get everything in order to get out to them. So they used their game playing acumen--and their theatre degrees, what???--to create a dramatic, at-home version of the phenomenon.Come along as we talk about bringing he escape room experience home, and the pitfalls of crowdfunding--something I know more than a few of you have either considered or know a thing or two about yourselves. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Artists Scott Hove and Baker's Son join host Noah Nelson, along with Think Tank gallery Creative Director Jacob Patterson and Arya Davachi--director of Rough Sleeper--which will be using the gallery's Break Bread installation as the backdrop for his show.The conversation waxes philosophical about the nature of collaboration and the intersection between art installations and immersive theatre. Rough Sleeper will play out on just two dates--March 3rd and 4th--at the gallery. The Break Bread installation will be open through March 13th. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We talk a lot about Sleep No More and Then She Fell at the margins of this podcast. This week's guest--performer Haylee Nichele--has danced in both shows. We are lucky to count her amongst our friends. On this week's episode we step through the looking glass and see what the immersive life is like from a performer's point of view. We also nerd out a lot.Haylee's in Los Angeles these days, so Noah has the hosting duties this week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the summer of last year Marike Splint, an incoming theatre professor at UCLA, reached out to us to talk about LA immersive theatre community. Now we visit Marike at her office on campus to talk about her experiences creating immersive performance and what the scene is like in The Netherlands, where she hails from.It's a fun talk. All that plus a blast of News Notes. (The fastest in ages... the coffee is working!) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This time out host Noah Nelson talks with Paul Stein, creator of The Car Plays and Moving Art's Lem Thornton about the origins of that show. Is it any surprise that there's a "necessity is the mother of invention" moral to the story?And STICK AROUND after the interview because our intrepid host FORGOT something cool in the News & Notes. Unless you are listening to this after Saturday Jan 30th. In which case: you're too late. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Host Noah Nelson talks with the folks at Play Collaborative Arts (Retrograde, Erotica)--Cole Rosner, Meredith Treinen, and Scott Monahan--about their take on devised work, making immersive theatre with an erotic charge, and the pitfalls of running an underground venue in LA's Arts District.All that, plus the usual news, notes, and a tease of what's to come. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After a too-long hiatus we are BACK and this time out we've got a special ALL CURATOR edition of the podcast. Noah (LA) and Zay (NYC) are joined by the all-new curator of the SF Edition: Albert Kong.Together they form Voltron.Just kidding. That takes FIVE curators.Together they review the Best of 2015, the biggest surprises of last year, and look forward to what 2016 is going to bring. It's been a great year for immersive theatre and events, and the year ahead promises even more.ALSO: be on the lookout for the WEST COAST EDITION of No Pro--launching THIS WEEK! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Host Noah Nelson shares a little bit of the regional news, and then big parts of the plan for 2016 for No Pro--including the revised fate of No Proscenium SF!PUBLICATION NOTE: Both the podcast AND the LA newsletter are taking a break next week. We'll be back in FORCE before Christmas. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The creators of LA's living, experiential literary journal Enter>text, Henry Hoke and Marco DiDomenico, join host Noah Nelson to talk about bringing some immersive spice to the world of literary readings.Enter>text is a fascinating beast, that proves that you can approach the open frame of immersive work from just about any angle in order to create compelling experiences. All this, plus some big--albeit tentative--housekeeping news. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Noah travels to the offices of the Think Well Group--experience designers extraordinaire--to talk about the shared worlds of immersive theatre and theme park design with a group of people who are passionate about both.Vice President of Creative Development Dave Cobb (@DaveCobb) is joined by members of the creative brain trust--Kate McConnell (@AntiKate), Jeremy Thompson (@jkthompson72), and Dana Shaw (@thefakedana)--for a family style discussion that is probably way chiller than what happens at your Thanksgiving table. So come sit with us at the cool kid's table!Also: Noah waxes POETIC about The Industry's HOPSCOTCH, which Jeremy was kind enough to drag him to when all hope looked to be lost. More Twitter handles than you can handle: @thinkwellgroup@theindustryopera@thebewcomedy@ablehorwitz All of which are there for a reason--just listen to the show already! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Zay pops in from NYC to interview director Erin Mee (Versailles 2015, Ferry Play) about her immersive work and transforming public spaces into performance venues through unconventional means. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.