The No Proscenium Podcast

This week Shawn Kittelsen SVP Creative at Skydance Interactive, the creators of the just released Skydance’s Behemoth (available now on PSVR2, Steam VR, and Meta Quest) joins us to talk about the game which puts players into the role of Wren, a lone hunter who sets off for the Forsaken Lands to lift a terrible curse. The only way to do so is by saying the towering gods known as Behemoths.In this talk we get into storytelling in VR, the way dynamic, spatial games systems lead players to embody characters, and a whole lot more. It’s another very fun conversation about VR at the precise moment when the medium is hitting a stride on narrative focused experiences that rival the best traditional video games can offer.SHOW NOTESSkydance’s BehemothAnn Morrow Johnson, of Gensler, Joins Board of The Immersive Experience InstituteThe Next Stage Immersive Summit: Speakers & GuestsThe Next Stage Immersive SummitThe Next Stage Immersive Summit: BadgesNo Proscenium Gift Subscriptions Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we have a delightful doubleheader. First up we have Ryan Payton, director of Batman: Arkham Shadow. I’ve been following Ryan’s career since he founded his studio Camouflaj back in 2011 back when I was doing stories about the rise of crowdfunding and here we are on the cusp of 2025 talking about the greatest game to be released on the Meta Quest platform so far.In this conversation we get deep into the storytelling that drives the action of Batman: Arkham Shadow, which is some of the best I’ve encountered in any video game in years. With that in mind, we avoid spoilers for almost half the conversation. Spoilers start at 19:23 of the pod and end at 37:20. We get into some of the big character beats. So consider yourself forewarned.Then we settle in for a long chat about the state of XR with friend of the show Alex Coulombe — chatting it up about everything from the Unreal Engine classes he’s teaching to folks who are working with the Apple Vision Pro to the recreation of the Halcyon — aka the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser — an open source project in Unreal that he’s been helping to lead pretty much since he got back from visiting the ship.SHOW NOTESBatman: Arkham ShadowCamouflajRépubliqueGet Cast In A Dream Role In ‘Batman: Arkham Shadow’ (The NoPro Review)A Christmas Carol VRGitHub - AgileLens/HalcyonVRAlex Coulombe (@ibrews.bsky.social) — BlueskyAlex Coulombe Presents Unreal Engine TrainingThe (Unofficial) Unreal Engine Podcast - YouTubeThe Weeknd’s ‘Open Hearts’ Drops On Apple Vision ProThe Next Stage Immersive Summit Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we have a doubleheader as first we are joined by Third Rail Project’s Co-Artistic Director Jennine Willlet and musician Coyle Girelli to talk about their new collaboration True Love Forever, which has just opened in NYC.Then Immersive Experience Institute co-founder Kathryn Yu joins me as we break down just how next year’s Next Stage Immersive Summit — coming up Jan 17-19 in Pasadena, CA — is going to work as the event evolves some new forms and formats.SHOW NOTESTrue Love ForeverThird Rail ProjectsCoyle GirelliLove KillsThe Next Stage Immersive SummitThe Next Stage Immersive Summit F.A.Q. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode: a preview of our 2024 Holiday Gift Guide with Kathryn Yu, Kevin Gossett, Patrick McLean, and Noah Nelson. Find the perfect gift for the immersive fan in yourself (even if that's just you).SHOW NOTESGIFT GUIDE LINKSBox TWO by Neil Patrick Harris and Theory11Clue: Treachery at Tudor MansionThe Morrison Game FactoryStar Trek: ResurgenceAlan Wake 2Star Wars: OutlawsLife & Trust Gift ExperienceMcKittrick Snow GlobeStar Wars Etsy UniverseMeow Wolf Vista Boss2120NOT GIFT GUIDE LINKSDenver Immersive Invitational Accolades (Facebook Post)The Next Stage Immersive Summit Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The last time British-Iranian theatre maker Javaad Alipoor joined us was way back in May of 2021 when we talked about Rich Kids: A History of Shopping Malls in Tehran — which at the time we said was “an incredible multi-media theatre piece that links a constellation of Big Ideas into an incredibly human story.”His most recent work Things Hidden Since the Foundation of the World is just about to wrap up it's tour of the US and is the final part of a trilogy of plays – after The Believers Are But Brothers and Rich Kids – that interrogate how technology, global politics and fracturing identities are changing the world.Exploring the themes of the trilogy is exactly what we do in this wide ranging conversation with one of our favorite artists to talk with.Warning: there is a description of a fairly gruesome murder, but we do not dwell on it for long. We do dwell on geopolitics on this episode which was recorded before the election in the United States.SHOW NOTESThings Hidden Since the Foundation of the World - Washington D.C. DatesThe Javaad Alipoor CompanyThe Denver Immersive InvitationalLA Fall Immersive MeetupThe Next Stage Immersive Summit Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After our annual break we are back this week on a double header.First up, the one and only Nick Moran of Phantom Peak will be joining us to talk about the London favorite, which has conjured a Wild West town not far from the Canada Water station. What is in that Canada Water and why are there so many platypuses involved?We WON’T learn the answers to those questions but we will learn all about Phantom Peak and why it’s taking so long for it to make it to the United States in this dynamic conversation with Nick.THen we have a visit with Rita Orlov of PostCurious to get the details on the game at the center of their latest Kickstarter Campaign: Ministry of Lost Things: Lint Condition - A Puzzletale which has just 12 days left in its already successful campaign. SHOW NOTESPhantom PeakMinistry of Lost Things: Lint Condition - A Puzzletale The Denver Immersive Invitational ShowcaseLA Immersive Meetup for Fall '24The Next Stage Immersive Summit Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the show we gather the Review Crew to chat about our various Spooky Season and Autumnal Escapades. Nick Fortugno, Blake Weil, Katrina Lat, Laura Hess, and Patrick McLean join host Noah Nelson as we go coast to coast over to London, and into the wilds of VR in search of chills and thrills.SHOW NOTESThe Next Stage Immersive SummitDenver Immersive InvitationalBeetlejuice Beetlejuice: The Afterlife ExperienceJimmy Fallon's TonightmaresHouse of Exquisite Corpse IV: SuperstitionsPhantom PeakShadow Traffic (Lost Horizon Night Market)You Can't Scare Me Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the show we’re joined by Wesley James and Dallas Nichols of Phoenix based design + build firm LINE LAB for a conversation about building unique immersive environments for places like The Nemesis Club, and Platform 18 and the UnderTow Tiki Bar at Century Grand - all of which have received glowing reviews and accolades.But before we do that we’ll we kick things off with Tia Shearer Bassett, organizer of The From Home Fest to tell us all about this immersive festival which you can experience from your own home starting on Oct. 26th. SHOW NOTESLine LabThe Nemesis ClubCentury GrandThe From Home FestThe Next Stage Immersive Summit Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we’re joined by Carmel Clavin of Spectacle & Mirth, who just wrapped a tour of two immersive works — Journey to the Kingdom of Hypnos and City Liminal — to talk about the challenges and opportunities of touring immersive work around the globe through the network of Fringe Festivals and beyond.And we break down the Badge Pricing and On-Sale dates for the 2025 Next Stage Immersive Summit.SHOW NOTESSpectacle & MirthBadge Pricing & On Sale Dates for the 2025 Next Stage Immersive Summit Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we’re climbing The Ladder of success with Terry Pettigrew-Rolapp and Tommy Wallach of Hatch Escapes in Los Angeles as we talk about The Ladder, their long in development new game that turns escape game conventions on their ear and establishes itself as a new can’t miss immersive attraction. SHOW NOTESThe LadderHatch EscapesThe Immersive Industry Report SurveysThe Next Stage Summit ScholarshipsGhostRave (Use code GRPG for 10% off) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we heading to heaven and a galaxy far far away… sort of.The Heaven is Cowboix Hevvven, currently being built inside Meow Wolf’s RADIO TAVE in Houston, and we’re talking to Cole Bee Wilson, the creator of this new space which is Meow Wolf’s first fully functioning dive bar inside one of their exhibitions. We talk to Cole from just outside the worksite, in the middle of a busy build, and it’s a fantastic chat.Then we connect with Mike and Emily Hyde of Hyperspace Props, the popular crafters of cosplay elements and replica card game decks from Star Wars.We get into how this literal mom & pop operation got started, and how they've become a lynchpin for a fan community that has found their own way to immerse themselves into a galaxy of outlaws and scoundrels.SHOW NOTESMeow Wolf's Radio TaveCowboix Hevvven Hyperspace PropsThe Immersive Industry Report SurveysThe Next Stage 2025 Scholarships Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Another double header!First up, today is iPhone pre-order day, and that makes it a great day to drop my interview from July with Adam Lisagor, the man behind Sandwich — the firm that got its start making ads for apps and companies big and small because of the the original iPhone and has gotten BACK into the app development game for the Vision Pro with the apps Television and Theatre — with the later being used to broadcast a live event captured in 3D and Spatial Audio at this June’s Apple World Wide Developer Conference.This conversation with Adam, whose work I have long admired, is one of the most philosophical I’ve had all year, and hopefully will give you a nice think about media and the tools we use to make and consume it.Then, NoPro’s roving correspondent Martin Gimenez brings us an on-site interview with On Site Opera’s  General Director & CEO Piper Gunnarson as its next and Artistic Director Sarah Meyers recorded at this year’s World Opera Forum and annual North American Opera Conference hosted by the LA Opera this past June. They dig into the past, present, and near future of the company, including the recently announced World Premiere of Lucidity which runs November 14-16 at Abrons Arts Center in New York City.SHOW NOTESSandwichTelevision (Apple Vision Pro)Theater (Apple Vision Pro)Video: playing with dalle3 images, luma image-to-video, and suno music. (X)How Sandwich streamed The Talk Show Live in 3D on Vision Pro (six colors)On Site OperaLucidityThe Next Stage 2025 Scholarship Applications Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We kick off our Spooky Season 2024 coverage with an LA double header.First up: Justin Fix, Stephanie Turek, and Daniel Montgomery of JFI Productions are here with us to talk about the return of CREEP — the show that started it all for JFI and which has been one of the foundational rocks of LA’s Spooky Season for nearly a decade now.This year’s CREEP is a collaboration with the CBS series GHOSTS, and we’ll learn how that teamup is making a difference with the 2024 show.Then Matt Dorado — known to many in the LA scene for the Drunken Devil series of parties and the Live and DIne In LA supper club, returns with an all new venture: Monster Party. A more intimate affair than the days of Drunken Devil, Monster Party is set during the McCarthy Era Lavender Scare, as Dorado and his team weave together a horror tale from America’s LGBTQ history.SHOW NOTESCREEP x GHOSTSMonster Party Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week a doubleheader:Stephen Dobbie and Colin Nightingale of A Right/Left Project whose ORIGIN - A DEEP LISTENING EXPERIENCE is returning to London this September as part of London Design Week join us first. Stephen and Colin have been collaborators for two decades now, including their work with Punchdrunk stretching back to the early days of the storied companies. As a Right/Left Project they’re exploring new forms, iterating quickly, and have established their own signature style.Then we check in with PostCurious’ Rita Orlov and writer Lauren Bello about how their collaborations are going, with Bello’s The Morrison Game Factory currently in print from PostCurious.From high tech to the table top — we’ve got a wonderful spread this week for you on No Proscenium.SHOW NOTESA Right/Left ProjectORIGIN - A DEEP LISTENING EXPERIENCEPostCuriousThe Morrison Game Factory Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we’ve got a really unique edition of the podcast because a year ago I messed up!Last August I interviewed Doug North Cook, the CEO & Creative Director at Creature a new VR video game studio & label that draws upon the team's deep roots in both video games and VR, and is using a model that means indie studios can get the benefits of working with a larger publisher without giving up control over their work.And then I forgot to share the interview!So we're making up for it by sharing that one and a new interview where we catch up with Doug now to talk the label's releases and the state of video games and VR gaming in what has become an inflection point of a year.SHOW NOTESCreatureStarship HomeThrasherSXSW Panel Picker: From Creator to Closer: Your Path to Greenlight Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’re celebrating this milestone the best way we know how — by getting members of NoPro’s esteemed Review Crew together to wax philosophical about the state of things in the immersive cosmos. This time out associate producer Parker Sela, New York City correspondent Nicholas Fortugno, and New England Curator Leah Davis join host Noah Nelson for a discussion that touches on the notions of “immersive before immersive” and “immersive after immersive” — and while we’re at it there are bits about Plastic Bag Store currently at MASS MOCA, Hatch Escape’s The Ladder, and Emursive’s Life and Trust.SHOW NOTESThe Plastic Bag Store at MASS MocaThe Power of Plastic Parody (REVIEW)Hatch Escape's The LadderLife And TrustNoPro's August CALL SHEET Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week: we’re back to the double header groove, first with a stop to chat with Aaron Blanton & Este Olivia, owners The Ghoulish Sanctuary, a Haunted Mansion inspired Airbnb in Kissimmee, Florida and then we look to the future with Corvas Brinkerhoff, one of the co-founders of Meow Wolf to talk about his new venture the in-development SUBMERSIVE, an immersive art spa that is planned to launch in Austin.  SHOW NOTESThe Ghoulish SanctuarySubmersive Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Listen in on host Noah Nelson's first conversation ever with legendary ARG designer Adrian Hon as they talk about game design, escape games, defining immersive, training actors and more. It’s a winding conversation between two folks who love this stuff more than anyone reasonably should.SHOW NOTESAdrian HonEdinburgh Fringe Immersive Creators Meetup w/Adrian HonZombies Run!Perplex City Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the show we have another double header, this time focused on escape game companies with a theatrical flair… or is that theatre companies who got the escape game itch?First: Tina Keenan, Managing Director of Toronto’s Secret City lets us on on their secrets: from their days of working with SCRAP to bring the escape game pioneer’s work to Toronto all the way to THE PERFECT BITE, their collaboration with Netflix.Then Jeffrey Carpenter & Tami Dixion of Pittsburgh theatre company Bricolage (OjO: The Next Generation of Travel) and Rod Schwartz, Owner of the escape game company ENTER THE IMAGINARIUM — tells us about how their partnership formed to create some of the most lauded escape experiences on the East Coast.SHOW NOTESSecret CityThe Perfect BiteThe Wedding PartyBricolageEnter The ImaginariumCOMING SOON: Hiker TrashCOMING SOON: SEEKThat Everything Immersive Facebook post we need to you like/share/comment Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the show: NoPro London Curator Shelley Snyder talks with Parabolic Theatre's Owen Kingston about the return of Bridge Command to London.Plus: Majestic Repertory Theatre's Troy Heard, writer & director of the new immersive adaptation of Jane Austen's EMMA and actress Coco Lane Rigbye (Emma) join host Noah Nelson to dish on the new production that opens this week in Las Vegas.SHOW NOTESBridge CommandJane Austen's EMMANoPro's Front PageSomething Wicked Stirs In Kansas City (Field Report)DIY Publicity 101 for Immersive Creators (July 30)DIY Publicity 101 for Immersive Creators (Aug 6) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This special edition of the podcast features NoPro's Nicholas Fortugno, Parker Sela, and Noah Nelson along with special guest Jeff Crocker (Mister & Mischief) as they trade notes on Julia Masli's ha ha ha ha ha ha ha, in full Spolier Cast mode.SHOW NOTESha ha ha ha ha ha ha (Boston)ha ha ha ha ha ha ha (Washington D.C.) Julia MasliEscape From Godot Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sometimes the timeline just makes you break format, which is what we're doing this week as an avalanche of projects have been unleashed. This week's episode sees us covering work in the fields of theatre, VR, escape games, and role playing games. Let's break it down:First up, Jef Aldrich & Jon Taylor, the creators of the Düngeonmeister series of books of unconventional tabletop roleplaying game supplements join me to talk about their latest, The Deck of Many Drinks, and nerd out about some of the truly obscure RPGs they cover in their own podcast Systems Mastery.Then David Spira & Peih-Gee Law of the Reality Escape Podcast join us to talk about the upcoming RECON: Reality Escape Convention - the escape game owner & enthusiast gathering that is coming to LA this August.Body of Mine creator Cameron Kostopoulos joins us to talk about the award winning VR project's leap to the Meta Quest store.And finally theatre makers Keight Leighn & Erik Blair drop by to talk about the upcoming D8 S(t)imul8 in LA.ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTESNoPro’s 10 Most Anticipated New Immersive Works of 2024 (Part II) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week a double feature double dip with two segments on Neotropolis, the cyberpunk festival in California's Mojave Desert that invites revlers to shed their mundane lives and embrace a neon soaked, cybernetically enhanced alternate reality. We kick things off with a panel featuring NoPro’s own Anthony Robinson, Reality Escape Pod co-host Peih-Gee Law, and Live Action Attraction’s Brett Jackson — who were part of the same camp at Neotropolis and in the case of Peih-Gee and Brett were part of this year’s story team for the event. They give us a player and makers eye view of the festival.Then we dive even deeper with Jared Butler, founder of Wasteland World, and the creator of Neotropolis and Wasteland Weekend who brings us the origin story of these events and lets us in on how it all comes together. SHOW NOTESNeotropolisWasteland WeekendPeople Make Games: We Roleplayed the End of the World with 4000 Other PeopleReality Escape PodRecon: Reality Escape ConventionLive Action AttractionsImagi-Ne'er-Do-Wells Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week: Chip Giller and Amy Seidenwurm of AGOG: The Immersive Media Institute a new organization whose mission is to helping creators and nonprofit leaders harness the power of extended reality (XR) to imagine a better future for all.Then we pivot from XR to IRL as Adipat Virdi, the creator of I AM OTHER — which is headed to the Edinburgh Fringe this August and has a two night stand in Canterbury this month — June 20th & 21st at the Gulbenkian Arts Center — to talk about the piece: An immersive family drama, about an older relative’s act of aggression towards a biracial child, that actively investigates white privilege, judgement, identity and bias.SHOW NOTESAGOG: The Immersive Media InstituteAward Winning ‘Body of Mine’ Drops On Meta VR PlatformsI AM OTHER I AM OTHER CanterburyI AM OTHER Edinburgh Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Life & Trust – the upcoming show from Emursive, the NYC presenters of Sleep No More & proprietors of the McKittrick Hotel – is the subject of much rumor & speculation, something our Review Crew is not immune to!Join NoPro's NYC curator Allie Marotta, East Coast Editor at Large Blake Weil, NYC correspondents Nicholas Fortugno and Penelope Ray along with host Noah Nelson as they dig into what's known, what's supposed, and what just might be about the highly anticipated show that opens later this month.Then stick around as Larry Myers joins us to talk about his Hollywood Fringe show Did I Just Join A Cult? about his time with The Tension Experience.SHOW NOTESLife & TrustDid I Just Join A Cult?Hollywood Fringe Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A double header!First: What If...? — An Immersive Story Design Director Ian Bowie of ILM Immersive and Director & Executive Producer Dave Bushore of Marvel Studios join us to talk about the new release for the Apple Vision Pro.Then: the first of our Hollywood Fringe 2024 shorts as Jacob Zorehkey & Ashley Busenlener of LAST CALL THEATRE pop in to tell us about Last Call’s upcoming Hollywood Fringe show REFORGED.SHOW NOTESWhat If...? — An Immersive Story ILM ImmersiveMarvel StudiosLast Call Theatre's REFORGEDLast Call TheatreHollywood Fringe Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we’re joined by Cesar Hawas, producer of Particle Ink: House of Shattered Prisms, the spectacular creation of the Light Poets that has moved into the Luxor Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas and is wowing audiences in this follow up run to Particle Ink’s fabled run in Vegas’ Arts District. SHOW NOTESParticle InkParticle Ink: House of Shattered PrismsThe NoPro Review of the Original RunReview Rundown with the Shattered Prism reviewReality Escape Pod: Noah NelsonRECON '24Immersive Experience Institute Newsletter Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we are joined by the dynamic Achinta S. McDaniel, Founding Artistic Director of Blue13 Dance Company whose all new work Soliloquy: Immersive Experience comes to LA's Heritage Square Museum May 31 - June 2. This marks Blue13's return to Heritage Square after the triumphant Shaadi in 2021, a highlight of that year.We get into the themes of the new show, how working in immersive & site-specific compares to other mediums for dance, and if her students at the Glorya Kaufman School of Dance at USC see the immersive world as part of their futures.SHOW NOTESSoliloquy: Immersive ExperienceBlue 13 Dance CompanyBroken Bone Bathtub: The Documentary & LA Immersive MeetupNoPro Patreon Backer DiscountThe Next Stage Immersive Summit 2025The Immersive Experience Institute Newsletter Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Michael Epstein, founder of Walking Cinema, joins us to talk about The Fillmore Eclipse.While Walking Cinema is well known for their intricate audio based walking history experiences, this is their first fully staged immersive performance based experience… one that like all of their work taps into the local history of the setting.SHOW NOTESThe Fillmore EclipseWalking CinemaLife & TrustHollywood FringeParticle InkBroken Bone Bathtub: The Documentary & LA Immersive MeetupNoPro Patreon Backer Discount Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the show Rory Mitchell of The Mercantile is here to talk with us about his new Augmented Reality narrative experience The Tent, which made a splash at SXSW this year and is now on the festival circuit.SHOW NOTESThe TentThe MercantileBroken Bone Bathtub Documentary/LA MeetupBBB Doc NoPro Patreon Backer Discount InfoMeow Wolf supercharged the way we experience art. Is L.A. ready for the wild ride? (LA Times) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

David Rosenberg & Glen Neath, Artistic Directors of DARKFIELD return to the podcast to talk about their latest work, the interactive audio experience ARCADE. A twist on the company's signature immersive audio storytelling formula, ARCADE features a branching narrative as you guide your avatar through a world ravaged by endless war.SHOW NOTESARCADEDARKFIELDThe Los Angeles Immersive InvitationalWorld Premiere Screening in LA: The Broken Bone Bathtub Documentary Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the show NoPro’s Chicago curator Patrick McLean hops into the host chair for a conversation with Miguel Angel Rodriguez, Co-Executive Director of Chicago’s own Albany Park Theater Project and Jennine Willett, co-artistic director of the NYC based Third Rail Projects about the two company’s ongoing collaboration over the years and its current incarnation — the immersive theatre experience Port of Entry.SHOW NOTESAlbany Park Theater ProjectThird Rail ProjectsPort of EntryThe Los Angeles Immersive Invitational Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're joined this week by Robert Farid Karimi – whose work of late has included a series of interactive analog immersive game experiences involving topics such as community-police relations and the illegal detention of Central American immigrant youth – and who is the co-director of the Public Practice + Generative Play StudioLab and serves as Assistant Professor in the Music, Dance and Theater department at Arizona State University.It's a fantastic discussion about meaning-making.SHOW NOTESRobert Farid KarimiWorlds In Play: The Mint Experience!LA Immersive Invitational Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week it’s an AFTER DARK style episode featuring host Noah Nelson and NoPro Arts Editor Laura Hess as they have a conversation that covers the AI works in the LA Art show, the use of AI in Immersive, a bit on the Wonka debacle because we recorded this like three weeks ago, and the overall nature of immersive work particularly as it applies to the art world. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the show we’re joined by Ivan Carić and Emily Carding of The Key of Dreams, the follow up to the hit overnight immersive experience in the Welsh countryside which was reviewed for us last year by Ellery Weil, who also joins us on the pod for the first time.The Key of Dreams draws on the literary tradition of weird fiction to create a strange and thrilling experience in Treowen Manor an early 17th-century manor house in Monmouthshire where guests stay overnight.We dive in deep on what goes into delving into the realms of the uncanny in a historic locale in this week’s interview.SHOW NOTESThe Key of Dreams Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the show: we reveal the winner of the 2024 No Proscenium Audience & Editor Awards.Check the site for the full list of Nominees & Winners.SHOW NOTESThe 2024 No Proscenium Audience & Editor AwardsThe 2024 Los Angeles Immersive Invitational Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the show our dear friend Graham Wetterhahn is here with us to talk about the upcoming Los Angeles Immersive Invitational, which is produced by his company After Hours Theatre Company in collaboration with The Immersive Experience Institute… and we’re unveiling seven of the teams that will be participating in this year’s invitational — and it is QUITE the lineup.The Invitational’s Sunday Showcase is coming up on April 21st at the Nocturne Theater in Glendale and the tickets are ON SALE NOW and you can find a link right here in the show notes. SHOW NOTESThe 2024 Los Angeles Immersive Invitational (Tickets)After Hours Theatre CompanyThe Immersive Experience InstituteThe 2024 NoPro Audience Awards (Backers Only)The 2024 NoPro Reader's Special Award Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the show we’ve got a DOUBLE HEADER!First up Amy Ashton & Mia Fiorella of La Jolla Playhouse’s WITHOUT WALLS FESTIVAL will be here to give us a preview of the fest that is headed back to the UC San Diego campus for the first time since 2015 this April 4th - 7th.Then Samantha Gorman & Danny Cannizzaro of Tender Claws, the studio behind NoPro favorites like The Under Presents and Virtual Virtual Reality are here to talk about their latest release: STRANGER THINGS VR which launched on Meta’s QUEST platform last week.SHOW NOTESWithout Walls FestivalStranger Things VRThe 2024 No Proscenium Audience Awards Nominees2024 NoPro Audience Awards Ballot- (Backer Access Only)2024 NoPro Special Reader Award Ballot Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the show artist Risa Puno joins us to talk about some of their latest work, including the upcoming Group Hug at the Fabric Workshop and Museum in Philadelphia and Unresolved Rage Game, developed with theatre artist Ran Xia which was recently at Worlds in Play at ASU’s MIX Center in Mesa Arizona.We go deep into the motivation behind both pieces and how Puno explores emotions through game mechanics. Content Advisory: there’s some frank talk about the wave of hate directed at Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders that the pandemic unleashed and that includes some strong language including the identification of slurs that were directed at Puno themself. Telling you that upfront so that you’re not caught off guard.SHOW NOTESRisa PunoGroup HugUnresolved Rage Game at Worlds in PlayLos Angeles Immersive Invitational Sunday Showcase Backer Exclusive Pre-Sale Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Joining us on the show this week is designer Jaden Andrea, most recently the Art Director of Gather, the virtual gathering spot for remote teams that was home to more than a few interactive experiences during the height of the pandemic, and who has done installation work at Lightning in a Bottle, Neotropolis, and Burning Man. SHOW NOTESJaden Andrea (portfolio)Nostalgia PurgatoryGatherNeotropolisLightning in a BottleCASTINGNYC Immersive WeekendLA Immersive Invitational Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Joining us this week is Ben Enos, Senior Director of Product Design at The Escape Game to talk about his path from being an escape game super fan to heading up a team at one of the largest location based game companies in the U.S.SHOW NOTESThe Escape GameNYC Immersive Weekend CASTING in NYC Pre-Sale Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Joining us this week is Gry Worre Hallberg the artistic director of Copenhagen based Sisters Hope a performance group and movement organized around the idea of a creating “an ecological awareness of connectivity” outlined in the book Sensuous Society – Carving The Path Towards A Sustainable Future.Sisters Hope was the group behind the event Sensuous Governing, which took place at the Danish Consulate in Edinburgh as part of the 2023 Edinburgh Fringe, which is where our own Toronto correspondent Katrina Lat encountered the group’s work. Katrina will also be joining me today as co-host.SHOW NOTESSisters HopeSensuous GoverningThe Best Immersive at Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2023 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week the co-creators of the hit show The Order of the Golden Scribe: Initiation Tea — writer/director Arlo Howard and producer & puzzle-master Shuai Chen — join us to talk about their show which not only made multiple members of our Review Crew’s Best of 2023 list but also got a coveted Golden Lock from Room Escape Artist — all ahead of a return engagement in New York City which kicks off on February 11th.SHOW NOTESThe Order of the Golden Scribe: Initiation TeaCOMING SOON: The Order of the Golden ScribeCOMING SOON: The Tiger's BrideNYC Meetup (Waiting List Active)LA Meetup (Waiting List Active)CALL SHEET Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week  Sean Cawelti and Chelsea Sutton of Rogue Artists Ensemble — the LA based company behind works like Kaidan Project: Walls Grow Thin, and Señor Plummer’s Final Fiesta — are here with us for a quite lovely conversation about their upcoming projects including the one-off Carousel of Fools taking place in Santa Monica this month and the full length immersive show Schlitzie: Alive and Inside the Decaying Sideshow which is slated for later in this year.Show NotesCarousel of FoolsSchlitzie: Alive and Inside the Decaying SideshowKaidan Project: Walls Grow ThinSeñor Plummer’s Final FiestaRogue Artists EnsembleNoPro NYC Meetup (Jan 29th)NoPro LA Meetup (Jan 29th) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Joining us this week are Eric Garcia & Kat Cole co-directors of Detour, the San Francisco based performing arts company, whose website says everything you need at a glance in big bold letters: “DEVISED THEATRE. DANCE. DRAG. IMMERSIVE.”In 2023 they brought us We Build Houses Here, and this March they will be workshopping a new production set in the same world as that show: The Twilight Aristocracy.This month the company is offering a series of workshops on devised theatre and drag performance — we’re going to talk to them about all of it. Hosted by Noah Nelson.SHOW NOTESDETOURDevising Immersive Theater: Craft, The Ensemble, & Audience ExperienceNYC Meetup Jan 29th @ 7PMLA Meetup Jan 29th @ 7PM Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we continue our annual end of year tradition of inviting our colleagues to a round table to look back at what was. For 2023 we're joined by Sabina Graves of i09, Todd Martens of the LA Times, and Scott Stein of CNET to talk about they year we’ve had in immersive — both on the live and digital side — how folks in media outside our field see it, and where they hope this is all going in the near future. SHOW NOTESSabina Graves at i09Todd Martens at the LA TimesScott Stein at CNETLove a TV Show? Now You Can Live It. (Alexis Soloski for The New York Times) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the show we've got three segments with members of the NoPro Review Crew checking in from across North America to share parts of their "Best Of" lists for 2023.Joining us are: Edward Mylechreest (NYC), Nicholas Fortugno (NYC), Blake Weil (Philly/East Coast At Large), Katrina Lat (Toronto), Laura Hess (Arts Editor), Patrick McLean (Chicago/Remote Editor), Martin Gimenez (At Large), Kevin Gossett (LA Reviews Editor), and Danielle Riha (Denver).Hosted by Noah J. Nelson.Show NotesNoPro’s Best Immersive Moments of 2023NoPro's Best Immersive Shows & Experiences of 2023 (Coming Later Today) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the show we’re joined by Co-Founder and Senior Creative Director of Meow Wolf, Caity Kennedy;  Sr. Art Director of Mighty Coconut Don Carson, and returning guest Lucas Martell, founder of Mighty Coconut and creator of Walkabout Mini Golf — aka NoPro’s favorite social VR game.Why? Because of the recently released Walkabout: Meow Wolf expansion, silly. It’s the Reese’s Peanut Butter cups of VR experiences that takes two great things — Walkabout Mini Golf and Meow Wolf’s Numina space from Convergence Station in Denver — and turns it into something wholly unique which brings out the best IN both team’s work.SHOW NOTESWalkabout Mini GolfMeow WolfWorlds In Play (Jan 2024) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week: a special trip out to COSM's test center at the University of Utah campus for an EXCLUSIVE interview with Ricardo Romaneiro, the latest artist collaborator to be announced by the immersive media company. We also talk with COSM CEO Jeb Terry and the head of COSM's Studios & Labs Neil Carty about the content and strategy they've developed for the launch of the Hollywood Park experience center in LA in 2024.All that plus host Noah Nelson's impressions of COSM's tech and the in progress preview of Romaneiro's LIQUIDVERSE: Microcosm & Macrocosm project which blends live musical and visual elements with pre-rendered material on the wrap-around LED screens in COSM's venue.SHOW NOTESCosmE&SCosm & Ricardo RomaneiroRicardo RomaneiroCosm & Nancy Baker CahilCosm & UFC(This episode was made possible thanks to travel & accommodations provided by COSM.) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Long time listeners and readers know that we’re big fans of the dungeon crawling extravaganza Demeo and its follow up Demeo Battles, both of which are part of the Demeo Action Role Playing System, and which are available now on Steam (PC + VR), Meta Quest and Pico (VR). Joining us on the pod today is Gustav Stenmark, producer of Demeo Battles for Resolution Games the Stockholm-based games studio.Show NotesDemeoDemeo BattlesResolution Games Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.