The No Proscenium Podcast

First up, Scarlett Kim, Associate Artistic Director of Innovation and Strategy, of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival joins us to talk about the QUILLS FEST — where immersive tech and live performance come out to play — which is running now until the end of the month. We dive into why one of the United States' best known theatre companies is commissioning XR performance works. (5:45)Then Greg Lombardo, Vice President and Head of Experiences at the one and only NETFLIX, stops by to talk about just why it is that Netflix has gotten into the immersive experience business and what Lombardo thinks is so special about the form. (34:40) Netflix, along with its partner Fever, is opening the Los Angeles tour stop of the Stranger Things Experience this weekend, and I have some quick thoughts on the show after the interview. (48:30)SHOW NOTESQuills FestStranger Things Experience: Los AngelesStranger Things Experience: AtlantaStranger Things Experience: LondonStranger Things Review (Leah Davis for NoPro)40 Watts From Nowhere Patreon DiscountRumble in the Jungle Patreon DiscountThe NoPro Discord Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the show — Felix Barrett, the Artistic Director of Punchdrunk is here to talk about The Burnt City — currently playing in London — but that’s not all. We get into the state of the London immersive scene, LARPS, Punchdrunk’s own experiments with immersive gaming, that time they created a DOCTOR WHO event for school kids, video games, and the origins of Punchdrunk itself.I tell you straight - I was nervous as heck going into this and I shouldn’t have been. Not only is this the biggest interview of the year for us, it’s also one of our best in ages.Show NotesPunchdrunkThe Burnt CityInscryptionImmortalityQuills FestRematch: Rumble in the JungleNoPro Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jeb Terry, the CEO of Cosm – a new company with surprisingly deep roots – joins host Noah Nelson to talk about their plans for bringing large scale immersive experiences, powered by dome projection tech, first to their flagship location being built in LA's Hollywood Park and then beyond. Thing is, the company has the tech stack to back it up, being the technology providers for some of the biggest planetariums in the world. And then there's the sports angle: with the company planning to leverage live sporting events as part of their programming. Something Terry knows more than a little about: he played in the NFL before going into business and leading initiatives at FOX Sports amongst others.In other words: we're going long on the business of immersive this week.SHOW NOTESCosmAndrew Hoepfner's "How To Make Immersive Theater Your Full Time Job"Bottom of the OceanParticle Ink: Speed of Dark40 Watts From Nowhere Backer DiscountImmersive Experience Institute Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

40 Watts From Nowhere, an experiential documentary from Mister & Mischief (Escape From Godot, The Builder & The Dove) was the absolute highlight of this year's Without Walls festival in San Diego for the NoPro team. Now creators Andy & Jeff Crocker are bringing the show, which puts audience members into the shoes of Sue Carpenter the real-life proprietor of pirate radio station KBLT in the Silver Lake neighborhood of LA, to the place where the story actually took place.Strap yourselves in for a fun ride with Jeff, Andy, and host Noah Nelson as they cover the show, Andy's work on Tricks and Treats for Cedar Fair's theme parks, and how the lessons they learn on their home grown creative projects carry over to the work they do in themed entertainment.SHOW NOTES40 Watts From NowhereMister & MischiefPatreon Backer Discount Code Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the show — we’ve gathered together a journalists roundtable to talk about this week’s Meta Connect event — and specifically the keynote address that introduced the Quest Pro headset. Joining are Scott Stein of CNET — who had some serious hands on time with the new device — Todd Martens of the LA Times, who covers games and themed entertainment for LA’s daily newspaper, and the one and only Kent Bye of the Voices of VR Podcast — making this episode a crossover pod!Show NotesScott Stein at CNETScott's Quest Pro hands-on, and Reality Labs videoTodd Martens at the LA TimesKent's Voices of VR PodcastThe Denver Immersive GatheringWhat Are Immersive Experiences? (Immersive Experience Institute) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the show — it’s a two-hander as Los Angeles Reviews Editor and Review Crew captain Kevin Gossett and host Noah Nelson trade notes on LA’s Spooky Season so far — covering Universal Halloween Horror Nights, Knott’s Scary Farm, the Haunted Hayride and a few asides along with shop talk about what makes these things click for both aficionados and the more causal spooky season goers.SHOW NOTESDisney signs deal with Lighthouse Immersive (Toronto Star)Denver Immersive Gathering Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the show — we chat with members of the creative team of Nightfall at Old Tucson — Erik Blair and Michael Thomas-Visgar – about how they’re transforming the classic haunted amusement park attraction into an immersive playground this year.Then Justin Fix of JFI Productions swings by to talk The Willows, which is returning to LA with its first Spooky Season edition, and we do what Justin and I always do: start talking the business of immersive.  Show NotesNYC Immersive Meetup RSVPDenver Immersive GatheringEverything ImmersiveCASTINGBoston Bar BloodsuckersThe NoPro Discord Forums Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the show — Yannick Trapman-O’Brien, creator of the beloved TELELIBRARY is here to talk about the TWO shows he has in the Philadelphia Fringe Festival — Fair Trade, a collaboration with Jessica Creane, and Undersigned — which is also making its way to New York City soon. [8:25]Then David Thomas will be here to help us take a deep dive into The DIG — The Denver Immersive Gathering — as we announce the full schedule for this next great gathering of the immersive creative community that’s coming up on Nov 4–6th. [45:14]Plus Noah’s riff on this week’s big immersive business news. [1:23:00]Show NotesFair TradeUndersignedThe DIGNYC Immersive MeetupBOTO Fundraiser for NoProToday Tix Acquires Secret Cinema for 100 million plus | Variety Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the show — choreographer and creator Koryn Wicks is here to talk about the upcoming run of her show CASTING, a surreal, satirical take on the casting process that is having its first public run this month at Thymele Arts in Los Angeles after emerging as the winner of the 2019 LA Immersive Invitational, and in classic NoPro form we get into some theory while we’re at it. [5:00]Then Walter Magnuson, General Manager of Winchester Mystery House is here to tell us all about UNHINGED: NIGHTSHADE’S CURSE, the haunt experience that will take over 13 nights at the Bay Area landmark starting later this month. [28:10]SHOW NOTESCASTINGUnhinged: Nightshades’s CurseBacker Exclusive: BOTO & NYC Meetup Early AccessDenver Immersive GatheringAssociate Producer: Parker SelaMusic: Chris PorterProducer and Host: Noah Nelson Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the show — Andrew Scoville, the director of THEATER OF THE MIND, from creators David Byrne & Mala Gaonkar, which opens next week in Denver under the auspices of the Denver Center for the Performing Arts’ Off-Center program is here to talk about the show, and our Venice Immersive coverage continues [27:20] with Céline Tricart, creator of the VR experience FIGHT BACK, which explores the issue of gender based violence and gives participants a taste of the self defense techniques they can use to, well, fight back.SHOW NOTESDenver Immersive GatheringThe Weeping WitchBoston Bar BloodsuckersCasting Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We kick things off this week with the creative duo Lola Tango, that's Jessica Kantor & Eve Weston, whose latest work is the exhibit Be Water My Friend which explores the life and mind of martial arts superstar Bruce Lee, currently on display at Seattle's Wing Luke museum.Then NoPro's Patrick McLean stops by for a long chat with host Noah Nelson about what they've been playing, together and separately, in VR of late. That would be Walkabout Mini Golf's Labyrinth expansion (based on the Jim Henson movie), Moss Book II, and the tabletop dungeon crawl simulator Demeo, which is the not-so-secret origin of this segment. [27:00]Show NotesThe Look ClubTrailheadsNoPro Recommends: Best of 2022 (So Far)Review Rundown Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our annual check-in on the Venice Immersive part of the Venice International Film Festival means we get to talk with Liz Rosenthal and Michel Reilhac once more, and there's a LOT to unpack with 43 projects from 19 Countries and 32 VRChat worlds in the mix.Then we settle in for a chat with Eric Kohn of Indiewire who had a banger of a column last week "Embrace the Metaverse! Only, Please, Ignore Mark Zuckerberg’s Version of It," where he laid out a case that the metaverse is going to be to the entertainment industry as a whole what the VCR was to the film biz.Show NotesCall Sheet 8.25.22BFI London Film Festival Immersive lineupThe DIGNoPro Discord  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week: another double header — we start with Keith Tralins and Kyle Prestenback of Hunt A Killer who stop by to talk about the mystery company’s extensive line up of boxed experiences, and the live action origins — and future — of the company. [2:50]Then returning to the pod is one of our favorite people to talk immersive with designer and director David Ruzicka, whose latest work was experienced by those lucky enough to attend HBO’s House of the Dragons activation produced by Giant Spoon at San Diego Comic Con. [27:25]SHOW NOTESHunt A KillerTricks and Treats at CA's Great AmericaTricks and Treats at ValleyfairReview RundownCall SheetImmersive 5: Paul King of Party Geek Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we have a not-so-subtle theme: gaming outside the home.When that's your theme there's no one better to kick things off with than Kevin Williams of Spider Entertainment and The Stinger Report, the Global Amusement & Attractions news service, who shares his insight into the state of VR in the location based entertainment sector as evidenced by the arrival of Sandbox VR in London.Then we hop the Atlantic to talk with James Cobalt about the Malden Gaming District in Malden, MA, a unique neighborhood in the Boston suburb gathers gaming experiences of all stripes into the city's historic downtown core.SHOW NOTESSandbox VR - LondonThe Immersive Game TheatreThe Immersive 5: The Light PoetsReview Crew: Ring Ring! Phone Shows Calling! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

They're Baaaack.The Crew – Kevin Gossett (LA Reviews Editor), Laura Hess (Arts Editor), Leah Davis (New England Curator), and Blake Weil (East Coast Editor at Large) – answer the call of three phone based shows... but first Leah travels to LA and encounters The Nest before it ends it run (1:00).Those Phone Shows:I Cut Myself Shaving and I Bled So Much 11:40Lennox Mutual 24:55Our Options Have Changed 49:11 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Two great interviews this week with two luminaries of immersive.First: writer Margaret Kerrison, whose work includes Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, joins us to talk about her new book Immersive Storytelling For Real and Imagined Worlds: A Writer's Guide. This is a must-read for everyone who makes immersive work. Period, full stop. Then Charlie Miller, Executive Director & Curator of the Denver Center for Performing Art’s Off-Center program, stops by to talk about Off-Center's new position in the DCPA and the work they have on tap for Denver in the Fall.Show NotesMargaret Kerrison, In Conversation With Nancy Seruto at Vroman'sTheatre of the MindThe DIGReview RundownCall Sheet Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We settle in for a long chat about storytelling and the art of immersion with Frank Rose, the man who literally wrote the book on the subject. Frank's latest book, 'The Sea We Swim in: How Stories Work In A Data Driven World' takes center stage and we also touch on his work with Columbia University's Digital Storytelling Lab and their annual Digital Dozen list.Show NotesThe Art of ImmersionThe Sea We Swim InColumbia University's Digital Storytelling Lab2022 Digital DozenThe Denver Immersive Gathering Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the show: Chris Alderson of Polyarc Games joins us to talk about the MetaQuest release of Moss: Book II and what the studio learned about creating virtual characters you can’t help but form a bond with. [6:30]And Félix Lajeunesse of Felix & Paul Studios is here to bring us up to speed on the latest with their collaboration with NASA — the final episode Space Explorers: The ISS Experience and the upcoming Artemis mission livestream. [30:50]All that plus HEADLINES.SHOW NOTESSDCC Activations @ Everything ImmersiveTender Claws Human UnionMeow Wolf Workers CollectiveCommunication Workers of AmericaWalkabout MiniGolf VR Tour SignUpThe Metaverse And How it Will Revolutionize EverythingThe NoPro DiscordThe Denver Immersive GatheringWho’s The Bossk? The Force AwakensNoPro Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For our 350th episode we bring on members of the Senior Staff at NoPro: Leah Davis (New England), Patrick McLean (Chicago), Blake Weil (East Coast), and Kevin Gossett to talk about the state of immersive in their neck of the woods. It's a big sprawling convo that finds us diving deep on installation art, the mainstreaming of immersive experiences, LARPing, and XR. Hosted by Noah Nelson. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For years now, first in a backyard and then inside an early 20th century storage building, one of the most unique immersive creations in the world has been one of Los Angeles' treasures: Scout Expedition Co.'s The Nest.Created by themed entertainment designers Jarrett Lantz and Jeff Leinenveber, The Nest has both delighted audiences and broken our hearts since it first turned up, almost like a rumor, years ago. A visit to a storage unit reveals the shape of a life, told through audio tapes (literal tapes), and interactive moments that unlock more and more of the story of a woman named Josie, whose legacy is now yours.This special episode of the podcast, our 349th, brings Lantz and Leinenveber together with Mackenzie Firgens, the voice of Josie, and was recorded inside The Nest itself. The Thea Award-winning show will close this August. But there's still time to discover it, or revisit it, and the code NOPROPODCAST will unlock a discount for these last shows. Scout Expedition will also be offering up Behind The Scenes tours over the summer, so keep an eye out for that.Show NotesThe NestScout Expedition Co.The DIG Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's a big show this week.First up: writer-director Ryan Griffen and executive producer Nathan Anderson are here to talk with us about Lustration, the narrative VR series available on Meta Quest that adapts Griffen's neo-noir afterlife tale from comics to virtual reality. With a little help from voice actors like Kevin Conroy and Dante Basco. [6:00]Then David Markland of Midsummer Scream is here to tell us about this year's Halloween and Horror Convention, the first full Scream since 2019, which is returning to Long Beach July 29th - 31st. [35:10]Finally, we settle in for a great conversation with Susanna Pollack, President of Games For Change — producers of On The Morning You Wake (To The End of the World) and of the upcoming Games For Change Festival in New York City and ONLINE in July 13-16th that brings game makers and XR creators together with a focus on creating social impact through their work. [51:05]All that PLUS details on this November's Denver Immersive Gathering at the top of the show. Tickets on sale NOW. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We wrap up our Tribeca Immersive 2022 coverage with this gathering of the Review Crew: NYC correspondent Edward Mylechreest is joined by special guest Nick Fortugno who makes his Review Crew debut both of whom were on-site at Tribeca this year. Hosted by NoPro Podcast host Noah Nelson, who held down the fort on the at-home portion of Tribeca.In this episode:This is Not A Ceremony [3:00]Plasticsapiens [7:52]Please Believe Me [10:35]Intravene [16:25]Iago [28:22]Emerging Radiance [36:40]Reach You [43:46]Evolver [48:38]Our Complete Tribeca Immersive Coverage:2022 Festival DiaryPodcast Interview: This Is Not A CeremonyPodcast Interview: Tribeca Immersive’s Ana BrzezinskaPodcast Interviews: Intravene & Mescaform HillCreator Spotlight: Q&A Interviews with Five Projects Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our Tribeca Immersive coverage continues with interviews of the creative teams behind two of the most exciting projects at this year's festival.First up: Glenn Neath of DARKFIELD and Garth Mullins of the Crackdown Podcast join us to talk about their collaboration with documentarian Brenda Longfellow called INTRAVENE, an immersive docudrama series about the overdose crisis in Vancouver. [3:35]Then Edward Madojemu, the artist behind Mescaform Hill: The Missing Five talks with us about adapting the webcomic world he created with his brother Adam into the immersive animated short that is now available on Oculus TV, and about his multiple approaches to bringing comic book storytelling into the spatial medium. [27:00]Plus an update from David Spira of Room Escape Artist on RECON: the Reality Escape Convention.Show NotesINTRAVENETribeca Immersive Diary 2022Tribeca Immersive Creator SpotlightRECONThe Onward Odyssey of OddKnock ProductionsReview Rundown: Plays Within Plays Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week New England correspondent Leah Davis hops into the host seat and is joined by Arts Editor Laura Hess to talk Stranger Things. No, not Season 4 and its upcoming finale, but to swap notes on the past two years of Stranger Things experiences. First Laura takes us back to 2020 and the Stranger Things Drive-Into Experience in LA to set the background.Then Leah pivots to the NYC edition of Stranger Things: The Experience, which opened this season. (13:08) And for those wondering: YES, the San Francisco one is ALREADY OPEN.--Discover the latest immersive events, festivals, workshops, and more at our new site EVERYTHING IMMERSIVE, new home of NoPro’s show listings.NoPro is a labor of love made possible by our generous Patreon backers. Join them today!In addition to the No Proscenium website, our podcast, and our newsletters, you can find NoPro on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, in the Facebook community Everything Immersive, and on our Discord. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Summer Festival season has started in earnest and this week's episode has us touching base with two very different events on the East and West Coast of the United States.Ana Brzezinska curator of this year’s Tribeca Immersive at the Tribeca Festival which is taking place RIGHT NOW in New York City joins us to talk about this year’s selections and how it all comes together both in NYC and in the virtual galleries of the Museum of Other Realities.Then we shift coasts and festivals for the Hollywood Fringe where Morgan Taylor, Mason Conrad, and Kristin Childers of Not Another Midsummer join us to talk about this rollicking new show that wraps the Bard’s classic with an immersive metastory about a theatre troop coming apart at the seams. [31:50 - Explicit Language]SHOW NOTESCall Sheet for June 10, 2022NoPro Office Hours - June 13th at 4PM Pacific (Discord) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Review Crew host Kevin Gossett is joined by NoPro publisher Noah Nelson to chat about two shows they've caught so far in this year's Hollywood Fringe Festival.First up is Last Call Theatre's Signals, which takes the online-MMO format and adapts it into a theatrical setting that uses the internet's own crowdsourced SCP Foundation as inspiration. Then it's The Queen's Fools production of Not Another Midsummer, a fantastic riff on the Shakespearean classic that mixes immersive elements in a gloriously chaotic pre-show with a rock solid show with a show that has a show. (That itself has a show within a show.) [12:43]Show NotesNoPro Office Hours in the NoPro Discord -- Monday June 13 @ 4PM Pacific Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We kick off our Tribeca Immersive coverage this week with Ahnahktsipiitaa (Colin Van Loon) the director of This Is Not A Ceremony, a stunning piece of 360 cinema that calls on the viewer to bear witness to personal details of the injustices visited upon Indigenous men in Canada. It is a film that understands the power of its medium, and through the heaviness of its subject matter also demonstrates the strength of First Nations individuals and communities. The film plays both in-person and as part of the online portion of Tribeca Immersive (online tickets are just $5).SHOW NOTESTribeca Immersive Panel: Extended Reality As A Modern Identity ToolkitNick Tierce's The BSO That Almost Was Twitter ThreadParticle Ink: Speed of DarkNoah's Office Hours: June 13th at 4PM PDT Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Blake, Patrick, and Kevin dive into the last two Book Club selections: L.E. Hall's Planning Your Escape, which serves as both a history of play that led up to the creation of escape rooms and as a guide on how to approach escape games (with a good dose of immersive theatre history to boot); and Erin Morgenstern's The Night Circus, a fantastical novel set in the midst of a duel between two magicians at an otherworldly circus that just so happens to be inspired in part by the original production of Punchdrunk's Sleep No More.Hosted by Kevin Gossett, with Blake Weil & Patrick McLeanShow NotesFailbetter's promotional story game for The Night Circus Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Artist Adam Schwerner joins us to discuss Your (Un)natural Garden, currently delighting visitors to LA's Descanso Gardens. We talk about the interactive installations, botanical gardens as a canvas for art, and what he's learned about large-scale art as part of the executive team of the most iconic venue in themed entertainment.Plus: The Pick of the WeekHeadlinesApple Mixed Reality Device Details Begin To Emerge (Daring Fireball highlights The Information)Report: Apple Board Gets Mixed Reality Demo (Bloomberg)Two Bit Circus Announces Merger, New Venture (Blooloop)Hunt-A-Killer's New, More Mainstream Offerings (Press Release)Associate Producer: Parker SelaMusic: Chris Porter Headlines: Kathryn Yu, Executive Editor of No ProsceniumProducer and Host: Noah Nelson   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's a whole hour focusing on the Meta Quest, from the recent showcase to what's worth playing right now. Kevin Gossett plays host as Kathryn Yu and Patrick McLean blast through:Meta Quest Gaming ShowcaseMoss: Book II by PolyarcGhostbusters VR by nDreams + Sony Pictures Virtual RealityAmong Us VR - Innersloth, Schell Games, and Robot TeddyRed Matter 2 by Vertical RobotA quick detour to talk about another upcoming game: The Last ClockwinderThen it's on to what they've been playing:Area Man Lives by Numinous Games (also on Viveport & Steam)Lost Recipes by Schell Games (Quest exclusive)Unbinary by Ludact (also on Viveport & Steam)Want more Quest Games to check out? Explore NoPro's MUST PLAY Guide to the Quest. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Artist Glenn Kaino joins us to talk about his latest installation, 'A Forest For The Trees,' a stunning work in Los Angeles presented by The Atlantic and Superblue. This one's a can't-miss experience. [7:15]We also talk with Erin Brindley and Terry Podgorski, co-executive artistic directors of Seattle's best kept secret Cafe Nordo, which returns to live work with 'Down The Rabbit Hole.' [30:20]Plus: the Pick of the Week [27:20] and Headlines.SHOW NOTESA Forest For The TreesCafe NordoThe Los Angeles Immersive InvitationalMeow Wolf in TexasGalactic Starcruiser Booked OutFacebook Shows Off Mixed RealityEverything Immersive: TrailheadsEverything Immersive: Immersive Getaways Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

NoPro London Curator Shelley Snyder is joined in person by New England Correspondent Leah Davis to trade notes on their experiences at Punchdrunk's latest production The Burnt City. Watch out for spoilers, as Shelley and Leah go through their multiple runs of the show and share some of the secrets they've uncovered in this highly anticipated, hugely ambitious work from the creators of Sleep No More.For a spoiler-free review, check out Shelley's write-up at the site. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cesar Hawas, executive producer of Particle Ink: Speed of Dark, an incredible new show that seamlessly blends projection-mapped characters with live performers to create an immersive work like no other. It's playing now in Las Vegas and you really should go!Plus: Landon Zakheim of the Overlook Film Festival drops in to talk about this year's immersive offerings at the New Orleans celebration of all things horror this June.Show NotesParticle Ink: Speed of DarkOverlook Film FestivalThe Los Angeles Immersive InvitationalThe Denver Immersive Gathering Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Graham Wetterhahn of After Hours Theatre Company joins host Noah Nelson to talk about the upcoming Los Angeles Immersive Invitational, a 48-hour pop-up festival that challenges immersive creators from across LA to make new work out of thin air and share it with the public just two nights later. After a successful 2019 event, this year's edition will be held at the Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles. Listen to learn which companies and artists are joining the weekend's festivities.Audience tickets for the Invitational go on sale this coming Monday.HeadlinesVR Researchers Simulate Kissing (Gizmodo)Japanese Immersive Art Collective Sues California Company for Copyright Infringement (ARTNews)Tribeca Immersive LineupShow NotesWOW Festival DiaryReview Crew Podcast: WOW FestivalReview RundownCall SheetGames For Change Festival Registration OpensAssociate Producer: Parker SelaMusic: Chris Porter Producer and Host: Noah Nelson   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Kevin Gossett hosts as Laura Hess and Noah Nelson report back from the 2022 Without Walls Festival in San Diego. The now annual festival, produced by La Jolla Playhouse, returned to Arts District Liberty Station with a collection of plays, performances, and public art pieces. The Crew tackles just a slice of this jam-packed event.Monuments [6:51]TransMythical [11:42]Ants [14:06]Somnium [17:35]Black Séance [28:06]A Thousand Ways Part Three [44:07]40 Watts From Nowhere [58:36]Show NotesWOW 2022 Festival DiaryBook Club: The Night Circus (May 17th @5pm PDT) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we talk with Owen Kingston and Chris Styles of Parabolic Theatre in London about their current season of immersive works and the company's new home the CRYPT in the East End, which they've shared with a few productions rehomed from the canceled Vault festival.Show NotesParabolic TheatreThe Los Angeles Immersive InvitationalReview Crew on Big Beautiful BRANDS: Doctor Who, Bridgerton & MoreAssociate Producer: Parker SelaMusic: Chris Porter Producer and Host: Noah Nelson   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Kevin Gossett hosts a conversation all about the kinds of big branded experiences that are many people’s first foray into immersive.Shelley Snyder joins from London to talk Doctor Who: Time Fracture [spoiler warning at 12:00] while LA correspondent Briana Roecks and Arts Editor Laura Hess detail their time at Netflix’s Bridgerton ball in LA (which has popped up in Chicago and D.C., but is different from the Secret Cinema one in London. Got it?) [13:45]Plus there’s talk about I Know What You Did Last Summer, which JFI put together for Amazon. [37:40] Plus you know we had to mention Arcane. (Another Netflix show. Huh, maybe they should do more of these. Ted. Call me. I have the solution to your stock problems.)  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's a mega-episode this week starting with a panel of rebels & rogues who offer their travel tips for journeys on Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser. Journalists Brooke McDonald & Todd Martens and experience designer Nick Tierce, all of whom were amongst the first travelers on board the Halcyon, join us for a spoiler-free discussion that aims to help those who are traveling on board the ship make the most of their experience… with just a little dash of design theory sprinkled in for good measure. [7:50]Plus we talk with performer/creator Stepy Kamei about her currently running one-on-one phone experience 'We Should Meet In Air', which brings audience members into contact with Sylvia Plath in the last year of her life. (CW: mention of suicide, discussion of mental health). [51:00]All that and we announce the return of the Los Angeles Immersive Invitational and how YOU can be art of it [open segment], plus the Pick of the Week [47:00], and Headlines [5:40]!Show NotesBrooke's Review of Starcruiser (Simplemost)Todd's Review of Starcruiser (LA Times)NoPro Review Rundown (f. 'We Should Meet In Air')Los Angeles Immersive InvitationalReview Crew: Pick Up The Phone, Willya?Associate Producer: Parker SelaMusic: Chris Porter Headlines: Kathryn Yu, Executive Editor of No ProsceniumProducer and Host: Noah Nelson   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Patrick McLean takes on the host duties and chats with Leah Davis and Laura Hess about the often overlooked genre of telephone-based immersive shows. The Crew dives into what makes the format tick, starting with a discussion of Leah's time with Sylvia Plath (in a sense) as part of 'We Should Meet In Air,' and carrying on with talk of Capital W's 'A Call From The Resistance,' the work of Candle House Collective, and the multiple manifestations of 'The Ministry of Mundane Mysteries.' Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Leanne Pedante (Head of Fitness) & Jonny Ahdout (Head of Product Marketing & Community) for the VR fitness app Supernatural join host Noah Nelson again on this the second anniversary of the launch of the best fitness app in VR and then some. Only this time we're in person and it's a blast. [8:25]From NYC: correspondent Allie Marotta interviews Kendra Slack and Jordan Chlapecka of Linked Dance Theatre about the currently running The Incomplete Collection. [32:40]Plus the Pick of the Week [28:12] and Headlines.Show NotesLustration Q&ANoPro Book Club: Planning Your EscapeReview Rundown for 4.5.22Review Crew Book Club Special: Snow CrashGuest Review: The Creator Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This time out Blake Weil, Patrick McLean, and Kevin Gossett report back from the NoPro Book Club and dive into Neal Stephenson's seminal Snow Crash, the 1992 book that brought us the term "metaverse" laid the groundwork for countless imitators and an industry.Coming up next from the NoPro Book Club: Laura Hall's Planning Your Escape. The club meets for its discussion group next Tuesday, April 12th at 8pm EDT/5pm PDT. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we talk with Amy Ashton, producer of La Jolla Playhouse’s Without Walls Festival which runs April 21st - 24th at San Diego’s Liberty Station — it’s the longest-running theatre festival of its kind here in the United States and this marks the beginning of an annual cycle for the festival. [4:36]Then solo performer Siobhan O’ Loughlin will be here to chat about the upcoming remount of her piece Every Day I’ll Hope, which returns to LA this month. [37:00]Plus Kathryn Yu has this week's immersive headlines and the Pick of the Week [32:49].Associate Producer: Parker SelaMusic: Chris Porter Headlines: Kathryn Yu, Executive Editor of No ProsceniumProducer and Host: Noah Nelson   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Review Crew goes on another deep dive, single-topic discussion this week about Cadences: The Story of a Distance of its Pair. Leah Davis and Blake Weil recount in detail their experience play-at-home LARP from Soft Chaos. The conversation also goes into their LARPing experience and thoughts on storytelling, as Patrick McLean peppers the pair with questions. Note: while there are “spoilers” about gameplay functionality and the story Leah and Blake created, anyone else’s playthrough of Cadences would definitely be completely different. A limited number of physical copies of Cadences are still available to order on Indiegogo along with a digital download available on itch.io.Upcoming NoPro EventsMarch 31 @ 6pm PDT/9pm EDT - Community Forum: Expectations & AdvisoriesApril 12th @ 5pm PDT/8pm EDT - Book Club: Planning Your Escape Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Some know Josh Randall as the co-creator of the seminal immersive horror production BLACKOUT, others as the director of large-scale promotional activations at Comic-Con and in Hollywood, and yet others as part of the team at Two Bit Circus in LA — some of us even know him as all three. This week he's here to talk about something radically different: his performance in a site-responsive production of Will Eno’s Thom Pain (based on nothing) that he’s staging in his own garage in Los Angeles.Settle in for an incredibly personal interview with one of the most provocative minds I know.Plus: Kathryn Yu is here with this week's headlines.SHOW NOTESPeabody Award Legacy WinnersPGA Innovation Award WinnerReview RundownCommunity Forum: Expectations & Advisories (Discord; March 31) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In honor of this week's Game Developers Conference, we're dropping this NoPro Bonus Round segment, a sequel to episode 332 with Heavnue CEO Alex Coulombe. Our conversation picks up right after the end of that conversation with a dive into how the current state of cloud gaming architecture is setting the stage for the virtual, ah, stages of the tomorrow. Then we get even nerdier after that. Originally planned as a backer-exclusive, we're putting this one out there for everyone. If you haven't listened to episode 332 yet, start there! Host: Noah Nelson Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Like it says on the tin: a special bonus episode all about the ARGs of The Batman and how they have, and haven't, woven themselves into the fabric of the movies they've promoted. Michael Andersen of ARGN.com joins host Noah Nelson to nerd out on the still ongoing ARG for The Batman (the main url for which is rataalada.com), the history of Batman movie ARGS -- why so serious? -- and Noah derails the conversation to just talk about Batman in general because its the one thing he's loved longer than Star Wars. Check out Michael's detective work at this ARGN.com post. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're joined by Diana Williams, Kamal Sinclair, and Yasmin Elayat of the Peabody Award's new Digitial and Interactive jury to discuss the new category of the prestigious awards ahead of the reveal of the Legacy award winners at the Peabody ceremony on March 24th. This is a major milestone for a wide range of creative projects that until now have fallen outside the Awards mandate.Plus: HeadlinesUpcoming NoPro EventsDIY Publicity 101 (March 21- Zoom, Paid Ticket)AMA: Tara O'Con (March 24 - Discord, Free)Community Forum: Expectations & Advisories (March 31 - Discord, Free)Walkabout Mini Golf VR Tour (April - Free, game/headset required)Book Club: Planning Your Escape (April 12 - Discord Free) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Review Crew takes another trip—this time to Little Sodaburg. Fresh off a playthrough of The Traveler’s Guide to Little Sodaburg, Kevin Gossett, Allie Marotta, Blake Weil, and Patrick McLean discuss this delightful escape game. They chat about what makes it work so well, how it taps into the rare brand of comedy in immersive theatre, and more. Fair warning: The Crew talks generally about the show up to the twelve-minute mark and then its full spoilers through for the next twenty-plus minutes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Like it says on the tin: NoPro's Executive Editor Kathryn Yu and Publisher Noah Nelson share their impressions of some of the offerings in this year's SXSW XR Experience field. Included in this episode: Madam Pirate: Becoming A LegendSurviving 9/11 - 27 Hours Under The RubbleOn The Morning You Wake (to the End of the World)Gumball DreamsMinimum Mass& More Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's doubleheader goes deep into live immersive again with a talk with Josh Jacobs (CEO) & Jenny Weinbloom (Head of Studio) of Impact Museums, who are part of the partnership that has brought Immersive Van Gogh around the country and have plans that dive into everything from immersive theatre to STEM museum style experiences. [7:20] Then we check in with Eric Shamlin, head of entertainment at Media Monks and chair of this year's Producers Guild of America Innovation Award committee. Eric is a long-time friend of the show, and we wax philosophical on the state of play in immersive. [41:55]SHOW NOTESNoPro Book Club (Discord RSVP)Publicity 101 for Immersive Creators (Seminar) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.