The No Proscenium Podcast

Luke and Madison Rhodes of Cross Roads Escape Games join us to talk about how these horror-loving theatre kids wound up running one of the most innovative and immersive escape game companies in Southern California. Join host Noah Nelson as we talk about their smash debut hit The Hex Room, the game-changing The Psych Ward, and the 2019's pop-up theatre piece The Seance. Plus: some updates on the HERE Summit & Festival. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The second half of our end of the year/beginning of the year roundtable with Anthony, Kathryn, Kevin, beer, and Noah. Plus: the latest programming announcement from the HERE Summit & Festival, taking place March 27-29 in Pasadena, CA. Beer Notes: Enegren Belgian Dark Strong Ale 5th Anniversary edition. (Moorpark, CA) Bruery Terreux's Tart of Darkness (2016, Placentia, CA -- we get this one wrong!) Brewery Ommegang Valar Morghulis Dubble Ale (Cooperstown, NY) WARNING: there is cursing because there is drinking. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week the team gets together for the first time in a long while, and then we add beer and whiskey to the mix and… Anyway, join Noah, Anthony, Kathryn, and Kevin for the first of four parts. Then Blake gets added to the mix.  We’ll be dropping parts III & IV next week on the main feed, and a special Rise of Skywalker bonus episode with Zay and Noah into the Patreon feed (but open to all) over the weekend. Take a break from the chaos of the world and return to earlier in the week, when life was simple! ADVISORY: swears, probably. We were drinking. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we've got a special episode as Michaela Holland (NoPro NYC social correspondent) guest hosts a conversation with Abraham Burickson of Odyssey Works. Michaela has attended the company's Master Classes in the past, and she and Abraham talk about that and dive into the ideas that drive the company, which has been making cutting edge work since 2001. Speaking of: the deadline for the call participants for the next Odyssey is Jan. 5th, 2020.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Get ready to get weird as we touch base with the team behind 'The Under Presents,' the groundbreaking virtual reality experience that takes immersive theatre techniques and applies them to VR storytelling... and then layers in an experience with live actors dropping into the virtual world on top of that. Samantha Gorman and Tanya Leal Soto of Tender Claws join us, along with actor James Cowan, one of the performers currently appearing inside The Under. Plus: a little talk about California's AB5. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This month I had the pleasure of checking out American Contemporary Ballet's take on The Nutcracker Suite -- the perennial holiday favorite -- which they frame with an immersive twist. Interested in what I saw, and in the company's approach to using immersive techniques for a more traditionally tuned audience, I caught up with ACB's Artistic Director and Choreographer Lincoln Jones. Plus: word on your chance to check out ILMxLAB's Lightsaber Dojo without needing an Oculus Quest of your own.     Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Director Lola Kelly joins us to talk about her new work with The Unmarked Door -- 'Crimson Cabaret' -- which invites guests into a den of spies at the height of the cold war. With original songs by The Unmarked Door founder Rolfe Kent, and puzzles woven into the show by MOON/SHINE Experiential, the cabaret is an unexpected holiday treat for Los Angeles. Join us for a talk about the show and the art of acting and directing for immersive. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We've wanted to get Curtis Hickman, co-founder and chief creative officer of The VOID, on the podcast forever. This time out we finally get him, and we get Jake Zim -- Senior Vice President, Virtual Reality at Sony Pictures -- as part of a twofer. We talk about Sony and The Void's longstanding collaboration, the latest example of which is 'Jumanji: Reverse The Curse,' which is the most fun I've had at The VOID yet. Plus: we tease ticket info for the HERE Summit, but you can just click here to read it. And while you're at it: check out our 'Jumanji' review and the NoPro Holiday Gift Guide.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How did we get so lucky? Last week we sat down with Ben Snow (director of 'Vader Immortal'), Alyssa Finley (producer Ep. II and III), and John Nguyen (design director, Ep. III) of the ILMxLAB and Colum Slevin head of media in the AR/VR experiences team at Oculus to talk about Vader Immortal Episode III, the final chapter of the series. We dig into what the team has learned across the arc of three episodes, and so much more. Plus: two Noah rants. Woof. Show Notes - My review of Vader Immortal Episode III - Will Cherry's review of The Under Presents - Our bonus episode with Edward Saatchi of Fable Studio on Virtual Beings - And Ari Herstand's article about how California's new freelance laws are going to hurt independent musicians. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the show we travel up to CalArts and talk with Sam Dubois, the creator of Albany CA's The Avenue Adventure. Sam, now a sophomore at the University, got his start by creating the Albany Haunt when he was 12-years-old. He then ran it for five years. The Avenue Adventure was Sam's first crack at an Alternate Reality Game, and he managed to get the local Chamber of Commerce signed on. Look, what I'm saying to you is this: the next generation of immersive creators are here and they are going to run laps around everybody. Let's gooooo. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.