The No Proscenium Podcast

We've reached the end.Of Episode 500 and Season One.Which means one last word from our host.See you in Season Two.(But don't act too surprised when we pop up a few times for some specials between now and then.) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This one is for the diehards.On Friday, August 29th, 2025 we held a Launch Party for Episode 500 in the NoPro Discord. We had no idea who would show up.To our delight Jacob Patterson, who you had a chance to hear in the last part of the marathon, ARGN's Michael Anderson — who gives us a spoiler-free expectation set on Masquerade, the immersive Phantom currently in previews in New York City, NoPro correspondent Briana Roecks who shares some Spooky Season anticipation for both LA and Las Vegas, and drop-ins from Laura Hall and Cameo Wood as well.It's a hangout episode and fair warning: the audio quality is sub-par in the extreme! I'm even on my Airpods because I was so exhausted from editing and being on the Yeti for hours on end that I just jammed the Pods in my ears and forgot how bad they would sound. So if you skip this because it sounds mid, I won't take offense. This one, as they say, is for the sickos.But if you do stick around, well: you're a real one, and all the copious links in the show notes below are going to make sense.SHOW NOTESTammany Hall is a Petco: Zohran's Summer Scavenger HuntMasqueradeMajestic Rep Las VegasPeople In the Dark: An Immersive Ghost StoryThe WillowsThe Haunted SoireeThe Wild, Citywide Scavenger Hunt That Ate San Francisco (Wired)Santa's Village Where Dark Things DwellJunior's at Resorts WorldThe Beast @ Area 15DASH – Different Area, Same Hunt‘The Long Walk' Turns Screening Into Endurance Test With 3 MPH Treadmill Rule (The Wrap)'What the f--- is this?': What Darren Aronofsky has to do with new payphones in NYC (Gothamist)Why Did the Indie Film Studio A24 Buy an Off Broadway Theater? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We start Part 7 off where the show began, way back in Episode ZERO, which we first released on SOUND CLOUD as a pilot for a potential series, with an interview with Annie Saunders of Wilderness, whose The Day Shall Declare It jump started that renaissance era and got the local performing arts world taking things seriously.Annie and I look back on that, and on the roadblocks that have kept her from making work here at that scale since. And then I talk to some of the other folks who come up in our conversation and those who helped shape the way I thought about and moved through the LA arts scene — like Lauren Ludwig and Monica Miklas of Capital W, and designer Tommy Honton who did so much work on the permitting crisis that hit LA in the wake of tragic events in Northern California in 2016. And, of course, Jacob Patterson, who ran Think Tank Gallery in DTLA and gave countless projects and artists a home… including this podcast for a while.One last jaunt through LA for Season One. Because you know we had to.SHOW NOTESAnnie SaundersWildernessThe Day Shall Declare It14th Factory(NPR)Jacob PattersonMonica Miklas/Aviary Creative WorksCapital W PerformanceTommy HontonLauren Ludwig Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

And now is the part of the Episode 500 Marathon where we get to some lasts. In this case, the last Review Crew of Season One. For this one, which was the last we recorded, and the last thing we officially recorded for Episode 500, LA Reviews Editor Kevin Gossett and Chicago Curator/Remote Editor Patrick McLean join me for a chat that ranges from haunts, to the Golden Age of LA Immersive (appropriate, given where we're going next), and I ask the fellas the questions I've been asking everyone over the course of the marathon: when you first started down this road, did you think it was going to be such a big deal for you?Plus: Overlook Film Festival's Landon Zakheim takes his turn in this part's Spotlight section.SHOW NOTESYou Can't Scare Me (Meta Quest)Walkabout Mini Golf Passport TokyoBurnerSphere (The New Burning Man VR experience)People In the Dark: An Immersive Ghost Story (The thing from the Limos people)Overlook Film FestOverlook Film Festival Submissions - Including Immersive (For The First Time)The ManikinsPurrgilDu-Par'sDiner Grill Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to PART FIVE of the Episode 500 marathon "An Unstructured Conversation About Immersive Theatre," which, really, could also be the title of the whole dang podcast but that might just break the very ontological concept of SEO.Come to think of it, that might not be a BAD thing.On this part of the Megasode we touch base with Episode One guests Genevieve Gearhart & Julianne Just of The Speakeasy Society, who are about to launch their new show Family Meal this October, the first new Speakeasy Society show in LA in some time! Plus we're joined by Jay Bushman, who in so many ways, is responsible for us interviewing Gen and Julianne in the first place.SHOW NOTESThe Speakeasy SocietyFamily Meal (Seed & Spark Campaign)Jay Bushman Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In Part Four of our celebration of TEN YEARS of NoPro, Noah taps into his alternate-dimensional form as a Morning Zoo radio host, unbeknownst to London curator Shelley Snyder, her London cohort Thomas Jancis, or NYC curator Allie Marotta.But before that chaos is unleashed, we check in with The Wild Optimists — Ariel Rubin & Juliana Moreno, whose first appearance on the show was way back on episode 38 — and after the Zoo closes its doors for the day, have a quick hangout with Little Cinema's Jay Rinsky.SHOW NOTESThe Key of DreamsArborloguesViola's Room @ The ShedLander 23Bridge CommandAlien War DocumentaryUncle BarryThe Wild OptimistsLittle Cinema Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Look: when you do a thirteen or so hour long retrospective on a ten year long project you're going to wind up with a part that stands out to you as the center of it all, and I knew going into the recording process that the central interview for this part would be that for this run.The only real question was where to put it and what to pair it with.There were a lot of options, as over the past few weeks I've had a lot of great conversations, but at the end of the day I had to follow my heart…We lead off with what was supposed to be an interview with Kathryn Yu, Anthony Robinson, and Zay Amsbury — three of the folks who have shaped what No Proscenium into what it is. But the technology had other ideas. Then: another jaunt through the immersive cosmos featuring Afterhours Theatre Company founder Graham Wetterhahn, IKantKoan's Jessica Creane, and game designer and researcher Nicholas Fortugno, all of whom both Kathryn and myself traveled aboard the Galactic Starcruiser with.Episode 500: it's about the friends we made along the way, and the ones we talked into joining us for the ride.SHOW NOTESStone XocovezaAfterhours Theatre CompanyIKantKoanNicholas Fortugno Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to PART TWO of No Proscenium's Episode 500 Celebrating TEN Years of the NoPro Podcast with the first of three REVIEW CREW MIX TAPES… this first one features SF Curator Brian Resler — whose couch is integral to the origin story of an entirely different website that covers immersive things… our associate producer Parker Sela, who also hails from San Francisco, but who like many a Bay Area kid answered the siren call of LA, our Toronto curator Katrina Lat, who I think may be on a plane to Venice right now, or soon, and Scott Gillies, long time friend of the show who did some special assignment work for us this year in Japan.And then you get some BONUS POD with friend of the show David Spira of Room Escape Artist and Reality Escape Pod with a VERY NoPro After Dark style segment that, honestly, I thought we'd be saving for like HOUR six or seven of the show, but there's A LOT of moments like this and… well it all makes sense why these go together.SHOW NOTESThe Last Chevy's On EarthRainforest Cafe River Adventure RideBoston Slide CopBoston Slide Cop: Sixteenth Minute of FameDr. Botcher's Medical School (aka the thing with the puppet at Two Bit Circus Noah couldn't remember the name of)Alien War DocumentaryVanished ARG write-up at ARGNRoom Escape ArtistReality Escape PodA Visit to the 2025 Osaka World Expo Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For the past ten years NoPro has been your guide to Everything Immersive… and this is the first part of the multi-part celebration - slash - victory lap that is EPISODE 500.Over the course of this weekend, for about TWELVE HOURS, give or take, okay maybe closer to THIRTEEN HOURS we will be checking in with over two dozen of our favorite people to chat about this thing of ours — this immersive, experiential, spatial thing of ours …It's a series of conversations that is nostalgic, silly, sometimes profound, often rambling, that covers theatre, technology, theme parks, games, defunct restaurant chains, roadside attractions, margaritas, and puppets.These are, in fact, the friends we made along the way and more than a few of the friends we dragged along with us for the ride over the course of the TEN YEARS of making this show.And at the end… well, I guess we'll both just have to stick around because even I don't even know yet.For this first part — entitled a A Quick Jaunt Through The Immersive Cosmos — we take a stream of consciousness trip through experiential hyperspace with 5 interviews.Actors Siobhán O'Loughlin & Dasha Kittredge, Tender Claws co-founder Samantha Gorman, Producer Scarlett Kim, and director Rory Mitchell.Show NotesSiobhán O'LoughlinDasha KittredgeTender ClawsScarlett KimThe Mercantile Agency (Rory Mitchell) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week writer and director Eliza McNitt joins us to talk about Venice Immersive, the annual XR extravaganza inside the Venice International Film Festival, where at this year's event she is the President of Venice Immersive's International Jury, which will judge the 30 pieces in competition.SHOW NOTESVenice ImmersiveVenice Immersive 2025: XR Experiences To Stoke Your FOMO (A NoPro Guide)Ancestra (YouTube) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we're joined by Gillian Leitten, CEO of The Lumen Prize because today is that day that the 99 finalists for the Prize are announced (check the Show Notes) and Leitten is here to talk with us about the prize which celebrates artists forging new systems of meaning through technology's evolving creative frontier.We give a special focus on the Hybrid and Experiential categories, the later of which is the evolution of last year's Interactive/Immersive category and for the second year in a row features the most finalists of any category, 16 in total.SHOW NOTESThe Lumen PrizeThe 2025 Lumen Prize Finalists Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the show Franki Chan, founder and chief creative officer of IHEARTCOMIX, the award-winning creative marketing agency who joined us last weekend at The Next Stage Immersive Summit along with the team from #METAFORYOU of Terence Leclere, Dasha Kittredge, and Annie McGrath, to talk about the 2-night overnight horror horror experience at the legendary Stanley Hotel dubbed The Overnightmare is with us today to share the backstory of IHEARTCOMIX — from parties at LA's Beauty Bar in the Aughts to becoming a record label to just last week where they took over Hurricane Harbor for Bob Odenkirk's Nobody 2 wherein Bob… well I'll let Franki tell that one.We get Franki's view on our world from his vantage point coming from the marketing world as we make our way towards the big episode 500.SHOW NOTESIHEARTCOMIXFranki ChanThe OvernightmareWe Smashed Around While Waiting for ‘Twisted Metal' Season 2 (Gizmodo)#METAFORYOUThe Next Stage Immersive SummitEscape rooms to theme parks: immersive entertainment is booming | The Excerpt (USA Today Video Podcast w/Noah) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Zach Morris of Third Rail Projects and Charlie Miller of The Denver Center for the Performing Arts' Off-Center join host Noah Nelson to talk about the upcoming Sweet & Lucky: Echo — a companion story of the 2016 hit Sweet & Lucky –– which helped put Denver's immersive scene on the map.SHOW NOTESSweet & Lucky: EchoThird Rail ProjectsThe Denver Center for the Performing Arts' Off-CenterThe Next Stage Immersive Summit Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Parker Sela takes over the show to talk about Pompeii, no not the ancient Roman city that was destroyed by Mt. Vesuvius in 79 AD, but the Fosse-tacular immersive by Detour Productions that is coming to San Francisco at the end of this month.Billed as “part Fosse fantasy, part queer cabaret, part end-of-the-world dance party,” Parker checks in with returning guest, Detour co-founder and Pompeii director Eric Garcia along with performer Mudd The Two Spirt who plays the M.C. in Pompeii. And if you haven't clocked it by now, yes, this show is a mash-up of movies from what Detour calls the “Fosse cinematic universe.”SHOW NOTESPompeiiThe Next Stage Immersive Summit Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This summer a spectacle has bloomed at Meow Wolf's Convergence Station in Denver and Omega Mart in Las Vegas, bringing a new interactive performance layer that unfolds on a continuous loop and new characters from uncharted corners of the multiverse in the form of dancers, puppets, and shimmering creatures called Flickerwermz.It's called Phenomenomaly and it's running now through August 9th, and the event is inspired by the world — our world — of immersive theatre and dance. Joining us this week to talk about the event are Alexandra Renzo Contracted Creative Director of Phenomenomaly & Brie Lipari General Manger of Meow Wolf Denver.SHOW NOTESMeow Wolf's PhenomenomalyMeow Wolf DenverMeow Wolf Las VegasMeow Wolf & Niantic Spatial The Next Stage Immersive Summit Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the show it's a hangout show as members of the NoPro Review Crew — namely Toronto curator Katrina Lat, New York correspondent Nicholas Fortugno, our associate producer Parker Sela, and catching up part way through NYC curator Allie Marotta as we chat about a whole lot of things including the brisk sales on Masquerade — that's the immersive Phantom of the Opera that goes into previews next month, Tribeca Immersive, Voidspace Live, and whatever else tickles our fancy.SHOW NOTESMasqueradeTribeca ImmersiveVoidspace LiveToronto FringeFairyland Summer Solstice Ceremony at the ApothecaryThe Next Stage Immersive Summit Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the show we're joined by long time friend of the show Brent Bushnell — co-founder of Two Bit Circus, scion of the famed Bushnell family, and one of the earliest subscribers to the No Proscenium newsletter — who is here to talk about a new venture he is a co-founder of along with Aidan Wolf and Kevin Habich — DeamPark which turns mixed reality headsets into a configurable virtual theme park — transforming public spaces into ticketed playgrounds filled with dynamic virtual characters and which recently raised over a million in seed funding.SHOW NOTESDreamParkDreamPark raises $1.1M to transform real-world spaces into mixed-reality theme parks (Games Beat)The Next Stage Immersive Summit Program GuideThe Next Stage Immersive Sumit Badges Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the show we've got another double header.First up, Jake Pinholster the Dean of the College of Fine and Applied Arts at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Creative Producer & Director Scarlett Kim — the producers of Worlds in Play, join us to talk about the upcoming gathering of play practitioners—game and theatre artists alike— which is coming to Monticello, Illinois this August.Then joining us is Prescott Gadd, creator of Spies Among Us, a mystery adventure that takes place on weekends in DTLA's Little Tokyo neighborhood — and for that interview we'll be joined by No Pro's own Kathryn Yu.SHOW NOTESWorlds In PlaySpies Among UsThe Next Stage Immersive SummitNext Stage: Intensive ScheduleNext Stage: Speakers & Guests Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the show we've got an extra-long double header with some real clarity of purpose as we take a look at IMMERSIVE inside Theme Parks.First up, Mike Ostrom, Manager of Entertainment and Events for Six Flags Magic Mountain and WOW! Entertainment Inc's Mark Brymer join me to spill the details on DC Heroes & Villains Festival - an immersive theatrical takeover of and Six Flags Magic Mountain and Six Flags Great Adventure this summer which kicks off at Magic Mountain in Southern California later this month, with a Grand Opening on June 21st and will hold its grand opening at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, NJ on Aug 8th.Then we have an all-star AFTER DARK with CNET's Scott Stein, Overlook Film Festival's Landon Zakheim, and NoPro's Kathryn Yu and Parker Sela as we gather together to talk about Scott & Landon's time at Universal's Epic Universe, Kathryn, Parker, Landon, and Noah's time at Universal Fan Fest Nights, and the state of immersive — especially LIVE PERFORMER DRIVEN IMMERSIVE — in theme parks in 2025.SHOW NOTESDC Heroes & Villains Festival - Six Flags Magic MountainDC Heroes & Villains Festival - Six Flag Great AdventureWow! Entertainment Inc. Scott Stein @ CNETOverlook Film FestivalThe Next Stage Immersive SummitMiami Immersive Intensive Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today on the show we're talking about this year's Tribeca Immersive offering at the Tribeca Festival which is currently running in New York City.This year the lineup has come together thanks to a unique partnership between Tribeca, Onassis ONX, and Agog: The Immersive Media Institute. To tell us how that all came together we'll be joined this week by Casey Baltes, VP Tribeca Games & Immersive; Jazia Hammoudi, Program Director at Onassis ONX; and returning to the show is Chip Giller co-founder and Executive Director of Agog: The Immersive Media Institute.SHOW NOTESTribeca ImmersiveAgog: The Immersive Media InstituteOnassis ONXThe Next Stage Immersive Summit Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the show we go into the field for a visit to Sypher Arts Studio where Labyrinth Masquerade founder Shawn Strider and producer Jacquie Adorni give us a tour of the treasure trove of costumes that make up the living tapestry that is the Labyrinth Masquerade — the Twenty Seventh edition of which will take place this coming August 15th & 16th at the Historic Biltmore in Downtown Los Angeles.The Masquerade hosts thousands of guests each year, with many cosplayers and costumers going all out to create elaborate characters. The Labyrinth Masquerade is the place to see and be seen whether you are a Sylph from an airy dimension never visited by humans, or a hapless mortal wisked away from their prom night by a mischievous sprite. To get a sense of how hard folks go check the Photo Gallery in Show Notes below.SHOW NOTESLabyrinth MasqueradeLabyrinth Masquerade Photo GalleryThe Next Stage Immersive SummitThe Matrix in Shared Reality Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Little Cinema's Jay Rinsky joins us to talk about his most ambitious project yet:  bringing The Matrix — the 1999 blockbuster that defined action movies for a generation — to Cosm's titanic video domes. In classic Little CInema style they're using theatrical techniques to bring the world of The Matrix outside the film frame and onto the wrap around canvas of Cosm's big screens.SHOW NOTESThe Matrix in Shared RealityThe Next Stage Immersive Summit Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the show we are joined by Katy Naylor of Voidspace to talk about Voidspace Live, the interactive arts festival which is coming up in London June 7th & 8th and which is featuring a wonderful cross section of London's always bubbling immersive & experiential scene.SHOW NOTESVoidspace LiveThe Next Stage Immersive SummitNoPro Backer Focus Group (Round One - Pillar of the Community Tier & Above) Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We wrap up our Detor into Andor: A Star Wars Story's second series with one more trip along the Rimma Trade Route to talk with Jay Bushman about the final arc – ever – of the series which pushed Star Wars storytelling in bold new directions.Spoilers Abound.SHOW NOTESNight Drive - Synthwave Cyberpunk by Elysium Sound Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the show we are joined by Donna Personna & Mark Nassar two of the three writers — along with Collette LeGrande — of The Compton's Cafeteria Riot which has returned to San Francisco's Tenderloin after a successful run in 2018. The immersive, interactive play brings to life the 1966 uprising in San Francisco's Tenderloin district that was one of the first acts of organized LGBTQ+ resistance in the United States pre-dating the Stonewall Riots by three years.Donna beings her real life experience of being part of the Tenderloin's LGBTQ+ community at the time of riot, and her years as an advocate for transgender rights to the story while Mark brings a career that includes being one of the creators of the long standing interactive theatre hit Tony & Tina's Wedding to bear on bringing this moment of sometimes hidden San Francisco history to life.SHOW NOTESThe Compton's Cafeteria Riot Screaming Queens: The Riot at Compton's Cafeteria Donna The Next Stage Immersive Summit Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Another Detour into the world of Star Wars as storyteller extraordinaire Jay Bushman joins NoPro host Noah Nelson to dive into the incredible third arc of Andor's second season.SHOW NOTESDetour: Jay & Noah Talk Andor Season OneWho's The Bossk: Episode 224: Lonni, You're Out of Your Element with Noah J. NelsonPros & Cons Season 2Aaron Burr's Farewell Address Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jon Pedigo is known to the NoPro universe as one of the creators of Bar of Dreams, which has charmed audiences on both the East and West Coast and to attendees of the 2022 Los Angeles Immersive Invitational as part of the team that created the brilliant Well, Well, Well that year.Well, Jon will be back this weekend at the LA Immersive Invitational, teaming up with Karlie LeClare and Keight Leighn of Dream Logik (Snow Fridge), and joins us on the show this week to talk about Quonk, his project to create a sustainable venue to introduce immersive theatre to more audiences starting with Quonkhampton in Northampton, Mass.SHOW NOTESQuonkThe Los Angeles Immersive InvitationalWho's The Bossk? Episode 224 Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the show we're marking the imminent Halfway to Halloween point of the year with two interviews.First up: Jason Egan of Egan Productions - whose Saw, It, and Blair Witch escape games are perreniall favorites in Las Vegas, joins us to talk about his origins in haunts, and his latest endeavor: The John Wick Experience at AREA15. Then David Markland, co-founder and executive director of Midsummer Scream the world's largest horror and Halloween convention which will be returning to Long Beach this August, joins us to talk about Midsummer and the state of the horror scene as a whole.SHOW NOTESThe John Wick ExperienceEgan ProductionsThe Official Saw Escape Las VegasEscape Blair WitchEscape ItMidsummer ScreamThe Los Angeles Immersive InvitationalLife & Trust Cast & Crew GoFundMe Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As we near Episode 500 I want to start experimenting, exploring other ways to connect with members of the immersive creative community.One idea I've been toying with is a side-project where we talk with creators about works they love and that inspire them, and so that's what we do this week with long time backer, storyteller extraordinaire Jay Bushman.Jay and I have known each other for nearly 15 years now, he's integral to the origin story of NoPro, and we both love ANDOR, the second of which starts this week. Somehow, in all this time, we have NEVER talked about ANDOR with each other. Which is weird, honestly, as talking Star Wars with each other is one of the facets of our friendship.Note: this is a full on SPOILERS ON conversation, and it's less about the show itself then it is about storytelling, meaning making, and... okay it's also a lot about ANDOR! But it's not a recap show, so if you haven't seen Season One you will get lost pretty quick once we get going. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Another double header this week as first we're joined by Winston Fisher, Chief Executive officer of Las Vegas' AREA15 to talk about their 20-acre expansion this year which will see attractions like Felix & Paul Studios' Interstellar Arc, The Museum of Ice Cream, and the highly anticipated Universal Horror Unleashed. Then Graham Wetterhahn of After Hours Theatre Company and Nick Rheinwald-Jones of Spy Brunch join us for a chat about The Los Angeles Immersive Invitational, where competitors will be showcasing their creations on May the 4th at the Los Angeles LGBT Center's The Village at Ed Gould Plaza.SHOW NOTESAREA15Universal Horror UnleashedThe Los Angeles Immersive Invitational Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we're joined by Margaret Chandra Kerrison, who is here to talk about her latest book The Art of Immersive Storytelling: Strategies from the Gaming World.  Many of you know Margaret from her time with Walt Disney Imagineering where she worked on some projects dear to our hearts like Galaxy's Edge. These days she is Senior Creative Director for TAIT.Before we get into the episode — it's time to break down just who will be joining us at the LOS ANGELES IMMERSIVE INVITATIONAL the first weekend in May.SHOW NOTESThe Art of Immersive Storytelling: Strategies from the Gaming WorldThe Los Angeles Immersive InvitationalPatreon: How to use your audio RSS Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we're joined by Alexander Patterson, founder of Beat The Bomb and we go on the origin story journey of the New York based company which traces its roots to Alex's time with Tough Mudder all the way to its post-pandemic expansion, including the opening THIS WEEKEND of Beat The bomb Denver — the SEVENTH overall.SHOW NOTESBeat The BombBeat The Bomb DenverThe 2025 Los Angeles Immersive Invitational Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the show: another double header.FIrst up: Mikhael Tara Garver and Jenny Koons of Culture House Immersive are with us to talk a bit about the work going on over there, including a fair amount about working with creatives from outside the realm of immersive to bring their worlds to life.Then we check in with friend of the show Yannick Trapman-O'Brien, who is celebrating an anniversary for The Telelibrary — the much beloved one on one phone based experience that has taken on a life of its own — and is rebuilding the secretive Undersigned after losing some of the show to the devastating fires in LA this past January.SHOW NOTESCulture House ImmersiveYannick Trapman-O'BrienThe TelelibraryUndersigned Get bonus content on Patreon 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 and Mia Fiorella of the La Jolla Playhouse will help me make a path through the lineup of this year's Without Walls Festival, which is coming up April 24-27th on the campus of UC San Diego.Then Jimmy Reckitt and I talk about making Vampire LARPS which is exactly what he does as the Head of Story for By Night Studios and their upcoming event Darkness Emergent: Los Angeles, the latest in the Darkness Emergent series of blockbuster LARPS which comes to the Biltmore Hotel in LA on Memorial Day weekend.SHOW NOTESWithout Walls Festival Lineup AnnouncementWithout Walls FestivalDarkness EmergentBy Night StudiosEnemies of the Night Backerkit Campaign Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we are joined by Jack Aldisert of Deadweight Theatre, creator of The Manikins, which was the talk of the London immersive scene throughout 2024 — so much so that some legendary figures on that scene became collaborators — and which will be coming to the Overlook Film Festival in New Orleans this April and is sure to be all the talk there. In the host chair for this discussion is Shelley Snyder, NoPro's London Curator — and not only do Shelley and Jack deftly avoid serious spoilers (although those who love to go in cold, consider yourself forewarned) they also have one of the frankest conversations about making immersive work I've had the pleasure of listening to in quite some time. – NoahSHOW NOTESThe ManikinsDeadweight TheatreThe Overlook Film Festival 2025 Events Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the show we've got a look at two of the experiences in this year's SXSW XR Experience Competition — The Secret Life of Monsters: The Gateway Experience and Traces: The Grief Processor — we have the key creatives behind both joining us on the pod in a double header.Once again the SXSW lineup is filled with as many XR experiences, IRL activations, and smarty pants panels a person can take in, and we've picked out the ones we're most intrigued by in our annual SXSW FOMO Guide, which is up on the site and linked in the show notes.Which includes a panel your podcast host is moderating.SHOW NOTESThe Secret Life of Monsters: The Gateway Experience Traces: The Grief Processor The 2025 SXSW FOMO Relief Patch (A NoPro Guide)From Creator To Closer: Your Path To Greenlight (SXSW panel w/Noah)The 2025 NoPro Audience Awards Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the show we're joined by Erica Boeke, CEO of XPLAND — which covers the business of experiential from awards shows to activism, sports to immersive — and who are gearing up for their second XLIST — which puts the spotlight on the most creative visionaries in experiential. Nominations for which are open RIGHT NOW.SHOW NOTESXPLANDThe XLIST Nomination Process 2025Audience Discount Code for Nominations: XLISTNOPRO25 The XLIST 2023The 2025 NoPro Audience Award NomineesBallot Access for The 2025 NoPro Audience Awards (Backer Only) Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the show we've got a double feature.First up: Graham Wetterhahn of After Hours Theatre Company and NoPro's own Parker Sela stop by to talk about Dark Library Paris: 1925, a new immersive cocktail experience that's running in North Hollywood at present.Then: immersive theatre creator Michael Bontatibus, whose company Witness we have covered in the past here at NoPro, joins us to talk about the state of immersive theatre as a whole, based on a recent essay he wrote entitled "What Happened to Immersive Theatre? How traditional and immersive theatre could rebuild together."SHOW NOTESDark Library Paris: 1925 After Hours Theatre CompanyWhat Happened to Immersive Theatre?WitnessThe 2025 NoPro Audience Award NomineesSecret Cinema: GreaseUniversal Horror Unleashed in Las Vegas Tickets On Sale Announcement Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the show we're joined by Planning Your Escape author and one of the creators of the upcoming Mystery Ave. in Portland, the one and only Laura Hall — who will not be talking about EITHER of those things but instead talking about the Center for Immersive Arts — her project to help preserve key parts of the history of immersive art.That includes the resurrection of the classic Alternate Reality Game forum known as the Unforum, as a static archive that captures a key moment in time.SHOW NOTESCenter for Immersive ArtsThe Unforum (Archive)Planning Your EscapeMystery Ave.NoPro's 10 Most Anticipated New Immersive Works of 2025 (Part I)Immersive Review Rundown: Worlds Beyond, Worlds WithinCALL SHEET FEBRUARY 2025 Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the show, Stefanie Frey the Director of Organizing & Mobilization for Actor's Equity Association — joins us to talk about how Equity — the union for actors and stage managers — has been expanding its membership into places like escape rooms and themed restaurants that touch upon our world of immersive experiences.SHOW NOTESActor's Equity Association Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the show, the Review Crew – in the form of NYC curator Allie Marotta, East Coast Editor at Large Blake Weil, Exec. Editor Emeritus Kathryn Yu, NYC correspondent Penelope Ray, and host Noah Nelson – gather to talk about the end of Sleep No More's era defining run in New York City and the last run of shows and parties at the McKittrick Hotel, the show's venue in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood which now recedes into history. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The original plan for this week was for us to have no episode while The Next Stage Immersive Summit was on.Because of the ongoing humanitarian crisis in LA brought about by the wildfires The Next Stage is postponed.We'll have more on the plans for that at a later date. In the meantime check the show notes for how to help those in LA.Show NotesLA Fires: How You Can Help (compiled by Kathryn Yu)GoFundMe for immersive actor Brandon Bales' family to find a new place to liveGoFundMe for 2023 Next Stage Immersive Summit speaker Wendy McClellan AndersonGoFundMe for 2025 Next Stage Immersive Summit speaker Suzanne Down of Cirque BerzerkLA Immersive Industry Mixer at Squirrelor's Tavern Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A quick check in from LA as the fire situation evolves, including updates on The Next Stage Immersive Summit, which at present is still on at the Pasadena Playhouse Jan 17-19.We will check in next week.SHOW NOTESGoFundMe for Suzanne Down to recover from the Eaton Fire Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the show, Parker Sela takes up the host duties to interview Nicole Orabona and Nathan Leigh of CirqueSaw about their remote repertory season consisting of Void Main, a revival of POV: You Are an AI Achieving Consciousness and workshop dates for labRats and just why an online theatre company is going to all the trouble of coding its own platform. SHOW NOTESCirqueSaw @ WellAttended (ticketing site)CirqueSaw InstagramNext Stage Immersive Summit: Program Guide Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we wrap our End of the Year podcasts with our annual gathering of the NoPro Crew to look back at the year that was in immersive and look forward to what might be.Joining us for the chat are NoPro Toronto Curator Katrina Lat, New York Correspondent Nicholas Fortugno, correspondent-at-large Martin Gimenez, and Senior LA Reviewer Kathryn Yu.SHOW NOTESIn the Matter of the Death of ‘Tamara': A Post-Mortem – LA Times, 1993The Next Stage Immersive Summit Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

At the end of every year we pull together a roundtable of journalists covering immersive to look back on what was and this year we're talking with our colleagues in London, starting with NoPro curator Shelley Snyder, the Voidspace's Katy Naylor, Immersive Rumors' Graham Fitzgerald, and Franco Milazzo stage critic for Broadway World UK.SHOW NOTESVoidspaceImmersive RumorsFranco Milazzo, Broadway WorldThe Next Stage Immersive SummitNoPro's Best of 2024: Immersive Moments Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Ilana Gilovich, Chief Storyteller for Emursive Productions, joins me for our first-ever conversation and yes, we get into just what the Chief Storyteller for the production company behind Life And Trust and the McKittrick Hotel – home of Sleep No More in NYC — does and nerd out as only two theatre kids meeting for the first time can do.Happy Holidays: it's one of THOSE No Pro episodes and a good one at that.Plus: the latest updates on The Next Stage Immersive Summit including HASBRO & DISNEY LIVE ENTERTAINMENT. –NoahSHOW NOTESLife And TrustSleep No MoreSpeakeasy MagickEmursiveThe Next Stage Immersive SummitContact Noah about that thing he mentioned. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 Get bonus content on Patreon 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 Get bonus content on Patreon 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. Get bonus content on Patreon 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 Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.