Immersion everywhere

In contrast, immersive theater offers something different. Unlike regional productions of Broadway hits, immersive productions often adapt to local environments in a way that feels authentic and special. In Seattle, the Satori Group staged We Remain Prepared in a century-old steam plant. In Nashville, a production called The World’s a Stage included a conventional production of the Shakespeare comedy Love’s Labor Lost, with the option for patrons to explore backstage during the performance and observe another layer of the drama in which actors played “themselves.”

“To my knowledge, it was the first immersive piece for Nashville on this scale,” said director Jim Manning, a set designer and theater instructor. “The line between reality and fiction got blurred for all of us—even me … I really appreciate the questions this twist on theater raises, and how it makes audiences ponder some of the conventions of theater.”

Occasionally, “immersive” can feel like a marketing term for a glorified form of dinner theater, as with Hollywood Premiere Party: The Show, opening in October 2016 in Los Angeles. This production takes the form of a premiere event for the rom-com parody Love & Waffles, and includes “hors d’oeuvres, dinner, dessert, non-alcoholic beverages, live music and full access to the gala.”

But in other cases, the genre is not only pushing artistic boundaries, but also engaging patrons who don’t relate to traditional theater. Welcome to Here, staged in Pittsburgh by the Bricolage Production Company, is designed to accommodate the needs of children with autistic spectrum disorders. Instead of a single point of focus, the production offers a “dream-like forest playground of sensory engagement.”