Downtown Repertory Theater - Witch! - Mountain View Mausoleum - Los Angeles - CA - Immersive Theater

Downtown Repertory Theater Creates an Immersive Masterpiece with Witch!

“Do you believe in ghosts?” James asks me as we traverse deeper down the dark corridor lit only by his lantern light. The coin purse jingles in my hands, reminding me of my mission—to deliver this definitely-not-a-bribe to the Magistrate. But as we walk deeper down into the mausoleum, I worry that I am further from the safety of the law. “My sister and mother—they believe in such nonsense. But where they may see ghosts in the graveyards, I see much more frightening entities in the darkness: thieves, robbers, and conmen.” We reach a dead-end, surrounded by the cremated remains of so many poor souls. “And you are far too trusting of a stranger.” As he says this, James extinguishes the lantern flame, leaving me in the darkness with the ghosts or the thieves hungry for the coin in my hand. I am at Witch! an immersive experience at the Mountain View Mausoleum.

 

Downtown Repertory Theater - Witch! - Mountain View Mausoleum - Los Angeles - CA - Immersive Theater

 

Witch! Introduction

Witch! Is the latest immersive theatrical experience by Downtown Repertory Theater, known for production of It’s Alive in 2021 and The Assassination of Edgar Allan Poe in 2018 and 2019. With eleven actors, this experience offers numerous tracks—or paths—that audiences will be selected to follow over the two-and-a-half hour run-time. As such, participants will experience various scenes with different characters—with the main narrative playing out in three key scenes that unite all groups together again in the main mausoleum hall. This provides a unique repeatability that allows you to come back again and again and you will likely engage with characters and actors that you only saw in passing the previous times.

Make sure to wear comfortable walking shoes as the experience does take place in the stunning Mountain View Mausoleum in Alta Dena, California—and has guests traversing all three floors of the location. Further, there are numerous opportunities for one-on-ones (an actor and an audience member alone in a scene) that provide moments of powerful intimacy and connection—which proved to be some of my absolute favorite moments. While not all guests will receive a one-on-one, they do attempt to make it fair by providing those who received one with a necklace so that they are not chosen again, allowing for new people to be selected for these special scenes.

I also feel it is important (for this site) to note that this is not a haunted house, an immersive horror experience, or a visually frightening experience. The sets are minimal, allowing the focus to be on the actors and the power in their portrayals of their characters. The fear here is derived from the themes of the story, the raw acting ability, and the unique take on this story. My best comparison would be an elevated performance of Wicked Lit or a spooky version of Speakeasy Society’s The Johnny Cycle—if you were able to catch any of those and liked them, then you will absolutely love this. This is a theatrical show with immersive elements, and the best experience I’ve seen from Downtown Repertory Theater to-date.

 

Downtown Repertory Theater - Witch! - Mountain View Mausoleum - Los Angeles - CA - Immersive Theater

 

Narrative and Themes

Witch! is a pertinent narrative, relevant to today’s zeitgeist, just as much as it was in the 1600’s. Based on the true story of the Pendle Witch Trials of 1612, Witch! follows the misinformation, the madness, the guilt, and the love of a town—and a family—when the name Witch! is shouted by all.

This story is character-focused, allowing you to develop connections to the Device family, the law, and some unique characters surrounding the family. Keeping the scale of this story personal and intimate allows co-writer Devon Armstrong to create characters that feel realistic and act with reason and justification, even if they are acting in morally grey spaces. There are no villains and no heroes, just people trying to survive in the situations they are given—and the word Witch! becomes a weapon to some, and a curse to others.

Reminiscent of shows like Making a Murderer on Netflix, we see how the law can be misused to force confessions from the weak and trusting. We witness mass hysteria ripple through this town as people are told witches exist in the shadows—and then, of course, they start seeing witches in the shadows. Further, each character has unique motivations for their actions: some navigating the pains of guilt, others trying desperately to protect their family, others trying to steal to survive, and others struggling with the weight of a decision to kill. Trust me, the depth in writing here is impressive and kept me engaged with the scenes and wanting to find out more.

 

Immersive Offerings

The performance begins with a free water, wine, or cocktail served in tiny cauldrons — so show up ten minutes early to use the rest room and enjoy your drink. As the experience starts, it shifts from fly-on-the wall structure where you are simply voyeurs watching scenes unfold and have no ability to interact with the performance to a style in which you become the town’s people and you yourself have the potential to be accused of witchcraft and put on trial yourself.

While at the start I felt disconnected as I watched the scenes unfold, the second half did more than enough to include me in the action and connect me to this world. I won’t spoil it, but there’s a unique mechanic where some people are designated as witches during the first half, and then these people will be called out—and given opportunities to turn on each other. In a wonderful use of the Prisoner’s Dilemma, I was paired with one other participant and asked to turn on them or remain silent. I love this level of involvement; it added some play and agency in the way my story played out.

While the group size starts out at around 40-50 people, the groups are quickly split, and split again—often splitting up groups or partners, sending them on wildly different tracks and paths and engaging with different characters. This is one of my favorite elements because we spent the entire drive home discussing the narrative and the various characters we saw—often having their backstory provide some sympathy for them or clarity to their actions. Audiences will also be chosen for 1:1’s from the actors, and pulled into dark corridors, small alcoves, or outdoor pavilions to connect deeper with these characters and receive a necklace from the actor.

 

Downtown Repertory Theater - Witch! - Mountain View Mausoleum - Los Angeles - CA - Immersive Theater

Location, Sound, and Lighting

Downtown Repertory Theater is known for using unique and gorgeous locations for their productions. While the first half of the run of Witch! was at Heritage Square Museum, the second half of the run has moved to the Mountain View Mausoleum—which means the authentic backdrop of the Museum is replaced with the barren marble walls of the Mausoleum. Yet, that is not a detraction, because personally, the Mausoleum may be my favorite venue for immersive literary works. There’s a certain gravity and historic awe that the location imbues works performed here with—and with three floors and numerous outdoor spaces to employ, this location feels grand and huge.

The set design is minimal, providing a focus on the actors themselves and the raw performance that they provide. The lighting is dim and intimate, with most scenes only being performed by lantern light. Yet, the large group scenes are lit by lights that shift and change from reds to purples to blue, helping elevate the key emotion of the scene. There’s no real special effects here—and even fire is only hinted at—and while they would be cool to see, it’s not needed and our imagination fills in the blanks for us.

My main criticism with the entire performance is that the sound in the Mausoleum does need some refinement. To fit the location and time period, actors have accents, which echo across the domed ceilings. This works fine for most scenes, especially the smaller ones. But some of the larger group scenes, the dialogue can be difficult to hear when they shout, as their words echo back at them, creating a cacophony of sound.

 

Downtown Repertory Theater - Witch! - Mountain View Mausoleum - Los Angeles - CA - Immersive Theater

Actors And Characters

Anne Redfern (Jahnavi Alyssa) and The Gentleman (Isaac W Jay) introduce us to this world via puppets. Jay howls at the moon as he becomes a canine familiar to Alyssa’s witch-like puppet character. The energy these two actors bring to this scene is fantastic and eerie, juxtaposing the childlike play of puppets with the fear and hysteria of calling someone a Witch!.

Thomas Lister (Aidan Collet) is the closest thing to a villain this performance has—a man who wields power as a weapon and fails to see people beyond tools for him. Collet hides in the background of early scenes, pulling strings, and licking his lips for the feast he is preparing—but it’s in the second half that he shines. A scene between Redferne and Lister shows that he desires love, just like anyone else, and his upbringing and thin walls helped make him who he is today.

Further, a scene between Lister and Alizon Device (Sarah Lee Harter) was absolutely heartbreaking. Lister offers to help her with her confession, and the naïve girl is overjoyed to have the help of someone educated—as she cannot write. But in an ironic twist, we know he does not have the girl’s best interest at heart, while she finds comfort that the guilt weighing so heavily on her heart will finally be given some peace. Harter perfectly moves between guilt, pain, and ultimately, relief, showcasing the range of this actress.

Further, I loved the duality Chanel Castañeda brought to Jennet Device’s character. At the start, she’s youthful, naïve, and blissful to the horrors of the world. But as the experience shifts, we see her learn to adapt. She pulled me aside and taught me the differences of pleading for my life, showing that this girl has watched the world and knows people—far better than many others did. Castañeda expertly plays both of these sides of Jennet, and her transformation is unsettling in the best way possible.

But one of the most nuanced and best-portrayed characters was Roger Nowell—sheriff to this town, played by Patrick Joseph Rieger. As the people of Pendle pull him in different directions—some demanding death from the witches while others demand them to be set free—he struggles with the decision. Is killing moral when its meant to protect those you love? Was he to blame for starting the hysteria in the first place—because when you tell someone there’s a witch in your town, they will find witches in your town. Rieger conveys the weight of these questions with such power, that I couldn’t help but feel empathy for him.

 

Downtown Repertory Theater - Witch! - Mountain View Mausoleum - Los Angeles - CA - Immersive Theater

Final Thoughts

I loved Witch! and it is the absolute best work from Downtown Repertory Theater to date. Director Devon Armstrong has honed his craft, learning how to coordinate several distinct tracks with numerous one-on-ones, all timed to perfection. The characters feel realistic and dynamic, allowing for you to connect to them as the narrative progresses. Minimal sets and dim lighting further enhance the intimacy of the acting. With only some difficult hearing some of the large group scenes, the rest excels, reminding me of the power of large-scale, multi-track immersive theater.

Witch! is important for so many reasons. It’s helping a growing small theater with a powerful voice with stories to tell; it’s telling the story of mass hysteria that is pertinent to today’s times; and it’s telling personal stories of guilt and love that will resonate in many people’s hearts. So, yell “Witch!”—not as an accusation, but as an affirmative, because this immersive experience is one of the best ways to spend your Halloween.

For more information about visiting Witch! this Halloween Season, check out their Facebook, Instagram, website or you can buy tickets here. For information about similar events, check out our Event Calendar.

 

MORE ABOUT HAUNTING


Haunting is a resource for immersive theater and horror fans in Los Angeles and across the world, promoting art and community. Want to help us reach even more people, and get some cool perks and experiences? For as little as $1 a month, you can join our Patreon and help us keep bringing content to life.

If you like the above article and want to find more like it, make sure to join our community. If Facebook is your favorite, follow us there and become a part of our groups for Immersive Horror fans and/or Immersive creators. We’re active on Instagram, posting evocative imagery and informative stories to promote our reviews and recollections; follow us there. You can even find us on twitter; click here to follow. And subscribe to our event calendar to get emails for all or specific events (look for the link right under the calendar)! Finally, we have a newsletter that comes out once a week; click here to sign up.

About The Author

Taylor Winters
Taylor has loved immersive theater since his first experience at ALONE in 2013. Since then, he has written, produced, & directed immersive theater, consulted for numerous immersive companies, acted in others, and attended even more. He has his PhD in Bioengineering, an MBA in Organization Leadership, and currently works fixing broken hearts.

No Comments

Share your Haunting words...

H A U N T I N G
Contact us : [email protected]
© Haunting 2020. All Rights Reserved.

Immersive Theater Intensity Scale Haunting Glowing A - Immersive Theater - Extreme Haunts - Horror Experiences
Visit Us On FacebookVisit Us On TwitterVisit Us On InstagramVisit Us On YoutubeCheck Our Feed


Expand your world
Become immersed in the artistic and evocative narratives of Immersive Theater

Check out our sister site:

Immersed Logo - Green
ENTER THE FOG
Generic filters
FILTER YOUR SEARCH
Reviews
Company Hub
Events / Experiences
Haunting.net | [email protected]