Obscura Horror Interview - TC Mortem Offers a New Destination for Fear

Obscura Horror and TC Mortem

Obscura Horror is a new immersive horror simulation based out of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Offering real news articles, clever puzzles, and a high level of personalization for each participant, they have quickly differentiated themselves and claimed a loyal following among the Alternate Reality Experience and Extreme Haunt fans. Haunting was offered the opportunity to sit down with creator, TC Mortem, to learn more of his inspirations, themes, and their collaboration with LA-Based Heretic Horror House. Obscura Horror Interview with TC Mortem

Mortem has a background in film and theater production. Starting out in Los Angeles, he studied directing, writing, and acting–which led him to the Playhouse West Repertory Theater. “I learned a new respect for improvisation. Sanford Meisner’s technique is genius. I would learn about the actual meaning of the script or scene first—what it meant to me as an actual person. If I learned that first, then I could place the dialogue within that meaning.” He compares this technique to real life, in which we don’t use scripts but we rely on our motives and meaning to determine what to say.

When a friend introduced him to Delusion, Mortem found his passion in immersive theater. “I fell in love. I became obsessed,” he admits with a laugh. “I saw how by using improvisation techniques and various interactions you could literally make a personalized show people experience instead of watch. I spent every chance since then studying it at every type of show I could attend. Movies suddenly felt passive when you are allowed to interact with characters, make choices, and experience a narrative through a first person perspective.” Over the next four years, he immersed himself in this artform, as a participant, as an actor, and as a special effects artist. Then, he decided he wanted to create his own experience—mixing the strength of the storytelling in immersive theater with the brutal elements of extreme haunts.

A Personal Inspiration

Mortem describes this event as “walking into a live film-like scenario without the cameras. A series of situations will occur in real time that look, feel, and seem very real; however, people will walk away unharmed.” He wanted this experience to be one that each participant would have their own intimate, personal connection with—and their own interpretation. “I have always loved debating and discussing the meaning and symbolism of certain elements in an artform,” he explains. “I always was one to look at the color red in a film, or the way a shadow cast a certain shape, or the viewed angle of a camera—and associate a meaning of my own creation.”

The narrative for Obscura Horror’s first show, Sabbath, was inspired from a true story from Mortem’s past. “When I was in high school I had a friend I had lost touch with due to his involvement in drugs. I hadn’t spoken to him for over a year. Randomly, he called me one night at 3am; half asleep, I answered to hear him frantically discussing not being able to sleep and being haunted by a “witch”. She’s currently standing in the corner of his room—but if he looked, she would disappear. That thought began to haunt me: what if he was not on drugs? What if he had legitimately been tormented by some unknown entity? Or what if the drugs provided a look into a different realm that we couldn’t see with our own normal eyes?”

What is Your Truth?

Thus, the narrative for Obscura was built on a foundation of offering multiple interpretations and viewpoints. This allows him to tap into a personal fear for each participant. By providing an opportunity for guests to believe what they want, what they fear, they can make their own truth. Initial puzzles pointed to true unsolved crime news articles of horrific acts with unclear motives. Some appeared to be Occult in nature, while others had drug connections. But what if they’re connected? Which motive scares you more? These threads led people down their own rabbit holes and conspiracy theories. “I wanted to make a story where guests are provided evidence for both sides, and I’ll never directly say ‘this is what this is for sure.’”

The theme of obscured truth is further perpetuated in the imagery of Obscura Horror. Created by an Italian artist named DokFitz, the poster for Sabbath (appropriately named “Witches Sabbath”) was the perfect fit for this experience. This, and the other imagery for Obscura Horror, is beautiful, yet frightening—and filled with clues. “I placed little bursts of realization that are waiting for people to discover. I’m planting seeds.” These seeds help elevate the fear for each participant as each participant will see something different.

A New Destination for Fear

While the Alternate Reality Experience is open to all, the in-person experience is limited to those living in or willing to travel to Tulsa, Oklahoma. “I think people have the wrong opinion [about Tulsa]. Over the past five years, our downtown area has grown into a thriving hub.” He recommends to book your flights early if you are coming; and they even have a hotel discount available to members in the Hilton Doubletree Downtown. However, the event is twenty minutes outside of downtown, outside of the safety of a bustling town full of people. This location will be given 24 hours prior to a guest’s showtime—and Mortem refused to give up any more information than that.

When you finally do enter the location for Obscura Horror, you embark on a personal path that will be unique to each individual. Mortem informs us that some parts will be linear as you are led from room to room, but other sections will provide an opportunity for exploration and discovery. Choices within these sections can unlock hidden scenes or even change the ending completely.

What are some of these choices? Well Mortem offers a few hints: “Some participants may have the option to watch things happen to others, some may have things done to them, and some may have to do things to others.” He explains that a lot of these choices will be determine based on the pre-show experience. “The entire point of the Alternate Reality Experience is to find out about each person playing along. Often this is through seemingly casual conversation.” So for those attending, be very careful what you tell a character.

A Partnership with Heretic

This experience is the first-time Heretic has truly collaborated with another experience. This is not a versus show; this is not two shows in the same venue; this is not two directors taking over half of a show. “This is a true collaboration where we both are working together to bring both of our ideas into existence in the same environment and narrative.”

Mortem recognizes the expertise and skill that Heretic offers, “I have been provided with so much assistance and knowledge from their staff.” Mortem speaks to Heretic creator, Adrian Marcato’s ability to genuinely make people believe they are in real danger, when in fact they are in safe and caring hands. “I had the opportunity to join them behind the scenes at Scare LA for the preview of their show DVIL. It was amazing seeing how their productions work from a behind the scenes point of view. Even with such minimalist set design as they had at Scare LA, it was very very effective. They operated in the utmost professional manner – everything was blocked, rehearsed, tested. Proper care and attention to every detail was given special care due to the improvised aspects during any shows of this type. They handle each persons level of intensity differently to ensure they are comfortable with the intensity which I believe is absolutely necessary. They use film industry actors, stunt professionals, film industry makeup fx artists, military trained experts, and professional wrestlers. That in and of itself is why I trust in their capabilities to help bring a type of event like this to Tulsa.”

Final Words

Mortem wants this experience to elicit a wide range or emotion: paranoia, loneliness, vulnerability, and fear. “I want them to learn new things about themselves and the world around them, to self-reflect, and to reevaluate certain aspects of their life. I want them to look back at the physical scenarios and question what was real, what was actually part of the show, what was not, and most importantly I want them to question the point of everything that happened.” Mortem pauses, his voice becoming a little more serious. “I want them to leave knowing what it could be like to be lured into something participants believe is just for fun…but actually is something truly sinister.”

For more information and for tickets, please visit Obscura Horror’s website. You can also follow Obscura Horror on Instagram.

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