Case in point: Strange Bird Immersive's The Man From Beyond offers a small group (four to eight) of audience members the chance to participate in a seance in which — wait for it — the ghost they meet is that of escape artist Harry Houdini.
In ongoing performances since January at The Silos at Sawyer Yards, the theater experience asks audience members to employ all their intellectual powers in an escape room game centering on the famous magician's struggles in the afterlife.
Check out the strange goings-on at Red House.
Photo courtesy of Dinolion
In a related immersive experience, Dinolion company is offering Red House, running April 27-30 in a secret location in Houston's Museum District. There audience members will explore a family's dark secrets with the help of actors, dancers and musicians.
"Beneath a veneer of piety and domestic normalcy lurk secrets to be unlocked. Only the boldest are fortunate enough to uncover all the truths buried within," a press release promises.
Jeromy Barber, who directs Red House and is a co-founder of Dinolion, is appropriately mysterious about Red House.
"I wouldn't call it a play. I wouldn't call it a musical or a concert. I wouldn't call it a dance piece. I wouldn't call it a live action game or a choose-your-own-adventure. But it can be all those things depending on how you engage with the piece."
Strange Bird Immersive's The Man From Beyond. 8 p.m. Thursdays Fridays and Saturdays at The Silos at Sawyer Yards, 1502 Sawyer, Suite 123. For information, visit strangebirdimmersive.com. Additional evenings and daytime performances available on request with minimum of four participants. $30-$40.
Dinolion's Red House. 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. April 27-30 at an undisclosed location in Houston's Museum District. For information, visit brownpapertickets.com or dinolion.com. $35-$50.
