Below is an interview with Chelsea Sutton, playwright at Rogue Artists Ensemble, that occurred at ScareLA 2018. Special thanks to Kevin Hsu for filming, Taylor Winters for interviewing, and to Jon Kobryn for editing.
The creative minds of Rogue Artists Ensemble, a collective of multi-disciplinary artists, are behind some of the most extraordinary theater experiences in the past few years – Kaidan Project: Walls Grow Thin, an immersive experience based on Japanese ghost stories, and Wood Boy Dog Fish, a fantastic retelling of Pinocchio. Calling their unique brand of creations hyper-theater, Rogue Artists Ensemble uses a variety of mediums – such as puppetry, projection, animation, and live actors – to embellish their story-telling.
At ScareLA 2018, Immersed got to chat with one of Rogue Artists Ensemble’s playwrights, Chelsea Sutton, about their integration of the audience into the worlds they create, from sand-box moments to more straightforward tracks. Sutton also discusses how she utilized the rich backstory of the fictional town in Wood Boy Dog Fish to create a magical lobby experience, much to the delight of the theater patrons in attendance.
Sutton explains how Rogue Artists Ensemble draws from folklore and myths that have lasted for generations and still resonate today, and reimagines the stories by incorporating their own brand of whimsy and unique style. For example, Rogue Artists Ensemble’s newest immersive play, Señor Plummer’s Final Fiesta, is a collaboration with West Hollywood and will prominently feature life-sized puppets in the fantastical story of a prominent figure in Los Angeles history.
Immersed stops by the Rogue Artists’ booth at ScareLA and talks with Chelsea Sutton, writer of Kaidan Project: Walls Grow Thin, Wood Boy Dog Fish, and the upcoming Señor Plummer’s Final Fiesta, which runs from October 12 – November 4.
For more information on Rogue Artists Ensemble and their shows, check out their website or follow them on Facebook.