{"id":13048,"date":"2018-09-10T00:00:37","date_gmt":"2018-09-10T07:00:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/Becomeimmersed.com\/?p=13048"},"modified":"2019-12-11T19:07:44","modified_gmt":"2019-12-12T03:07:44","slug":"interview-icabods-cranium-tradecraft","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/becomeimmersed.com\/interview-icabods-cranium-tradecraft\/","title":{"rendered":"Secret Agent Fans: An Interview with the Creators of Tradecraft"},"content":{"rendered":"

In late September, 2018, veteran writer and performer Larry Meyers and his theatre company, Ichabod\u2019s Cranium, are teaming up with James Bond screenwriter\u00a0Bruce Fierstein<\/a> to create a new twist on the spy thriller.\u00a0 Using an immersive theatre approach, their production Tradecraft,<\/i> seeks to put audiences in at the ground floor of a crisis that they can shape and interact with as they see fit.\u00a0 Immersed<\/a> had the opportunity to speak to Larry and Bruce about Tradecraft<\/em>, their process, and the ever-shifting world of immersive theatre.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Could you describe Tradecraft for us?<\/sup><\/b><\/h4>\n

Tradecraft is a site-specific, immersive, interactive theatrical experience, in which Participants find themselves in a paranoid espionage thriller. The word “Tradecraft” itself is usually asociated with Cold War spies. That’s all we’d better say.<\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/sup>You both come from a television\/cinematic background, but while Larry has experience working in immersive theatre, what inspired Bruce to take the jump to this new medium?<\/sup><\/b><\/h4>\n

Bruce became intrigued with the immersive theater experience listening to Larry detail his experiences with cults and ghosts and getting phone calls in the middle of the night telling him to go to a dead-drop. It became clear to Bruce that this form of storytelling was delivering real emotional reqards, and if done properly, could provide unique and meaningful experiences to audiences. Bruce got his feet wet at Safehouse ’77<\/em><\/a>, loved Larry’s script, and thought they could deliver a realistic and entertaining experience for people.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Photo by Capt. Carrie Kessler\/U.S. Air Force<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

Have there been any other productions, immersive or otherwise, that have influenced your process for <\/sup>Tradecraft<\/sup><\/i>?<\/sup><\/b><\/h4>\n

The wonderful thing about Los Angeles immersive is that it is still in its exploratory phase.\u00a0 Creators are trying different things. \u00a0We\u2019ve picked up tidbits from every show.\u00a0 What we\u2019ve both learned from all forms of theatre is that we are story junkies. \u00a0We love good stories that are well-told, with characters that have original voices.\u00a0 The big immersive influence, though, is this ongoing theme regarding\u00a0choices<\/i>\u00a0that appears in so many shows.\u00a0 We think this not only is a core element to immersive entertainment, but a core element of human existence:\u00a0 why did I make a certain choice, and\u00a0what might have happened had I made another choice?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Los Angeles immersive scene doesn\u2019t see too many projects with this kind of subject matter\u2014what is it that speaks to you about the \u201cwar room\u201d idea and espionage thrillers in general?<\/b><\/h4>\n

Primarily, it’s a perfect genre for crackerjack storytelling \u2013 in which audiences must be alert and present, pay attention to details, and for us, to see if we can keep them guessing and create suspense.\u00a0 The genre lends itself naturally to suspense, which is foundation of authentic emotional response.\u00a0 The genre also tends to have conflicted characters, which we love.<\/p>\n

More philosophically, we experience so much conflict today compared to 30 years ago, because technology and social media has amplified every tiny thing that happens, and the velocity of news is so rapid.\u00a0 People don\u2019t stop to think, to consider, or to assess a given event before rendering judgment. \u00a0\u00a0In contrast, intelligence and military activity requires the ability to rapidly assess a situation while contextualizing the event within a larger strategic framework, and only then render a decision.\u00a0\u00a0 Perhaps because this genre tends to have very high stakes, we like reminding ourselves and our audiences to take a more \u201cintelligent\u201d approach to unfolding events before making rash decisions \u2014 pun intended.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Tradecraft,<\/a>
Illustration by Cristiana Couceiro<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

Will you be incorporating any technology, physically or thematically, that we can look forward to?<\/sup><\/b><\/h4>\n

That\u2019s classified.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What level of interactivity can we expect in Tradecraft<\/i>? How do you plan to account for audience agency or lack thereof?<\/b><\/h4>\n

The entire show is interactive.\u00a0 That is, Participants will be directly engaged with the actors at all times, and are encouraged to keep their wits about them and listen and observe carefully.\u00a0\u00a0 Choices matter.\u00a0 Some appear to be minor and some are very large, but Bruce’s experience in video games allowed us to create a story that where choices made could result in multiple outcomes \u2013 both during the show and after.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

How do you find your actors and what were you looking for when you cast?<\/sup><\/b><\/h4>\n

We wanted new faces for this show because it\u2019s more difficult to immerse oneself in our particular story if you recognize an actor from another show.\u00a0 So we sent out casting notices and held auditions.\u00a0 In casting, our experience has been that the best actors are the ones who are easy to work with, come in with interesting choices, and take direction well.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

8. On that note, how big is your cast vs audience size and what led to that set up?\u00a0<\/sup><\/b><\/h4>\n

Well, that depends.\u00a0 Again, based on certain choices, and how observant Participants are, and how well our team does its job, the 9 Participants per show may encounter anywhere from 4 to [redacted] characters.\u00a0 If we do our job perfectly, there are moments where you will never even realize you encountered a cast member.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What kind of audience do you think would be ideal for <\/sup>Tradecraft<\/sup><\/i>?<\/sup><\/b><\/h4>\n

People who dig anything having to do with the genre, of course, but also those eager to immerse themselves into a world they probably haven\u2019t experienced before.<\/p>\n

\"Immersive<\/a><\/sup><\/b><\/h4>\n


\nTell us about your space for the performance; how does it inform the piece itself?<\/sup><\/b><\/h4>\n

Larry is a big fan of the 1970\u2019s paranoid thrillers, especially Alan Pakula\u2019s films:\u00a0The Parallax View, All The President\u2019s Men, and Klute.\u00a0<\/i>\u00a0Pakula was big on shot and production design, and finding locations that reflected the comparative insignificance of the character to the space they were in and forces they were up against.\u00a0 In a paranoid thriller, the protagonist feels overwhelmed by these unseen forces.\u00a0 The space for our show will hopefully create\u00a0something\u00a0similar. \u00a0We also\u00a0think this is something our culture is struggling with now \u2013 our seeming insignificance in the face of these massive technology companies following our every move.<\/p>\n


\nWhat sort of challenges have you faced, if any, when mounting Tradecraft, and how have you overcome them?<\/sup><\/b><\/h4>\n

It\u2019s a logistical challenge, which will make sense after you experience the show. Fortunately, this is where having TV and film production experience is a big help, not to mention great support staff like our assistant director and creative muse, Stephanie Hyden [The Experiences<\/a>].<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What do you think the immersive theatre community is missing now, and how do you see it evolving in the future? What do you hope your place in that is?<\/sup><\/b><\/h4>\n

We love the experimentation that creators are employing, finding their voices and what stories to tell. \u00a0The medium also lends itself, partially because of its ancestry, to darker themes.\u00a0 We\u2019d like to see lighter material, more comedies, genres we haven\u2019t experienced yet.\u00a0 Larry, for one, wants to constantly keep switching genres, keep things fresh and original, but always grounded in core human experience and emotion.<\/p>\n

Every aspect of life involves story.\u00a0 Consequently, the best chance immersive has to grow is to tell accessible stories.\u00a0 That\u2019s going to mean different things to different artists, but to capture mainstream audiences who don\u2019t know about immersive, we are going to have to branch out in terms of the stories we tell or how we tell them.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"immersive<\/a><\/sup><\/b><\/h4>\n

What do you want audiences to take away from their experience?<\/sup><\/b><\/h4>\n

We would love it if people, first and foremost, were entertained.\u00a0 If they walk away having authentic emotional responses during the show, that would be terrific.\u00a0 If they walk away feeling like they\u2019ve been in a world they haven\u2019t been to before, and had some feelings or thoughts challenged about how they see the world, that would be wonderful.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Finally, what\u2019s next for Ichabod\u2019s Cranium?<\/sup><\/b><\/h4>\n

There are several things in the pipeline.\u00a0 Stephanie Hyden and I are working on a show for late February, again in a genre we haven\u2019t ever seen in the immersive space, that will also have a few familiar faces as part of the cast. \u00a0I can also tell you that our good friend Damien Gerard, from The Tension Experience<\/a>,<\/i> The Willows<\/i><\/a>, and [the upcoming]\u00a0Delusion<\/i><\/a> will be directing that piece.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Tradecraft <\/i>tickets are available for Friday, September 21st, and Saturday and Sunday 9\/22-9\/23 and 9\/29-9\/30. To reserve your spot, click here<\/a>. Also follow Tradecraft <\/i>on Instagram<\/a> to start unravelling the mystery.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In late September, 2018, veteran writer and performer Larry Meyers and his theatre company, Ichabod\u2019s Cranium, are teaming up with James Bond screenwriter\u00a0Bruce Fierstein to create a new twist on the spy thriller.\u00a0 Using an immersive theatre approach, their production Tradecraft, seeks to put audiences in at the ground floor of a crisis that they…<\/p>\n

Continue reading<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":13051,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"footnotes":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[11843,6515],"tags":[13058,5342,13057,48,5404,13059,13056],"yst_prominent_words":[13051,3005,13054,13055,12382,13050,188,5906,13053,246,3785,1512,214,12447,4604,4525,13052,7569,1472,13049],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/becomeimmersed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/39333333_588213058243228_5182941059914661888_n.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pbrPML-3os","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/becomeimmersed.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13048"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/becomeimmersed.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/becomeimmersed.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/becomeimmersed.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/becomeimmersed.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13048"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/becomeimmersed.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13048\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/becomeimmersed.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13051"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/becomeimmersed.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13048"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/becomeimmersed.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13048"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/becomeimmersed.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13048"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/becomeimmersed.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=13048"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}