{"id":14850,"date":"2018-11-10T15:15:05","date_gmt":"2018-11-10T23:15:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/Becomeimmersed.com\/?p=14850"},"modified":"2019-11-27T13:54:12","modified_gmt":"2019-11-27T21:54:12","slug":"only-consequences-speakeasy-society-shines-in-the-heart","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/becomeimmersed.com\/only-consequences-speakeasy-society-shines-in-the-heart\/","title":{"rendered":"Only Consequences: The Speakeasy Society Shines in The Heart"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dorothea Gale, the Witch-Killer, is missing.\u00a0 <\/span>That\u2019s what the messages from Oz said; she’s missing, presumed kidnapped, and she’s somewhere here, in Kansas, and it\u2019s up to us to rescue her.\u00a0 <\/span>Fans of The Speakeasy Society\u2019s<\/a> work thus far will know that, well, we\u2019re not in Kansas<\/i>, we\u2019re here in Los Angeles, and this new mission can only mean that a new chapter of The Kansas Collection<\/i><\/a> is about to begin.\u00a0 <\/span>We\u2019ve tracked Dorothy to a small home, nestled on a quiet street, and now we seem to have a choice: defeat her alleged captors and return her to Oz, or somehow help her remain in Kansas, finally free from Queen Ozma\u2019s influence.\u00a0 <\/span>Again, if you\u2019ve seen The Speakeasy Society\u2019s work so far, you\u2019ll know that choices in this world are never as cut and dry as they seem, and the decisions we\u2019ll make tonight in The Heart <\/i>are no exception. It\u2019s nights like this when choices feel like dangerous gifts\u2014the kind that we\u2019ll be unable to refuse.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\"Speakeasy
Michael Bates as Jack Pumpkinhead<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Heart<\/i> is another short, but shockingly dense addition to The Kansas Collection<\/i>.\u00a0 <\/span>As in October 2018\u2019s The Witch<\/i><\/a>, the audience is again focused in on a small portion of the Ozians we\u2019ve come to know.\u00a0 <\/span>Instead of Glinda, Lavender, and Phil, however, we are reunited with Jack Pumpkinhead (<\/span>Michael Bates<\/span>) and Tik Tok (<\/span>Nikhil Pai,) <\/span>Dorothy\u2019s (<\/span>Colleen Pulawski) <\/span>old companions who\u2019ve enlisted us to help pinpoint her location in Kansas.\u00a0 <\/span>She\u2019s quickly found, as is her captor, the Tinman (James Cowan), and he won\u2019t be parting with her easily.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Speakeasy
Colleen Pulawski as Dorothy Gale<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

What differentiates The Heart<\/i> from its predecessors in Kansas Collection<\/i> is the surprising way the narrative branches apart for audience members.\u00a0 <\/span>While yes, guests have been treated to the occasional one-on-one interaction within chapters (sometimes at length in a long-form chapter like The Vow,) The Heart<\/i> takes this concept and expands on in dramatically.\u00a0 <\/span>The already-small group is split further at the outset of the performance, with the majority of attendees observing Dorothy and Tinman as he holds her life in his, and their hands, while a single attendee, trapped in an adjacent room, can only catch glimpses of this scene through a keyhole, experiencing the events alongside Tik as he recounts his own, heretofore, mostly unheard story.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Speakeasy
James Cowan as The Tin Man<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It\u2019s incredible, and by now unsurprising, that The Speakeasy Society is constantly able to evolve as storytellers through each of their performances.\u00a0 <\/span>Where in The Witch<\/a>, <\/i>audiences stood on a windswept rooftop as actors menaced each other and morphed into otherworldly presences, The Heart<\/i> is self-contained to the point that one half of the story takes place in a call-like space with a single actor and is no less powerful than a screaming gale. <\/span><\/p>\n

That single actor, Nikhil Pai, as Tik, gives a perfect demonstration of the visceral impact that an intimate performance can provide.\u00a0 <\/span>His monologue, delivered in quiet shaky bursts, tells a story of regret and loss\u2014he so accurately conveys the hopelessness he feels that the crushing weight of his past choices feels palpable in the close air of the tiny room.\u00a0 <\/span>In stark contrast, James Cowan as Tin Man is fueled by an incalculable rage, brought to life by what he feels is the injustice of Dorothy\u2019s rejection.\u00a0 <\/span>Tears streaming, his broken heart has given way to violence, and he\u2019s thrown his audience in the center of his next terrible decision.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Speakeasy<\/a>
Nikhil Pai as TikTok<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Though The Heart<\/i> is somewhat of a departure from the storytelling style we may have come to expect from\u00a0The Kansas Collection<\/i>, it is, in so many ways, very much the same.\u00a0 <\/span>This chapter, as all the chapters have been since The Key<\/i>, over a year ago now, is about the burden of choice; here more than any other chapter before it, the story hinges upon audience choice.\u00a0 <\/span>Whether those decisions are ultimately futile remain to be seen\u2014The Speakeasy Society has once again succeeded in instilling an almost dour sense of agency within its audience. The Heart <\/i>is a triumph\u2014threaded throughout with the aching sense of regret that the wrong decision has been made. Ultimately, we will learn here, in this tiny corner of Kansas, that yes\u2014choice is a gift\u2014but so are consequences, and try as we might, neither can be refused. <\/span><\/p>\n

All photos by Model05 Productions<\/a><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

The Heart<\/em> runs through November 17th, 2018, with tickets available here<\/a>.\u00a0You can find more information about\u00a0The Kansas Collection<\/em> and upcoming Speakeasy Society shows on their website,<\/a>\u00a0on Instagram<\/a>, or via Facebook.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dorothea Gale, the Witch-Killer, is missing.\u00a0 That\u2019s what the messages from Oz said; she’s missing, presumed kidnapped, and she’s somewhere here, in Kansas, and it\u2019s up to us to rescue her.\u00a0 Fans of The Speakeasy Society\u2019s work thus far will know that, well, we\u2019re not in Kansas, we\u2019re here in Los Angeles, and this new…<\/p>\n

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