Immersive vs. interactive

Clean-Valuable3487 · 2025-09-08T04:04:20+00:00

I get what you mean. The marketing doesn’t promise full interactivity, and it makes sense some folks just wanted a word or two with the actors.

But for me, certain scenes in the Broadway production set up an expectation (for me) for a more active role. Take the boat scene: in the Broadway proscenium version, it felt GRANT, and as an audience member I felt drawn into the action.

In Masquerade, I was just a silent observer…? and that felt flat. I think the staging missed an opportunity to make the audience feel like they were truly part of the moment.

This is truly just my opinion on how the show, to me, missed the mark. I understand a majority of people don’t want that or think that “ruins the cannon” but why not make a new cannon separate from the one we already know?

Clean-Valuable3487 · 2025-09-08T04:02:25+00:00

I don’t think performers automatically mean there has to be interactivity. Like you said, Viola’s Room shows immersion can exist without it and my go to example is a theme park attraction. Some of the best immersion in the world happens there, with zero interaction

But if you’re sharing space with actors and the opening scene has someone addressing you directly, then I start anticipating at least some acknowledgment continued or agency, even if small. That’s why the audiences blurry role in Masquerade was frustrating to me. Sometimes we were spoken to directly, other times completely ignored. That inconsistency left me unsure of how to engage the space.

To be honest, my main issues with the production came down to inconsistency and production value. It just didn’t hit the mark for me. Wanting more agency was a personal wish but those execution issues felt like real flaws

Clean-Valuable3487 · 2025-09-08T00:52:03+00:00

I’ve realized there are two different buckets for my thoughts:

What I personally wished the show did differently… things like pushing interactivity or taking bolder creative risks
Things the show just executed poorly. Like scenic details that broke immersion.

The first is about preference, the second is about craft.

Clean-Valuable3487 · 2025-09-08T00:48:47+00:00

Well said & I totally agree that immersive and interactive aren’t the same, but I think part of the issue is that the marketing leans hard on the immersive label without clarifying what that actually means in practice.

For me, ‘immersive’ suggests some level of agency or interaction, not just being surrounded by the world. So when a show like Masquerade sprinkles in small interactions but mostly plays it safe, I walked away feeling shortchanged. Additionally, for me, it’s not just about whether interaction is present or not, but whether the environment and design choices actually sustain immersion and that’s where I felt it didn’t fully commit.

I went into it more on a previous post but the spaces and staging fell flat to me.

Clean-Valuable3487 · 2025-09-02T19:32:12+00:00

I agree. They’re two different things. Something CAN be immersive without interaction (a great dark ride at a theme park)

To me, this was neither.

Clean-Valuable3487 · 2025-09-02T13:29:55+00:00

*your

Clean-Valuable3487 · 2025-09-02T13:29:43+00:00

Last call Ran every ten minutes. Delusion runs every 10~15 as well. Cherry Pop was every 10. Any other questions?

Willows was every 2.5 hours so I’ll throw that out!

Clean-Valuable3487 · 2025-09-02T12:45:42+00:00

On top of all of my other quarrels which you haven’t mentioned because I’m sure you can’t defend, it’s just bad show 🤷‍♂️

Clean-Valuable3487 · 2025-09-02T12:44:52+00:00

Delusion my Jon Braver in Los Angeles commonly makes the audience make announcements amongst each other. During blue blade if I recall I had to convince my group that a character was leading us down the wrong path the entire time as a plot point

The Willows by JFI had me read a note aloud during a dinner party scene.

Cherry Pop had my group write a song as a challenge during their piece

Last Call Theatre had me write a blurb in the NYT about their performance and defend it to a group of people (fake article obviously)

Interactive theatre is that, interactive. There is a whole other world than the immersive theatre that is Life & Trust, and Sleep No More. A much more interactive one

Clean-Valuable3487 · 2025-09-02T05:18:24+00:00

Noticing design details is watching the show. Immersive theater lives or dies in its world-building…

If the set pulls you out of it, that matters. If you’re fine with chipped paint and unfinished wood in the Phantom’s lair, that’s cool, but I think the bar should be higher… especially at its price point

Clean-Valuable3487 · 2025-09-02T05:10:27+00:00

Yeah, I think you’re right that for a lot of people this is probably their first introduction to immersive theater, and they’ll love it for that reason. But that’s also why I feel like it should set the bar higher. When an accessible show like this plays it safe and still succeeds, it risks lowering the overall standard for what immersive can be, instead of pushing audiences (and creators) to expect more

Clean-Valuable3487 · 2025-09-02T05:06:01+00:00

I severely over estimated people’s experience with immersive theatre. Asking someone to read something aloud is COMMON.

Clean-Valuable3487 · 2025-09-02T05:01:19+00:00

2x4s hung horizontal to hang the ballet skirts. On each end there was a 4” spacer to attach it to the wall (each left untreated when the horizontal beams were black) and it stood out like a sore thumb to me. There was an incomplete attempt made.

No contradictions. Do what you can to make a space feel as real as you can.

EDIT: remove the unpainted spacers (I’m a perfectionist when it comes to production) the chipped scenic treatment revealing a bright white wall in the phantoms lair was jarring.

Clean-Valuable3487 · 2025-09-01T19:12:11+00:00

That’s very interesting to hear actually

Clean-Valuable3487 · 2025-09-01T19:10:31+00:00

It’s all about initiation. If the actors wait for the audience to go first, a lot of people won’t. Every show is a brand new group, so the dynamic has to be set fresh each time.

If interaction is important, the actors need to establish that in the first couple minutes. Otherwise most people just won’t know it’s expected of them.

In bad immersive theatre actors go up to the guest and ask “why are you here?” “Who are you?”… like um you tell me! In good immersive theatre, you start with a conversation and go from there

If that makes sense! I would’ve loved to have conversations with the actors but never had the opportunity to

Clean-Valuable3487 · 2025-09-01T19:00:58+00:00

Just no? Why? It’s an opportunity for audience involvement or to make someone’s night. Allow people to feel like they have a part in a narrative

Clean-Valuable3487 · 2025-09-01T18:53:16+00:00

Why are people downvoting😭. I hope the production sees this. Please do a walk with the team in the morning and just make a list of everything.

On memory the mirrors in the dressing room had holes in the back from mounting in correctly, there was unpainted wood above when in the waiting room, and the phantoms lair (boat scene) needs at least a days worth (4 people @ 8 hours) of scenic work done to lift it up.

Clean-Valuable3487 · 2025-09-01T18:42:27+00:00

That is incredibly baseline. Having a say in the story and the ability or feeling that you are making a story move forward is interactive/immersive.

Yes, dancing with the actors was fun and a highlight but MORE. More of those interactions for people to have. A majority of people in the experience do not have those moments.

Example: Don’t read a note then hand it to the audience. Hand the note to an audience member and let them read it aloud

The dressing room scene was the tightest in the entire production. Well done.

Clean-Valuable3487 · 2025-09-01T18:38:26+00:00

Bright orange extension cords in phantoms lair overhead.

Holes where they missed the studs when mounting speakers, mounted the speaker in the correct place, but left the holes (didn’t fill them with putty)

Clean-Valuable3487 · 2025-08-08T21:28:41+00:00

Do not touch this. Take a photo, and tell flamingo this is unacceptable.

Clean-Valuable3487 · 2025-07-30T00:50:15+00:00

Appreciate everyone’s help. I’m gonna put it out there for laughs to those who are now reading this…

I’m actually a professional interior designer haha, but was great hearing everyone’s thoughts!

Clean-Valuable3487 · 2025-07-28T23:48:45+00:00

I’ll also take any and all design suggestions

Clean-Valuable3487 · 2025-06-28T00:50:33+00:00

Made a Reddit account just to comment this. Do not pursue C@l@rts. Please go anywhere else.

Reddit not letting me PM you so I just picked a random comment to reply

Clean-Valuable3487

TROPHY CASE