This L.a. Play Wants You To Feel The Story Viscerally — By Keeping You Blindfolded

I americium blindfolded and seated successful a vintage armchair group successful nan halfway of a darkened, red-lit room pinch Gothic accents. An character is performing nearby. I perceive their voice, but cannot, of course, spot them. I abruptly outpouring upward successful my seat, alarmed astatine nan touch of immoderate benignant of cloth — aliases possibly a feather? — crossed my ankles.

I’ll ne'er beryllium wholly sure. For wearing nan mini veil crossed my eyes was a request to participate successful “Poe: Pulse & Pendulum,” nan debut offering from caller troupe Theatre Obscura L.A. The company’s first capacity contains 2 one-act plays, modern interpretations of Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Pit and nan Pendulum” and “The Tell-Tale Heart.”

While nan stories are acquainted to many, Theatre Obscura increases nan levels of discomfort. In this room, I americium astatine times unsettled, astatine erstwhile search nan movements of nan actors while attempting to stay hyper alert of immoderate abrupt touch aliases scent. “The Pit and nan Pendulum,” nan first half of nan program, translates particularly good to this setting, its acheronian consciousness of demented confinement keeping my nerves connected precocious alert.

Conjuring specified a authorities of worry was nan point.

“If you return nan ocular away, it’s going to make you consciousness uneasy,” says Paul Millet, who devised nan concept.

There are jump scares. Downtown arena abstraction nan Count’s Den has been outfitted pinch astir 50 speakers for nan Obscura shows, which tally done April 12. Some are visible earlier 1 puts connected nan blindfold. Many, though, are hidden nether seats aliases couches, arsenic nan audio will way nan actors astir nan room, aliases possibly a abrupt clang aliases doorway opening will person maine jolting my attraction elsewhere.

“The Pit and nan Pendulum” is simply a communicative of torture, and arsenic nan narrator, present played by Melissa Lugo, desperately speaks of a leaf swinging above, actors will instrumentality us, timing their waves pinch each swoosh of nan audio. I was prepared for that one, arsenic a chap theatergoer adjacent fto retired a soft yelp erstwhile nan unseen gestures first arrived supra their head.

For many, show is nan astir coveted sense. “If you return that away, you’re already people uncomfortable,” Millet says. “So we thin into that. We cognize you’re going to beryllium uncomfortable. We cognize this is not nan norm. But get connected that thrust pinch us. Be consenting to beryllium uncomfortable. Discomfort, I think, helps to heighten nan experience, and ideally let it to trigger nan affectional reactions that nan communicative does.”

“Poe: Pulse & Pendulum” is 2 one-act, audio-focused performances of Edgar Allan Poe stories.

(Joe Camareno / Theatre Obscura)

Still, touch is constricted successful nan show. Occasionally a rattling of a chair, but small more. The fluttering I felt adjacent my ankles was to mimic nan sensation of a moving critter. The troupe will inquire for assemblage consent, and participants tin opt out. While I went successful wondering if “Poe: Pulse & Pendulum” would activity to callback much utmost haunt experiences pinch lengthy waivers, Millet wanted to support it ray — an audio play, primarily, pinch conscionable a fewer in-the-flesh signals.

“We want group to consciousness unease, but I don’t want anyone taken retired of nan communicative because a bound aliases statement was crossed,” Millet says.

Scent, too, is utilized pinch restraint. There are moments erstwhile guests will get a whiff of a fragrance that pairs pinch nan storyline. Millet considers nan first tally of Theatre Obscure to beryllium an research successful really overmuch touch and scent audiences whitethorn want to endure. Smell, he says, is tricky, arsenic nan aroma whitethorn linger and go a distraction.

Millet has been honing nan conception since 2023. Previously, he was portion of nan squad down Wicked Lit, which ended successful 2019 aft moving for a number of years astatine unsocial locations specified arsenic Altadena’s Mountain View Mausoleum. Those immersive performances would characteristic casts and guests stepping nan venue. Theatre Obscura, however, is afloat seated.

“Poe: Pulse & Pendulum” focuses connected nan fearfulness that thing whitethorn hap to america erstwhile stripped of sight.

(Joe Camareno / Theatre Obscura)

And while nan stories of Poe lend themselves to nan Halloween season, spooky events progressively occur twelvemonth round. Long-running accumulation “The Willows” is group to wrap successful early April, and “Monster Party,” a play portion that takes guests to a devilishly royal cocktail party, is re-launching successful mid-April. Millet, a longtime theatre shaper who has a time occupation successful tv editing, is hoping to guidelines retired by avoiding “the glut” of scary events that hap each September and October.

Theatre Obscura whitethorn look challenges, namely persuading imaginable guests that “The Pit and nan Pendulum” is much than simply a unrecorded reference pinch audio effects.

“You tin consciousness nan activity of nan characters astir you,” Millet says. “You’re successful nan situation pinch nan communicative arsenic it unfolds. You tin acquisition it connected a much visceral level.”

Blindfolded, I felt Theatre Obscura was mostly playing disconnected our fears alternatively than giving successful to them, mostly keying successful connected our anticipation that thing whitethorn hap to america erstwhile stripped of sight. Lugo successful overmuch of “The Pit and nan Pendulum” circles guests, who are seated sporadically astir nan room, allowing each of america to ideate really adjacent aliases acold we whitethorn beryllium from nan spread we are told is astatine its center. Each show deals pinch claustrophobia successful immoderate way, either of a space, aliases of a mind.

“The Tell-Tale Heart” is louder, much crowded. The sounds of crashing solid and creaky floorboards had my caput moving overtime to tie a floorplan, only to past person it distorted erstwhile actors would unexpectedly susurration successful some of my ears to bring distant nan protagonist’s nightmares. While I expected Theatre Obscura to beryllium somewhat much fierce successful its uses of touch and scent, it’s a show that asks america to unrecorded successful our heads, and to beryllium successful our ain emotion of trepidation.

“I was intrigued,” Millet says, “with really trying to prosecute nan audience’s imagination.”