Yours to Lose: A SXSW Immersive Theatre Experience
I don’t often think about the first amendment. Although the words within it were once drilled into my head in elementary school, it isn’t a concept that floats through my head on the average day. To be frank, I couldn’t name all five of the freedoms protected with it if put on the spot, and I think this is the common American experience. We acknowledge these rights are crucial, but we don’t actively consider their application. The South by South West immersive theater experience “Yours to Lose” centers itself around a goal of changing this perception and bringing thoughts of the first amendment to the forefront.
Two weeks ago, I went through “Yours to Lose,” and it was my first foray into immersive theater. The set-up felt maze-like and structured, with groups of around twelve being led through several different rooms tasking them with identifying freedoms that were important to them and imagining scenarios in which these freedoms were taken away. I respected the ambitious nature of their theming, but at some points, it fell a little flat for me with the elements feeling comical instead of grave. The opening sequence asked participants to write down five different personal concepts related to the different freedoms protected by the amendment, and the speedy nature of this activity and the presentation made it feel rushed and stressful. Rather than being impacted by the meaning of what I was doing, I felt like I was racing to write anything down. A sense of not quite understanding the instructions or having time to to fully complete them stayed with me throughout the forty minute experience. Other college aged participants expressed similar perspectives to myself; however, there was overwhelmingly strong support given from older individuals who went into the experience already valuing the first amendment more thoughtfully and holistically. In this way, “Yours to Lose” impacted different user groups in varying ways. Although it didn’t land the message with me, it sparked my interest in experiencing other immersive theater experiences with slightly similar set-ups like Punchdrunk.
As explained in Erin Reilly’s lectures, there were clear elements within the Yours to Lose performance of the “immediate theater model” concept as the performance tried to actively create visceral in the moment reactions from the audience members. The performers did things like speak directly to participants and order them to fill out forms and then stamp “rejected” on it with no explanation. They gave us objects just to take them away. They donned intimidating clothes and glared in a dystopian gaze. These actions really leveraged the affordances of theater detailed by Reilly by leaning into improv and actor interactions. It asked the participants to serve in the immersive and interactive participant roles, crafting a user experience where you felt on edge and ready to be called upon at any time.
Additionally, these concepts reflect the rules outlined by Strange Bird Immersive as standard and crucial elements for immersive theater to be successful. Crucially, it encompasses the idea that the audience is active and “a proper run of the show cannot take place without their participation” (Cooper). One of the more powerful parts of the show involves exchanging freedom cards with other participants and then choosing whether to give them up in a game which makes the audience spin a wheel. This section of the show cannot proceed without the audience doing the activity, and in this way, it reflects the required gamification and activity outlined by this source. However, it doesn’t meet the full immersive theater criteria detailed in a different scholarly article covering these experiences which highlights “the ability to wander with apparent freedom through a spatially innovative environment” (Biggin) reflecting “a non chronological approach to narrative” (Biggin) as a distinctive and important part of immersive theater. Yours to Lose never let the participant wonder and ushered them very pointedly through a chronological series of rooms. Considering this research, Yours to Lose lies on the tamer end of immersive theater experiences, and this might be why the experience didn’t resonate with me as strongly.
Since Yours to Lose isn’t as freeform as other theater experiences, it’s important that the audience’s expectation entering the space is realistic. I entered intending to immerse myself in a new story as an additional character; however, this intention didn’t align with the experience offered to me. Rather than playing a role, the participant is asked to reflect upon their real life and walk through it as themself. It is important that the audience understands this element of the production to fully appreciate it. Additionally, knowing this better prepares them for the interactions within the experience that ask them to look inward. The proper audience for Yours to Lose doesn’t want to play a character — they want to explore and find greater appreciation for the freedoms in real life through this immersive exploration of their values.
Overall, Yours to Lose holds the potential to greatly impact and move its audience. Although it didn’t work for me on a deeper level, the immersive elements of acting and improv provided an entertaining time and reflected many, although not all, elements of modern immersive theater.
Citations:
Cooper, HER. “What Is Immersive Theatre?” Immersology, 1 Feb. 2019, strangebirdimmersive.com/immersology/what-is-immersive-theatre/.
Biggin, Rose. Immersive Theatre and Audience Experience. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2017.
