APRIL '22
PROJECT 09
IMMERSIVE FARCE
BROOKLYN, NY
THE EXPERIMENT
To create an immersive comedy.
Dearly Beloved
THE BRIEF
An RTB original, Dearly Beloved is an ode to the comedy of Mel Brooks, Peter Sellars, and Jacques Tati. It is our answer to the question: "What’s the opposite of a murder mystery?" Unfolding in a 1968 Brooklyn funeral parlor, we follow a story brimming with physical comedy, double entendres, and taboos. 7 characters, and thus 7 distinct plot lines, makes for a 600+ page original script with entrances, exits, bits, and gags all timed to the line.
Like all good immersive work, the logistical and creative were deeply entwined. Simultaneously devising the structure alongside the script allowed the creative team to conceive of an entirely original project, custom built for its container.
A recipient of a 2022 Mercury Store Residency, followed by a staged workshop inside an active multi-level funeral parlor (a story for another time), helped us test the bounds of comedy and timing inside a genre best known for its shadowier offerings.
INGREDIENTS
Immersive Comedy
Navigable Immersive Cinema
Turning tragedy into comedy
Laughter as Medicine
