The Theater at Boston Court is presenting an innovative way for traditional theater patrons to enjoy the theater even without having to be there.
Boston Court is hosting a virtual escape room game that’s open to all ages, although they recommend all players to be at least 13 years old, and at least one member of the team of four to eight to be an adult.
A virtual escape game is an online remote experience that you can play from the comfort of your home or office with your friends and family no matter where they are in the world.
In this “Fool Me Once: A Virtual Escape Room Experience” created by Boston Court’s artists, you will be provided with a helper whom you will instruct to guide you around Boston Court, with them acting as your eyes, ears, and hands.
Boston Court provides a scenario within Boston Court itself, where teams act as theater staff who arrive at the theater and find that the stage manager is missing, and the mission is to find him before time runs out – and that’s before the show begins.
Participation in the virtual event is free, but registration is required so the creators of the game can easily organize teams and provide a briefing before they begin.
Performances will be held at 4 and 7 p.m. on Saturday, May 15, and 2 and 5 p.m. on Sunday, May 16. Teams are advised to log on to the Zoom platform at least five minutes before start time, and to stay online after the show for a group photo shoot.
In a Pasadena Weekly article, Boston Court Artistic Director Jessica Kubzansky said “Fool Me Once” was born out of a necessity to connect with the staff and with the theater’s traditional audience, even as Boston Court remains closed to the public.
“In a year where we’ve had to pivot and come up with creative ideas, this is something we were interested in being able to share: an experience that people could have in our building while not being in our building,” Kubzansky said.
Kubzansky gathered her staff in December last year and asked them to participate in a virtual escape room. Eventually, they decided they should do one that mainly highlights Boston Court.
Patrons only need to have a computer or tablet with a webcam, or a smartphone. They also need to have Zoom installed, a good internet connection, your imagination, and a team of your friends or colleagues to help solve the mystery.
The escape room will take about 60 minutes to play, but again, allow at least five minutes before and after the scheduled time.
Participating in the escape room is entirely free, Boston Court said. Once your team has made a reservation, a confirmation email will be sent with your Zoom link and a few reminders.
For more information and to register for “Fool Me Once,” visit www.bostoncourtpasadena.org/
If you wish to simply support Boston Court and their projects, visit http://bit.ly/