Adirondack Theatre Festival and Bloomington Playwrights Project Present Season of Interactive Virtual Experiences

Adirondack Theatre Festival (ATF) & Bloomington Playwrights Project (BPP) Producing Artistic Director, Chad Rabinovitz, have announced an entire season of interactive virtual experiences beginning this September through February 2021. The first ever of its kind, these experiences include a from-your-couch cruise, hands-on-insane magic shows, a holiday talent show with live voting, an interactive hunt for a criminal, a film festival, and a "wine and canvas" night gone wrong.

All shows are ticketed live performances that will entertain audiences from the comfort of their homes.

"Our goal from the start was to create entertainment that isn't a consolation prize for not having live theatre, but instead to develop an iteration of live theatre that benefits specifically from being digital. We're not putting our art form on Zoom, we're creating an art form for Zoom," states Chad Rabinovitz.

He continues, "Imagine signing up for our Living Room Cruise Lines where we send you a Cruise In A Box," explains Rabinovitz. "It'll arrive in the mail (the real, physical mail) prior to your scheduled departure. In it you'll find things like a pocket fan, a Hawaiian lei, a tiny umbrella to put in your drink, a passport, an ocean-scented candle and other important items to set the mood. Your ticket is your boarding pass to an exclusive live Zoom room where our ukulele-playing Cruise Director welcomes our guests and gets you ready for travel.

As you set sail for your first tropical destination, you might find yourself tasting a local delicacy from your upcoming port. Along the way, there's plenty of shipboard entertainment to experience as our Cruise Director introduces you to singers, magicians, comedians, jugglers, and more. Or perhaps Shipboard Bingo is more your speed, where you can relax and stamp those bingo cards (which we've provided) as the artificial wind blows across your face. It's an experience you won't soon forget, especially since there'll be a towel animal (that we'll teach you to make) waiting on your bed later that night!"

The full season of performances will be branded as IN THE BOX ENTERTAINMENT presented by ATF & BPP. All shows will include a box mailed to the ticket holder prior to the show which will fuel their at-home experience.

And while Rabinovitz is planning a return to live, in-theater performances once it is safe to do so (April in Bloomington, and next summer at ATF), he believes that these at-home experiences will become key features for arts organizations across the country, even after gathering restrictions are lifted. He plans to license IN THE BOX ENTERTAINMENT for other theaters to use and bring to their audiences.

"Our goal for now is to create something that can have a life well beyond quarantine," he says. "These theatrical experiences are not only a pandemic-proof, cost effective solution for the current climate, but they're also an opportunity to generate ancillary income even when things return to normal without taking up additional seats in a venue - all while extending value and reach to any patron base. And, even better, it puts more actors to work at a time when we're struggling to do what we can to employ as many artists as possible."

Playwright, Hank Greene (KNIGHTS OF THE SALES OFFICE), has been hired to pen all of the In The Box Entertainment experiences (excluding magic) in collaboration with Producing Artistic Director, Chad Rabinovitz, who will create and direct the series. Jeffrey Small will serve as a Consulting Producer.

The production processes needed to produce these online performances at an exceptionally high level is being developed by Mills Entertainment. live entertainment studio based in Saratoga Springs, NY and Los Angeles, CA, known for managing large celebrity tours, has partnered with ATF/BPP to elevate Zoom from a video chat to an interactive television experience. Mills Entertainment has also employed Rabinovitz to create and direct additional interactive magic shows for their own catalogue.

IN THE BOX ENTERTAINMENT

MAGIC IN A BOX: VIRTUAL REALITY

September 10-19, 2020

know the drill: you pick a card, then somehow a magician finds it in a deck - oldest trick in the book. But what if that magician was thousands of miles away...and the card appeared in your home? Welcome to the next generation of magic. Before the show you'll receive a sealed box with secret contents to be revealed during the live performance. Now imagine that same magician bringing every day objects to life, reading your mind, and mystifying you... all as you sit in your living room. It's a magical experience unlike anything you've ever seen before. So... ready to pick a card?

Remote Control with Max Major: A Virtual Mindreading Experiment - Sep. 10-12

Glitches in Reality with Simon Coronel - Sep. 15-19

Developed in collaboration with Mills Entertainment

FILM FESTIVAL IN A BOX: 5TH ANNUAL ADIRONDACK FILM FESTIVAL

October 15-18, 2020

Film festivals are more than just great movies - they're incredible experiences. While we may not be able to bring you to the festival, that doesn't mean we can't bring the festival to you. In addition to more than 100 short and feature-length films to choose from, you'll also receive everything you need to recreate the exciting atmosphere that has become synonymous with AFF. Your box comes with items like your festival lanyard, a t-shirt and killer AFF swag, 3D glasses (you may just need them), and even a velvet rope to cordon off your room from those pesky housemates who don't meet your VIP status. We'll provide you with some of the best new films on the planet - along with all the popcorn you'll need to get through the weekend - and so much more!

ATF currently plans to host a live festival in October as well, but will be moving forward with the digital "in a box" version regardless of the ability to host live events.

CRUISE IN A BOX: LIVING ROOM CRUISE LINES

November 3-14

Set sail for an unforgettable, high seas staycation on the world's first ever Cruise in a Box! Your ticket doesn't just buy you passage on this not-so-nautical adventure, we'll also be mailing you a special "SHIPment" - filled with everything you'd expect from a luxury cruise liner; plush towels that we'll teach you to transform into animals for your cabin, ocean-scented candles, a little umbrella to shade your favorite tropical drink, and so much more! Then, you'll join your Live Virtual Cruise Director for a night of world-class Shipboard entertainment and variety performances as you sail across the globe - all from your own couch!

TALENT IN A BOX: HOLIDAY FAMILY TALENT SHOW

December 10 & 17

Lights. Camera. Action. Your city's best and brightest are out for an evening unlike any other, as they're given the spotlight to showcase their hidden skills and shocking tricks in this virtual talent show - where YOU will be voting LIVE for the night's big winner! We'll send you everything you need to root for your favorite act and celebrate in style. So don your fancy Saturday night getup, then log in to join your hosts for a family-friendly evening of glitz, glamour, and showbiz.

Got a winning talent of your own? Join in the show and submit your best act to see if YOU could be your city's next big star.

December 10 - Bloomington, IN

December 17 - Glens Falls, NY

*Separate shows will be available in Bloomington and Glens Falls. In Glens Falls, the production will be a collaboration with the Charles R. Wood Theater, with 50% of the proceeds going towards their organization. In Bloomington, the production will be a collaboration with Cardinal Stage Company, with 50% of the proceeds going towards their company. Each will showcase local talent.

MYSTERY IN A BOX: MANHUNT

January 12-23, 2021

You buy a ticket. You're delivered a box. Inside the box, you find a variety of objects, along with an invitation... beckoning you to solve a mysterious puzzle. You accept the invitation, and are connected online to a detective who needs the clues in your box to start connecting the pieces... but... the pieces to what? As the plot unfolds into a night of twists and turns - along with virtual live performances that plunge you deeper into a world of noir and intrigue - you realize this is about much more than random items in a box. You begin to wonder: in this virtual game of cat and mouse... who's chasing who? And why is one of your objects a clock that's slowly counting down? And... perhaps most importantly of all... what happens when it hits zero?

PAINT IN A BOX: PAINTING FOR ONE

February 9-20, 2021

It's time for Andy and Laura's Painting for Two - the BEST paint-by-numbers instructional show on public access WBPP! By signing up for this week's show, you've received your canvas and paints in the mail, and you'll be following along with Andy and Laura to make it a masterpiece in a night where wine and canvas meets live theatre. One small change: Laura isn't here. She's gone. But... Andy's here, live... from the living room they once shared... and he's ready to make this blank canvas into a stunning piece of art with YOU! Also, due to budget cuts, we may need him to host a few more shows throughout the evening... also the future of the station may be at stake. But... it'll be fine, right? Yeah... yeah it'll be... fine...

TICKETS

Tickets range from $35-$45 per event. Prices will increase closer to the events. A subscription to four separate events will be available for a limited time only for $115. The Talent Show and Film Festival will be sold separately. More information can be found at the BPP (newplays.org) or ATF (atfestival.org) websites or at www.intheboxentertainment.com. Tickets may also be purchased by calling the Wood Theater Box Office at (518) 480-4878.

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