Shadow Of The Run Team Brings New Immersive Pop-up To Bedford, January 2020

Shadow of the Run LLC Co-Founders Beth McGee, Adam Kern, Christine Woods and Ben Needham announced that their Immersive Theatre project RAILROADED: A SHADOW OF THE RUN STORY will premiere in a limited engagement January 9th-12th, 2020 in the City of Bedford.

Railroaded will be presented as a pop-up, or short-term installation, with an Alternate Reality Game (ARG) built into and preceding the experience, resulting in a multi-location trek through Northeast Ohio. Extremely limited tickets will be available to the main performance, with a reward for those that complete the ARG, though participation in the ARG is optional, and not required prior to attending Railroaded. Ticketing will be announced at a later date.

With an entirely original story, Railroaded fits between Chapter 1: WanderLust and Chapter 2: Calloused, which will tentatively premier in the summer of 2020. Railroaded will be written and directed by Co-Founder Christine Woods, with Production Design by Ben Needham, and support from partners McGee and Kern. Carol Dolan and Gregg Hill of Secret Pond LLC return as Executive Producers.

About the story
Transient. Migrant. Homeless. Hobo. Hard times for those that hunger for Work, Food and Shelter during the Great Depression. Men and women traveled the country's railways seeking work, some looking for a fresh start, but many tearing their families apart in order to provide for them. An unfortunate time where the less fortunate can disappear without a trace - whether by their hand, or another - and not even time can tell you their story. Throw in a serial killer, and how easy it is to become railroaded yourself.

Set yourself on a journey through this dark memory and see that glimpse of danger. Do be sure to wake before their reality becomes yours.

Why Immersive
Audiences today are choosing personal experiences over the purchase of physical objects. Immersive theatre dives into this mindset - a guest can attend multiple performances and have a completely different experience based on the choices they make throughout the evening. Combining elements from theatre, night clubs, and personal exploration into one evening of fully engaging entertainment, audiences will want to gather afterwards to share their experience and make plans for their next trip.

An Alternate Reality Game (ARG) is a game in which the boundaries between players lives and the narrative world become blurred. Players interact with information and characters as if they were real, without the proscenium or 4th wall of a game interface. This integration of game into real life is done through social media, real-life destinations, and physical objects. An ARG is a means for completely engaging in gameplay that allows the player to forget that it's just a construct.

Background Information
Shadow of the Run was conceived in December 2015 by Beth McGee and Adam Kern. In January 2016 the project was awarded a $1,000 grant as an audience favorite from Notre Dame College's SEAChange Program, prior to appearing in the Cleveland Leadership Center's Accelerate Competition in February of the same year. With initial support from Joe and Anthony Russo, the team continued development to find the right opportunity to bring Immersive to the city of Cleveland. Chapter 1: WanderLust was the first part of a trio of full productions, the first of which premiered in July 2019, produced by Carol Dolan and Gregg Hill of Secret Pond LLC. Investors and sponsors for Chapter 2 can reach Adam Kern at shadowoftherun@gmail.com. There will also be a pre-sale Kickstarter campaign leading up to the 2020 summer production, Chapter 2: Calloused.

Beyond the founding creators and Carol Dolan and Gregg Hill, current production team members include Costume Designer April Rock and Sound Designer Aaron Needham. Additional support provided by Three Driveway Media and Red Bicycle Media. Shadow of the Run is grateful for the generous support of Mayor Stan Koci, City Manager Mike Mallis, and the Downtown Bedford Alliance.

Shadow of the Run LLC will present ongoing original immersive works, like New York's Sleep No More which has been running continuously since 2009 in Hell's Kitchen. After the Shadow Series, the company has three other projects they plan on premiering in Cleveland, in hopes of making the city the Immersive capital of the Midwest. Shadow of the Run LLC is run by Co-Founders Beth McGee, Adam Kern, Ben Needham and Christine Woods. Major support and funding provided by Carol Dolan and Gregg Hill.

Shadow of the Run LLC was founded by artists living in Bedford, Cleveland Heights, Orange and North Canton. Beth McGee is a professor at Case Western Reserve while Needham and Woods are all alumni of Case. Adam Kern is a graduate of Kent State University and Harvard's American Repertory Theatre / Moscow Art Theatre Institute.

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