Immersive & Game Theatre

Daemonologie: Sinew & Soul

An actor dressed in 18th century clothing holds a book and stands next to a table with period-appropriate medical implements. The photo is in black and white.

Stage Manager & Production Designer

Produced by Intramersive Media
in collaboration with The House of the Seven Gables

Set in1794, when the fallout of the American Revolution has the newly formed country buzzing with promise and potential. An ambitious young surgeon is determined to make his famous family proud by curing his brilliant but dying sister.

Sinew & Soul explored bodily autonomy, identity, gender roles, class, scientific and medical ethics, and the power to decide one's own fate. In this open world, interactive experience across the campus of The House of the Seven Gables, audiences engaged with the events and decided how the story ended. 

Photos by Paige Besse

Two actresses in 18th century dress: One in orange with her back to the camera is turning out of frame while the other, in white, stands behind a wooden lectern looking distressed.
An actor dressed as an 18th century French aristocrat greets audience in modern dress. The photo is in black and white.
A woman in white 18th century dress smiles while holding up a glass vessel. Another actor, a man dressed in dark period clothing, looks on with a contemplative expression.
A view through a 17th century diamond paned window in a historic house, looking in on an actor in 18th century dress performing for a small audience.
An actor in red coat playing an 18th century Prussian aristocrat holds a bundle of papers and letters in his hand. He's standing in a historic house in front of colorful floral wallpaper.
Two actors dressed in 18th century clothing stands next behind a table with period-appropriate medical implements. On the left, a Prussian aristocrat in red reaches out to touch the shoulder of a medical lab assistant dressed in blue on the right.
Two actors dressed in 18th century clothing holds a paper and a human skull while standing behind a table with period-appropriate medical implements. The photo is in black and white.

In addition to stage managing and liasing with the venue staff, I sourced furniture, determined space layouts and usage, and sourced or created many of the props on a limited budget, including a hand-written journal of 18th-century medical research, letters, and drawings; a 3D-modeled and printed lodestone magnet; and a hand-painted jar of leeches from a repurposed candle canister.

A photo of prop candles, a feather quill and ink pot, a human skull replica, and an hourglass sitting on an antique style secretary desk. On the right, there is the shadow of a person on the wall.
A close shot of an audience member reading a hand-written letter during a performance. In the background, an actor is just barely visible in a red coat.
A black and white photo of props: Glass specimen bottles full of dried herbs, a ceramic jar labeled "leeches," and several glowing prop candles.

Daemonologie: Smoke & Mirrors

Three actors performing: A man in a red velvet coat is sitting in an armchair, pointing and yelling toward another man, who stands on the right, dressed in dark 19th century clothing. Between them, looking concerned and gripping a fireplace mantle, stands a woman in an elegant gown.

Producer & Stage Manager

Produced by Intramersive Media
in collaboration with The Peabody Essex Museum

The year is 1849 and Monsieur René Levesque, cordially requests your attendance at his home to explore what lies beyond…will you accept? Indulge yourself in the early Victorian period with a night of secrets, spirits, seances, and scandals and get to know the intimate secrets of some of Salem’s most interesting and famous residents. How will you use your information to help some and harm others? There are infinite paths in a house of Smoke and Mirrors.

This magic-filled, game theatre experience changed each night based on audience interactions.

Photos by Paige Besse

Two actors in a bedroom: a woman in a striped red gown sits on a stool, hiding her face behind a hand fan while a man in a red velvet coat stands next to her, adjusting his sleeves and looking mysterious.
As a circle of audience watches, actors portraying 19th century characters perform a seance scene: a young girl in pink dress is sitting on top of the table, and appears to be growling at two women who are gripping each other in distress
Audience members interact with three actors in 19th century dress in a historic house parlor.
Three actors in 19th century dress perform a scene in a bedroom: a young girl is laying on the bed, looking distressed as smoke appears to appear around her arm. A concerned woman and man flank her on either side.
Actors greet each other in the foyer of a historic house while audience looks on. A man in red coat kisses the hand of a woman in an elegant mid 19th century gown.
Three actors performing: A man in a red velvet coat is sitting in an armchair while a man in dark dress angrily grabs his lapels. A woman is attempting to pull them apart.
As a circle of audience watches, actors portraying 19th century characters perform a seance scene, seated around an oval table with a lace table cloth.

All at Once Upon a Time

Twin girls in top hats, tails, and bowties smile at a small group of audience. In the background is a fireplace illuminated by a lantern, green lighting, and a red theatrical curtain

Producer & Stage Manager

Produced by The Peabody Essex Museum 

Variations on the Theme of Disappearing. 

As experiment in museum audience experience design, this project brought interactive and immersive theatre to the historic Gardner-Pingree House. Audiences traveled three floors of the house and discovered baroque karaoke accompanied by lute, invitations to write poetry, evocative monologues, a magical twin reveal, a celebratory dance party, and more. I presented on this challenging and rewarding project at two different museum conferences. 

Production photos by John Andrews; video by PEM/Chip Van Dyke

Audience members sit around a dining table covered in paper and desk lamps, writing out poetry. Above them are poems pinned up on clotheslines. A young girl dressed in a maid costume attends to the scene.
An ethereal long exposure image of a dancer in white, performing in a bedroom illuminated in blue light. The long exposure has created trailing lines of light around her.
A young girl wearing a giant bow on her head reads from a piece of paper. In the background, two theatre crew members operate sound and light boards.
A violinist in an elegant white outfit strolls down a hallway with her instrument. The scene is lit with blue in the foreground and with bright greenish yellow behind her, highlighting the curved architecture of the historic house.

Conference Presentations:

DesigningTheAudienceExperience.pdf
Caryn presenting at a museum conference in London
Caryn presenting at a museum conference in London