Colby Foss in the 2016 production of Sweet & Lucky_Photo by Adams VisCom

In 2016, the original Sweet & Lucky immersive theater experience opened in a 16,000-square-foot RiNo warehouse, commissioned by the DCPA’s Off-Center in collaboration with New York-based Third Rail Projects.

No two audience members had exactly the same experience: only 72 people were admitted per night, with 25 cast and crew. Led in small groups through a series of rooms/scenes, attendees pieced together a story about a couple’s relationship. The two-hour dance-theater array of auditory, taste, touch, and visual sensations was dreamlike, dark, and moving. Plus cocktails.

The site-specific work was met with overwhelmingly positive reviews and audience feedback. The project was widely seen as heralding a new chapter in immersive theater and launching Denver as a major player in the genre.

“Market research said everyone wanted something light and fun,” according to Charlie Miller of Off-Center. Sweet & Lucky wasn’t that, but people loved it.”

Amanda Berg Wilson in the 2016 production of Sweet & Lucky_Photo by Adams VisCom.

Zach Morris, a Denver native now nationally known as co-artistic director of Brooklyn-based Third Rail Projects, called the work “a fusion of forms.” Anyone who attended will recall being handed an umbrella and standing in the rain inside the vast warehouse, then exploring antiques, watching dancers soar across furniture and gradually absorbing a story of love and loss.

Nine years later, Morris and company return with what they call a companion piece —not a prequel or sequel — Sweet & Lucky: Echo. This time, 192 audience members will share what the creators promise will be a “rich sensory experience” each night.

“Memories of the original piece will add depth,” Miller said. “If you didn’t see the original, this show will stand on its own.”

“Echo deals with similar events and themes as Sweet & Lucky,” associate directors Edward Rice and Rebekah Morin said via a joint email, “but explored through a different lens and from a different point of view…”

The original piece “was not only a milestone in our artistic journey,” they wrote, “but it also left a lasting impression on Denver audiences and the greater immersive theatre community. The response was deeply moving and affirmed the power of sharing intimate, transformative experiences. We’re excited to build on that foundation in Denver once again and share this new piece.”

DETAILS
Sweet & Lucky: Echo
Now Playing • Broadway Park®
Tickets