In a unique theatrical twist, a Los Angeles theater is offering a performance experience that literally blindsides its audience. For $60, attendees are blindfolded throughout the entire show.
The inaugural production, “Poe: Pulse & Pendulum,” invites theater enthusiasts to pay $63.80 for the novel experience of watching—or rather, not watching—a play. The performance guarantees that the audience will be enveloped in darkness, shifting the focus entirely to the auditory elements.
Theatre Obscura LA has creatively reimagined Edgar Allan Poe’s classic tales “The Pit and the Pendulum” and “The Tell-Tale Heart.” As reported by The Los Angeles Times, the audience is required to wear blindfolds during the two one-act plays, heightening the tension and atmosphere integral to Poe’s works.
Paul Millet, the mastermind behind this innovative experience, explained to the publication that stripping away the visual components is designed to amplify the unsettling ambiance of the performance.
“Removing the visual elements is intended to evoke a sense of unease,” Millet remarked, underscoring the distinctive aim of the production.
Both stories, penned by one of the most renowned horror writers in history, are inherently chilling and unnerving, qualities that are further emphasized by this unconventional theatrical approach.
‘The Pit and the Pendulum’ tells the tale of psychological horror, where a man is being tortured during the Spanish Inquisition.
The story surrounds a narrator, played by Melissa Lugo in Millet’s adaptation, who has been immersed in a completely dark dungeon after being sentenced to death.
Theatre Obscura LA has taken on modern interpretations of Edgar Allan Poe’s ‘The Pit and the Pendulum’ and ‘The Tell-Tale Heart’ by requiring audience members be blindfolded during the two one-act plays
The debut show, titled ‘Poe: Pulse & Pendulum,’ offered theatergoers a whole new experience – letting them pay $63.80 to see nothing at all
‘If you take [sight] away, you’re already naturally uncomfortable,’ Millet explained to the outlet. ‘So we lean into that. We know you’re going to be uncomfortable. We know this is not the norm.’
‘But get on that ride with us. Be willing to be uncomfortable. Discomfort, I think, helps to heighten the experience and ideally allow it to trigger the emotional reactions that the story does.’
Millet’s vision includes jump scares, loud noises and, if an audience member consents, limited touch.
The Times described the feeling of air from a fan held in the hand of an actor at a critical moment in the story in which a sword was described swinging above the narrators head.
However, the use of touch remained restrained as Millet explained to the outlet: ‘We want people to feel unease, but I don’t want anyone taken out of the story because a boundary or line was crossed.’
He also occasionally uses smell and certain scents to add to the narration, but, again, without costing too much of the audience’s attention.
The room, covered in ornate old chairs and rugs, is bathed in a red light – serving as the only light of the room and adding to the general eeriness of the show.
Millet’s concept for the show was in the works since 2023, according to the Times, and may seem like a rip-off if you’re looking for a visual delight.
But Millet defends the idea, and believes it offers a unique experience that plays on human senses.
Paul Millet, who founded the experience, told the outlet that removing the visual elements from the audience was to further add to the unease that the show is intended to have
‘You can feel the movement of the characters around you,’ he told the outlet. ‘You’re in the environment with the story as it unfolds. You can experience it on a more visceral level.’
The second story, ‘The Tell-Tale Heart’ which follows themes of guilt, paranoia and madness, saw more sounds of crashing glass and creaky floorboards, according to the outlet.
Millet said his goal was to ‘really try to engage the audience’s imagination.’
‘I was intrigued,’ he said.
The show is set to run from March 20 to April 12 every weekend with only twelve performances.
The Daily Mail reached out to Paul Millet and Theatre Obscura LA for comment.
