Telltale Games is all the rage right now. Their narrative-driven, point-and-click adventure games, in which your choices impact and affect the story, have captured the hearts of millions of gamers. And now there's a new theater experience that looks to do the same.
Being married to a theater major has opened my eyes to all sorts of experiences I probably wouldn't have heard of otherwise — like, for instance, The Republic, a new type of immersive theater that "brings video gaming to real life in an innovative, interactive performance experience."
Admittedly, I know nothing about the show. Nor does anyone really, as it's debuting as a "beta test" this month during the Orlando Fringe Festival. But from the description, it sounds like it's a video game brought to life. You step into a themed world filled with intriguing characters played by live actors and join a conflicted story. And for you Telltale fans out there, your decisions will control the ending.
"The Republic will immerse guests – called players – in a fully designed, interactive world inhabited by intriguing characters. Players will take on an important role in this conflicted society with their actions dictating how the rich story ends," the description reads.
Not a traditional stage show; not a haunted house; not an escape room; not a theme park ride; and not even confined to any emerging immersive theater standards; The Republic looks to push boundaries as players are asked to embody a role and become part of the story — you're even warned that you'll be watched, deceived, touched, and possibly kidnapped. Yikes!
As for the overall experience, here's the official description:
This giant maze delves deep into an alternate society, one of archaic hierarchies, confusion, and deceit. Drawing on elements from Greek mythology, Plato's Republic, and Metropolis, you – a player in this society – will plunge directly into the middle of conflict and unrest.
Every decision you make causes a reaction that affects not only your own story line, but the story of the players around you. You are creating a story web that is constantly in flux and shifting. Non Player Character (NPC) actors will help guide you through your experience, but you may not be aware of who is a player and who is an actor.
You will be deceived. You will be watched. You will be touched.
The more you challenge and engage in the world around you, the stronger your journey will be.
There are three factions in the story, which you will enter and explore. They are:
The Office is the state, the home of the guardians of the Republic. Here, the rulers exist in a lab-like workspace, carefully filing through reports of citizens of the Republic and making sure that all is well and stable in the Labyrinth. Obsessed with Greek mythology, they have begun to perform experiments on humans to create creatures like the Minotaur and Medusa.
The Republic is Plato's noble lie envisioned. Each person has a sense of his or her station based on the idea that people are intrinsically worth gold, silver, or bronze. There are also sub humans, those who have been expelled from the hierarchy and are consigned to live as ghosts among their fellow citizens.
The Labyrinth is the fate of those who are a little too problematic to stay within the Republic. Botched human experiments and potential trouble-makers are sent here.
In total, there are more than 25 fully designed, immersive spaces spread out across 18,000 square feet. And these surroundings will change with interactive elements. But what really sells me on this is the fact that not only are you thrown into this world, but the decisions you make will impact the other players around you as well as the ending, of which there are multiple of.
Again, I know nothing more than what the website for the show builds up, but as a fan of Telltale Games and other story-driven adventure games, I'm definitely intrigued. Tickets for The Republic are now on sale; it's running for 11 weeks on select days ranging from May 30 through July 25. For more details check out the official website.
