“Gain followers. Lose your mind. Do it for the gram.” With a
tagline like that, it’s almost impossible to resist the sweet siren call of
Creep LA’s new production HAUS OF CREEP. It’s no secret that we’re fans of Just
Fix It Productions. While the Halloween season is just beginning, Creep LA is
consistently one of our top annual haunt recommendations.
HAUS OF CREEP is an immersive theatre experience, which,
depending on one’s perspective, is a horrific, or a darkly comedic take on the Instagram-able
“museums” and “experiences” that are devouring the Los Angeles cultural scene.
HAUS OF CREEP is set in an art gallery world filled with creeps.
These aren’t just your run-of-the-mill creeps; these are high-quality creeps! There
are leather creeps, vintage Hollywood-style creeps, creeps with accents, naked
creeps, clown creeps, and creeps with creepy facial hair! “Dennis” here takes
his creeping craft seriously. And so should you.
The
“stage” is set up as a free-roaming tour though an art gallery. There are
approximately 15 “living art” interactions in addition to numerous static art displays. Many of the art pieces are available for
purchase, so if you are in need of early Halloween, Christmas, Kwanzaa, or Groundhog Day gifts, Creep LA has your back.
The staged event interactions fit the insta-museum theme well.
Attention to detail is solid, and interaction quality is great. Would you like a
playful reminder of your last run in with homeland security at LAX? Boom! #10 “Feel
Something” is the cure for what ails you! Just like actual TSA employees, the
hands that reach out from the wall to grab you wear black nitrile gloves! Not
feeling the Department of Homeland Security’s love? Perhaps #3 “peepshow” is
more your speed. Just don’t get too close, or you might see more than you want
to…
Expect to be blindfolded at least once. Note it gets rather
warm inside the gallery, so, if you are lucky, you may be spritzed with a
refreshing lavender mist. Virtually the entire experience is interactive, so if
you are not into olfactory effects – just say no. The real star of HAUS of
CREEP was the delightful marionette show where the marionette shared important
life advice AND sang a catchy tune. The marionette also did things that no
marionette should do. Horror? Comedy? Therapy-fuel? I’m confused. But I like
it.
Is there a story behind this fake-museum full of colorful
creeps? You’ll have to figure that part out for yourself. Along the way, be
sure to take pics at the convenient photo booth stations (check your map!). When
you do finally figure out the plot, celebrate, and purchase commemorative women’s
crop tops and other Creep LA swag from the gift shop.
From a critical perspective, The Creep LA experience improves
every season and the acting has a cohesive feel to it. Things to do in LA has
been following Just Fix It Productions for years and this year’s cohort of
actors mesh well together. These are not just random weirdos you find at lesser
art installations! It is satisfying to see artistic growth in a non-traditional
theatre environment. The extremely high actor/attendee ratio (approximately 1
actor per 2 attendees) and numerous interactions provide for a rich and nuanced
75 minute adventure.
Was HAUS OF CREEP perfect? No. Life isn’t all Instagram
museums, creeps, and souvenir crop-tops. The biggest flaw? HAUS OF CREEP is a
parody of a selfie “museum” and yet there is not a single damn ball pit filled
with sprinkles, dolls, candy, marshmallows, eyeballs, toys, etc. Add a ball pit
before it’s too late. Serious. Do it for the ‘gram!
WARNING: There is so much stuff to see and do, that HAUS OF
CREEP’s branching paths may require more than one visit to fully appreciate the
Creep LA experience. Your mileage may vary.
Overall, HAUS OF CREEP is a fantastic experience and is
highly recommended for immersive theatre fans. For those not familiar with this
type of theatre, audience members play as interactive characters within the
story, so expect to be touched, yelled at, flirted with, made to dance, sing, etc.
Character interaction events tend to be ad-lib, so your personal interactions and
responses will directly affect and guide the experience. The key take away? Have
fun!
Creep LA is not the only set of creeps in this industry, and
Things to do in Los Angles has some legit cyber creeping capabilities. What’s
the word on the interwebs about HAUS OF CREEPS? Influencers are writing and
tweeting good things. I have a feeling that Creep LA is off to the start of a
creepamazingly creeptastic season. For
all you immersive theatre, made-for-Instagram / pseudo-museum enthusiasts, stop
reading this review and purchase tickets NOW!! before the best dates and times
sell out!
$69
HAUS OF CREEP
ROW DTLA
777 S. Alameda Street | Building #2 - Level 1, Los Angeles,
CA 90021
creepla.com