New DCPA interactive experience takes place in total darkness

The latest Denver Center for Performing Arts production isn’t on a stage, but rather inside a shipping container.

The interactive theater experience called “Darkfield” plunges participants into total darkness for a unique experience using sound and other media.

Glen Neath and David Rosenberg, co-artistic directors for the experience, started Darkfield in the United Kingdom. They decided to use shipping containers because they’re mobile, and it allowed them to control the darkness needed for a multi-sensory experience.

“If you put if you put everybody in the dark, you can, in effect, through the headphones, whisper to every audience member at the same time,” Neath said.

DCPA Off Center worked with production company Realscape to bring Darkfield to Denver for its United States debut. Audiences have the choice of three experiences: "Flight," "Coma" or "Séance."

In "Flight," audiences are seated in what looks like an airplane cabin.

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In "Coma," participants are laying down in bunks.

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In "Séance," they sit around a long table.

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Realscape Producer Nathan Alexander said, as the show unfolds through headphones, audiences may not know if everyone is hearing the same thing or not.

“When people come out they kind of have this kind of strange look in their face of like, what has just happened?” he said.

Producer Amy Johnson said the goal isn’t to scare audiences, but some of the experiences may be more anxiety-inducing than others.

“Fear is really subjective, so for some people, it's not scary at all but for some people if the narrative plays into their fears that does make it a little more intense,” Johnson said.

Darkfield runs through Sept. 1 at the Bird Lot at 2532 Larimer Street. Tickets for individual experiences can be purchased online or booked as a package. Each experience runs 25-30 minutes.

Learn more here .