Our Values
Diversity of voices leads to better and more inclusive storytelling.
Collaboration with actors is key to the process and fundamental in our approach to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Audience autonomy, identity, and presence within the story world is paramount, as is respect for the audience’s intelligence,safety, consent, time, and participation.
Stories and experiences should be accessible to all, regardless of background, physical ability, exposure to source material, or knowledge of other immersive work.
The work is audience-responsive; it must always be evolving.
Humility is key. When we’re not the experts, we prioritize inclusion of the required voices.
Intimacy over spectacle; interaction over reaction.
Emeritus Team Members
John Henningsen
Producing Director
Andrew Lia
Production Manager
Our Story
Our first show was in a bathroom. And it wasn’t allowed…
It was 2012 and we were graduate students at CalArts. We told campus security that we were filming to keep them at a distance so we could sneak audiences into the lavatory a few members at a time…
Toilets became cauldrons, mirrors transformed into portals portending the future, and bathroom changed continuously from coffins to Scottish wasteland caves and even to the gates of the castle, Inverness. The Weird Sisters, our site-specific, witch-centric version of Macbeth, became the unofficial inaugural production of The Speakeasy Society.
Ten years and 25 unique productions later, the company is now identified as an industry standard for independent theatre companies in Los Angeles and immersive theatre companies nationwide.
In recent years, The Speakeasy Society has created and produced several major works extending the boundaries of what live performance can achieve, all of which were met with critical and audience acclaim, including:
The Johnny Cycle, four immersive plays adapted from Dalton Trumbo’s Johnny Got His Gun, which was lauded as “an artistic masterpiece” by No Proscenium;
The Kansas Collection, a 10-part episodic augmented reality theatrical experience based on the Land of Oz novels;
and Wild Party, adapted from Joseph Moncure March’s epic poem and produced in collaboration with The Broad Stage for their 50th anniversary year celebration.
In addition to our theatrical work, The Speakeasy Society has partnered with major themed entertainment designers and operators to deliver intimate storytelling at massive scale while developing and creating original intellectual properties, including collaborations with Walt Disney Imagineering, Walt Disney Parks & Resorts, Meow Wolf, Two Bit Circus, and the 2023 Orange County WinterFest.
