Recovery is an interactive theatrical presentation of Phoenix Tear Productions. Zoom is the online platform where we got to meet the performers. Attendees were informed that they are new recruits in a firm called Posthumous whose job is to help the recently deceased find their way into an afterlife which is crafted by the company. Beatrice with her bright pink hair and round glasses was our guide, introducing us to the task at hand. Over the course of the evening it became clear that she was rather new to the job as well.
As I sketched, I was not sure if I was sketching audience members or one of the cast. The couple who had recently died were disoriented having lost many of their memories from their past life. They were referred to as “Blank Slates” and the audience could ask them questions and speak to them. We were split up into two online meeting groups and I was assigned to the group who got tot talk to the boyfriend. A partial memory played back with Melanie Leon defending her friend. If an audience member asked questions Melanie would think the question came from the boyfriend and she responded appropriately. This was a primary way to learn what had happened in the boyfriend’s life leading up to his death. Mel as the Memory had known him since they were seven years old and she threatened consequences if his heart were broken.
The other group got to speak to the girlfriend, who apparently was a talented singer. I wish I had seen some of that performance. Slowly the truth unraveled with each question asked. Our primary goal however was to convince the boyfriend to be prepared for an eternal afterlife sponsored by Posthumous. We kind of dropped the ball. I blame myself since I didn’t ask any questions since I was focused on sketching as fast as I could. Maybe I could have convinced the boyfriend that he deserved eternal happiness even if he didn’t find it before his death in this life.
This was a fun interactive experience and the talk back after the show was as fun as the performance. Audiences are limited to only 20 people so that each person can experience unique interactions with the performers. The show has multiple endings and different tracks to follow. Show tickets have been selling out and the run has been extended to September 6, 2020.