OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma City’s interactive art experience, Factory Obscura, has long been known for creating immersive and unique experiences for locals and visitors alike, and this summer, the arts collective is adding another layer with RECORD+PLAY, an interactive performance designed to transform guests into collaborators.
Regular Factory Obscura visitors may already be familiar with MIX-TAPE, the immersive art experience inspired by music, nostalgia, and human emotion. RECORD+PLAY builds on that experience by blending live theater, improvisation and audience participation with no set script. The experience debuted in June and continues on select dates through July.
“It draws on characters and themes that already exist in the Factory Obscura universe and explores them in a new way,” Factory Obscura co-founder Kelsey Karper, who served as producer for the project, told Free Press.
RECORD+PLAY gives participants control over how involved they want to be.
Upon arrival, guests choose between wristbands that signal whether they’d like performers to actively interact with them or simply observe.
“We wanted to allow participants to choose the level of interactivity that they would like to have,” Karper said. “We recognize some people are a little nervous or intimidated by that idea, but we still want them to feel welcome to experience the show.”
Morgan Smith, who directed the project and also performs in it, said the performers adjust their approach based on each guest’s comfort level. She added that even guests who initially opt for limited interaction often become more comfortable as the experience unfolds.
“I found a lot of people with the less interactive wristbands actually were willing to engage after an initial moment,” Smith said. “Their fear kind of dissipates when they see what it is.”
Visitors can also participate in an emotion-based scavenger hunt, where performers invite guests to collect sounds, movements and memories inspired by different emotions, gradually building a collaborative mix tape.
“As performers, we’re trying to help facilitate play,” Smith told Free Press. “Sometimes we’ll create dances with people or create a soundscape together using the materials in the space. It’s about getting people out of their heads a little bit and into a place where they feel more free to play.”
Participants can record those moments onto blank cassette tapes carried by the performers. Guests who purchase a cassette can take home the completed recording as a keepsake, while others can record the experience using their own phones.
The four performers–Smith, Ashley J. Mandanas, Nancy Rance and Z Taylor–each portray an original character inspired by the colorful “Emoshies” and “The Feels,” the emotion-based characters who guests may recognize from the giant boombox outside Factory Obscura. Only two performers appear during each performance, making a different combination of characters and interactions every time.
To set the scene for the RECORD+PLAY experience, those characters have left behind fragments of songs, stories and emotions, and participants must travel through the world of MIX-TAPE to help piece them back together.
While exploring the immersive art exhibit for the first time with her family, Kira Glover was captivated by the character Beacon, portrayed by Z Taylor, and worked with the performer to create a mix tape of her own.
As she wandered through the colorful rooms, the young visitor listened for interesting sounds and collaborated with performers to create a personalized soundtrack inspired by the experience.
“I really like it, and I heard new sounds, like sounds in a video game. It was awesome,” Kira said.
When asked what she would remember most about her visit, she said, “everything.”
“It makes you feel like a kid again,” Kira’s mother, Kayla Glover, told Free Press.
RECORD+PLAY also represents a new chapter for Factory Obscura. In recent summers, the organization debuted temporary immersive installations in its East Bay space. This year, however, those efforts are on pause while the arts collective focuses on future expansion plans.
“We intentionally did not plan a temporary experience this summer because we are in the midst of working on expansion plans,” Karper said. “But we wanted to have something new that would give people who’ve been here before a reason to come back, while also appealing to people who’ve never visited.”
After two public performances and several test runs, both Karper and Smith said no two RECORD+PLAY experiences have looked alike.
“Every time it’s different,” Karper said. “I’ve just been amazed at how great the performers are at responding to the audience and pulling everyone into the storyline. It feels really natural.”
RECORD+PLAY continues at Factory Obscura July 11 and July 18 from 5 to 7 p.m. and July 26 from 2 to 4 p.m. Admission includes access to the full MIX-TAPE experience.
Organizers said additional dates may be added later this summer if demand is strong.
Zoe Elrod covers events and happenings around Oklahoma City for Free Press bringing her skill as a reporter and photographer. Zoe has spent her career covering local musicians, artists, politicians, and everyday folks.
