We went in to the showing of The Key with no idea what to expect, and ended up loving every minute of it.

Read our review of The Key below, and find out why you should be excited for the next part in the series, The Axe.

The Kansas Collection Chapter 1 | The Key

The show, called The Key, is the first in a series called The Kansas Collection put on by The Speakeasy Society.

We had never attended an event by The Speakeasy Society before, so we didn’t know what to expect as we stepped up to the unassuming private home in Glendale.

The location had been disclosed to us via secret message a few days prior to the event. From the show description online, we also knew that Kansas is in the midst of a dust bowl with no food, money or shelter to be found. A colorful tent has gone up on the edge of town, a man asking for a moment of our time. There is no place like home, and the storm is returning to Kansas.

Review: The Key by the Speakeasy Society

Highlights

The Concept

Though we’ve been to multiple immersive theater events, we have never attended anything quite like the the Kansas Collection before. The show is drawn out series of small immersive events, much like a multi-part television event. In between we’ve received secret video communications from the recruiters, which keeps the feeling of being immersed extended over the course of weeks.

And it can’t be denied, we’re absolutely hooked. We have literally been counting down the days until the next part, called “The Axe.” We really hope this concept of multi-part mini shows becomes a new trend with immersive theater.

The Acting

We couldn’t have been happier with the quality of the acting. The actors did a stellar job of pulling us into the story from the very first moment we stepped into the world. Even though the whole event was only twenty minutes long, they didn’t make it feel rushed. The experience was very private and personal, and we were left wanting to know more about each character and the immersive world.

The Price

The cost of The Key was only $15. Granted, the actual show was only 20 minutes long, but the way the entire storyline is set up has us feeling like the immersion is lasting over the course of weeks. We thought it was really good value for money.

Room for Improvement

The Set

The actors did a great job pulling us into the world, but the set itself didn’t add a lot to the ambiance. According to the story, we were supposed to be on the outskirts of a town in a dust bowl in Kansas, but outside the tent it definitely felt like a backyard in Glendale. Once we were inside the colorful tent we were transported into the world somewhat, however the decorations were a bit bare.

But for the price we paid, the Speakeasy Society overall did a pretty good job with the set decoration. That being said, we would be willing to fork out a bit more money per ticket to help expand on the ambiance in the future.

Summary: