Read our review of The Key below, and find out why you should be excited for the next part in the series, The Axe.
Press photos Courtesy of The Speakeasy Society
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.
He wanted to know if we were looking for opportunity, hope, and a future. We obviously were, so after some more hints and jokes he ushered us into the tent. Here we met another man who had us fill out forms to join the resistance. He asked us a few questions about our intentions, but remained vague. We still weren’t exactly sure what we were doing there, but that didn’t stop us from signing up.
The two of us attending were split up at this point, one sent off into the tent area to the right and the other to the left. We each met a different recruiter (who it turns out are twins) that worked for the Scarecrow, the new king of Oz. We were a bit embarrassed to say it took both of us much too long to figure out that we were residents of Kansas (the “real” world), who were being recruited to join the scarecrow’s militia in the world of the Wizard of Oz (post-Dorothy).
Things sped up here, and our recruiters told us more about the Scarecrow’s army, and how it was put in place to deal with civil unrest after the departure of the Patchwork Girl (aka. Dorothy Gale).
Press photos Courtesy of The Speakeasy Society
The female recruiter named Phoebe became very strange near the end, almost like she was possessed. She claimed that she was a princess split in two and inhabiting the minds of the twin recruiters. She said her name was OZMA and that we would have to work in secret for her. Separately, both of the twins gave us a small key, and sent us out of the tent, being told to either avoid, or to speak to the man with the top hat.
Waiting outside, we noticed the man with a top hat pacing up a set of stairs, dressed in rags that looked like they were once elegant. We ventured up to speak with him, only to find that it was the Wizard of Oz himself, having fallen from grace. Between swigs from his flask, he told us to be wary, that we were caught up in something bigger than we could even imagine. Then he handed us a card with a symbol and a set of coordinates on it.
Though it didn’t seem urgent to visit the coordinates that night, we were much too excited not to. We drove immediately to the location, which ended up being about 15 minutes drive away. We came upon a locked door with a QR code on the window. Once we had downloaded a QR code reader, the code led us to a secret video of the Scarecrow king. He demanded that the two recruiters we had met find the Patchwork Girl immediately.
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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.
Press photos Courtesy of The Speakeasy Society
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:
9.5
/10
The Key Review Summary
We adored The Key. We were (and are) totally immersed in the world the actors created, and are looking forward to the next installment of The Kansas Collection. If you haven’t signed up for The Axe, we suggest you get your tickets ASAP, as they will sell out fast.
Length
20 Minutes
Cost
$15
Location
Glendale
Get Tickets for the Next Speakeasy Society Event
Use the link to the right to see what shows are coming soon.
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