Temporary, unexpected: 3 'pop-ups' give custom experiences at area locations
It can be difficult to get your work into an established theater or art gallery. "Pop-up" venues can be a less resource-gulping option. Whether it's a portion of available retail space — such as the "Flex Space" in the Arts Alliance Center in the College Mall — outdoor green space, a theater on its "dark" days, a garage or a trailer, pop-ups can be temporary or semi-permanent places in which to do your artistic thing.
You also can target geographical areas for specific events. Hosting a performance or display in an area thick with restaurants might give you the attention of people with disposable income and leisure time.
Three pop-ups in the Bloomington area are Drima, special events; Don't Tell Comedy, secret stand-up comedian shows; and Act Two Productions, a community theater company started by two local actors.
Drima creates custom events
"Our creative director and head writer, Kate Colvin, has been interested in pop-ups and, more specifically, immersive events for quite some time," said Kenzie Colvin, communications director at Drima Events.
"The immersive theater scenes in Los Angeles and New York have been thriving for years, but it has been less prominent in smaller cities and towns like Bloomington."
Drima, owned by siblings, creates custom story-based interactive experiences for its customers. Participants get taken to a different time and dimension or "to the edges of your wildest dreams." No two attendees will experience precisely the same thing, and the events include immersive theater, puzzle solving and costumes.
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Drima's debut event, a year ago, "The Moonshine Affair," was a Roaring Twenties-themed private party at the Orbit Room. It offered live entertainment, escape-room puzzles and a story that got attendees involved. Their next event was a pop-up escape room in the Graduate Hotel's Stranger Things Suite, titled "Escape the Upside Down."
The first run of the pop-up escape room sold out. Drima ran it again, and that sold out, too. The last event of 2022 held a mix of immersive theater, drag performance, potion-making, a costume contest and mysteries.
Drima works with other local businesses, to improve customers' experiences.
"The Cade (arcade bar) has been wonderful to collaborate with," Kenzie Colvin said. The bar has created new cocktails tailored for Drima events and offered free entry to the bar. Another event was hosted at the new Bonne Fete gift shop and, like Drima, is a sibling-owned business.
Drima's next venture will be the spy-themed "Secret Gaygents." Hidden agendas and international "lesbianage" will prevail. "While this event will be for everyone, we especially love engaging with the queer community in Bloomington," Colvin said.
Act Two Productions' first event opens at Ted Jones Playhouse
Pop-ups usually mean less financing and more malleability. In fact, founder and producer Becky Stapf said her motivation for starting one was the opportunity to act in or direct plays she has been wanting to see. So the first endeavor is Agatha Christie's "The Mousetrap," opening March 2 at the Ted Jones Playhouse.
Stapf and her theater partner, Dan Heise, wanted creative and administrative control over the process of producing a play.
"Both Becky and I are absolutely in love with ('Mousetrap')," Heise said, "and wanted to make sure that nothing got in the way of it being the best production that we could put on."
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Heise had experience with pop-up theater in the 1990s in Chicago. He and his father wrote and produced a play they staged at a local theater company.
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"We kept the costs low by using imagination and creativity instead of money where we could."
The Chicago local press got involved, leading to packed houses. "This inspired some of those folks to go on to do their own pop-up productions."
Stapf said Act Two's "Mousetrap" will raise funds for Monroe County Civic Theater, Bloomington's all-amateur theater group (which, by the way, often excels at Shakespeare).
"But all the financial risk and production work is done by Dan and I," Stapf said. "We make the shots. Monroe County Civic Theater has no decision-making (in) it."
Local actor Emily Bedwell who plays Mollie, said: "Mollie is a great character to sink my teeth into. She's smart and competent but also way out of her league and hiding something ... she's also maybe not quite ready to deal with the various personalities that show up at her doorstep."
"We've got lots of tins in case we're snowed up," Mollie says early in Act I.
And snowed up they are.
If you go
WHAT: Agatha Christie's "The Mousetrap," a murder mystery
WHEN: 7:30 p.m. March 2-4, 9-11 and 2 p.m. March 5, 11
WHERE: Ted Jones Playhouse, 107 W. Ninth St.TICKETS: $25.62 at https://bit.ly/3XquhJb
Don't Tell Comedy: It's a secret till the day of the show
This company offers stand-up comedy shows, which are surprises for its patrons, up to nearly the last minute. They're in more than 70 cities across the U.S. including Bloomington. The comedians and the exact location are kept under wraps, to add excitement and affordability.
The founder, Kyle KA, tired of having to buy at least two drinks at comedy clubs in order to see the performance. After having a blast at a backyard comedy show, he initiated Don't Tell Comedy, hoping to round up top talent in community settings where comedy lovers can "hang out on a budget."
The customer receives the venue's location by email, by noon on the day of the show. Just let them know if you need the address before that. Tickets are refundable up to 24 hours before the listed show time. Don’t Tell Comedy also lets you transfer your order for a future event of equal cost, as available, if you can't make the event or your order is not eligible for a refund.
The next stand-up show in Bloomington is on the south side at 8 p.m. Feb. 23. Tickets are $25; bring your own drinks. It will be inside and has chairs. Wheelchair access is available. Visit https://bit.ly/3xtl7AN,
If you go
WHAT: Surprise stand-up comedy show
WHEN: 8 p.m. Feb. 23
WHERE: Somewhere on Bloomington's south side
TICKETS: $25 at https://bit.ly/3xtl7AN
MORE: Information about Don't Tell Comedy at https://www.donttellcomedy.com/
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: 3 'pop-ups' give custom experiences at Bloomington area locations
