BWW Exclusive: Orlando's Pseudonym Productions Announces Expansion of Penumbra World

BroadwayWorld Orlando has exclusively learned that Central Florida's extremely popular interactive, immersive theatrical experience, WHEN SHADOWS FALL, is about to undergo a number of major changes, all geared at expanding the world of "Penumbra," the fictional society in which their story is set.

Check out highlights from, and testimonials for, WHEN SHADOWS FALL:

In a statement, Pseudonym Productions said, "So what lies beyond WHEN SHADOWS FALL? Pseudonym Productions intends to invite audiences deeper into the world of Penumbra for a more intimate look at this sordid society we have crafted. Penumbra is real and we aim to bring its intricacies to life.

"But even beyond that - we are currently developing plans to use the elaborate venue we have created in an endless array of other experiences, in new and unexpected ways."

Pseudonym's Technical Director and Producer Ricky Brigante told BroadwayWorld that work has already begun on the new experiences, which will complement WHEN SHADOWS FALL, but that the new productions won't necessarily require knowledge of the other Penumbra stories.

Brigante said, that they are developing "stories that will appeal to newcomers as well as ones that will dive deeper into the world we have created in WHEN SHADOWS FALL. We also intend to create experiences that are entirely new and unrelated."

Penumbra's home is an undisclosed Orlando location, given to audiences, which they call players, only when their tickets are confirmed. The world includes a number of unique performance spaces from the dark, dingy Labyrinth to the sparse and sterile Office.

The production's statement continues, "WHEN SHADOWS FALL was launched as our flagship production and will continue to be open to welcome new citizens into Penumbra each weekend, utilizing our entire venue and featuring an astounding cast of 14 actors across a massive two-hour interactive performance."

While Pseudonym told BWW that they plan to "rapidly expand our offerings with intriguing variety," no official, or target, date was shared for the added Penumbra attractions, but they did warn that they could be coming "sooner than you think."

Pseudonym, founded by designer Sarah Elger, defines itself as "a design company specializing in crafting uniquely personal interactive experiences, creating worlds in which we want people to feel empowered and important."

The statement also says that they intend to "redefine entertainment here in Orlando," and to "continue to blur the lines between reality and fiction even further."

In an interview after the official opening night performance, Elger hinted at potential additions to the Pseudonym slate.

"We are already in the process of creating 'one-offs' of this experience," she said. "So many people have already come back to us and said, 'Ok, I loved it; what's next?' Of course, we start cringing a little bit, but we already have other ideas, using the set, using the story... What if we take someone's microcosm of a story and expand upon that, so you can come in and do different narratives? So that's something we're really looking to develop."

Even before WHEN SHADOWS FALL officially opened, Pseudonym announced an extension based on popular demand, so the idea of pulling back performances seemed a bit counterintuitive on first blush. However, as Brigante explained, a labor intensive task like creating an entirely new, interactive experience takes time and effort. Fortunately, echoing Elger's comments, Brigante says that the company's creative team has been working on some of these new ideas nearly from their first preview.

"We did not expect to have such a strong fan following so quickly!" Brigante said. "Even on our very first night, we already had players asking, 'What's next?' We aim to meet that demand as quickly as possible, showing that if there's anything that can be expected from Pseudonym Productions, it is the unexpected."

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