Review: Pseudonym Productions' Odd CATHARSIS Misses Haunted House Mark

We've all heard the phrase, "If it was easy, then everyone would do it." Well, that axiom is never truer than when applied to visionary artists attempting to create a new form. In the theatrical world where trial and error is built into the developmental process, invariably, you are bound to have an error. Unfortunately, thus is the case with Pseudonym Productions' latest experience, CATHARSIS.

After successes with inventive projects THE REPUBLIC (read BWW's review) and WHEN SHADOWS FALL (read BWW's review), the company led be founder Sarah Elger turned its focus to Halloween with its first haunted house. The Pseudonym team said that they wanted to do a haunted house that terrified not with the "jump scares" of a traditional attraction, but rather with a disturbing, immersive psychological approach.

While neither THE REPUBLIC nor WHEN SHADOWS FALL was perfect, they both succeeded because they were able to create a fully realized story that drew audiences into their bizarre world. The all-encompassing atmosphere of those productions allowed "players," as they were called, to give themselves over to the emotions of the experiences.

Although CATHARSIS does well in creating an appropriately creepy atmosphere, the lack of a coherent narrative dooms the endeavor nearly from the beginning. The only character that you are ever properly introduced to is Selena Blackwood, the proprietor of the Deadly Sins Bar & Lounge, where you begin your CATHARSIS journey.

The actress playing Selena (whose name was not made available) sets up a story that seems compelling well setting a sinfully seductive mood. She ushers newcomers onto a path that she says will deliver both sin and salvation, because in the ruins of Penumbra (the secret community at the center of WHEN SHADOWS FALL), they are one in the same.

However, without spoiling any surprises, the production's subsequent scenes are disjointed and have no obvious connection to each either, robbing CATHARSIS of what has always been Pseudonym's most potent strength, its storytelling. In the past, Pseudonym has proven itself expert at dishing out just enough story to intrigue without pulling the curtain back too far. Unfortunately in this case, the lack of story is too much to overcome.

One of the most inviting aspect of CATHARSIS' concept is that it promised personalized terror designed to unnerve and disturb on a deeper level than a masked man jumping out and yelling, "Boo!" While I didn't expect the experience to focus its scares on real-life specifics culled from the lives of individual audience members, the actors feel very much like a conveyer belt steering participants from one cookie-cutter, but admittedly bizarre, interaction to the next.

While a number of the increasingly odd vignettes were extremely uncomfortable and, frankly, weird, none rose to the level of terrifying, or even all that scary. Instead, the most ominous and interesting parts of the 30-minute experience were when you are briefly left alone to explore and navigate the labyrinth unescorted.

In their previous productions, Pseudonym has made a point to differentiate themselves from other experiences in the already narrow realm of experiential theatre, mainly be stressing that their shows were not escape rooms. Similarly with CATHARSIS, they made it a point to advertise that they would not have traditional haunted house scares. However, with the company's first two productions, which they billed as "real-life video games," I thought that they would have benefited from incorporating one or two tasks reminiscent of escape rooms.

Likewise, even though this time their focus was on creating a more emotionally disturbing experience than most haunted houses, a few jump-scares or shocking special effects would have gone a long way to helping set the mood for the entire event. On that note, the one aspect where I did feel that CATHARSIS was aptly creating a haunting atmosphere was with the ambient noise soundtrack full of foreboding music and disconcerting sounds.

It is also important to note that while the fact that audience members will be touched is made abundantly clear before hand, one of the scenes comes dangerously close to crossing a line of uncomfortability. If you are someone who does not enjoy your personal space being encroached upon, let alone violated, make sure that you let the the attendants at the Deadly Sins Bar know that you would prefer not be touched.

With all of that being typed, I should admit that I am by no means a haunted house connoisseur, and I probably approached CATHARSIS from a more immersive, theatrical perspective than many who are simply looking for a haunted night out this fall. If you think that this is an experience that will appeal to your specific Halloween sensibilities, you can purchase tickets at the production's website. CATHARSIS runs through Sunday, October 30th at a location revealed only after tickets are purchased.

Even though CATHARSIS didn't work for me, I am anxiously awaiting whatever Elger and her Pseudonym team come up with next.

---

Did you have a different experience to CATHARSIS than I did? Let me know on Twitter @BWWMatt. And, "Like" and follow BWW Orlando on Facebook and Twitter using the buttons below. You can listen to Matt on BroadwayRadio or on BroadwayWorld's pop culture podcast Some Like it Pop.

Banner Credit: CATHARSIS Facebook Page

To post a comment, you must register and login.