Last Call Theatre Reveals Anchor to 2023-2024 Season, PIRATES WANTED

After its success with the award-winning The Collective and audience favorite The Harvest, Last Call Theatre has revealed the anchor to its 2023-2024 season, Pirates Wanted, an immersive and interactive pirate adventure performing April 2024 on the American Pride, the 130 ft, 3-masted tall ship operated by the Los Angeles Maritime Institute in San Pedro. Audience members will be able to explore this majestic vessel as if they were actual pirates, all while docked near the Port of Los Angeles, right by the Los Angeles Maritime Museum.

In Pirates Wanted, participants assume the role of new pirate recruits, joining Captain Souvanna and her crew on a wild and wacky pirate adventure as they first attempt to steal a ship from the British Royal Navy and then train these new recruits into actual seaworthy pirates.

As the Captain races to prove herself and her crew to the Great Pirate Council, the threat of sirens and their magic comes to light and rumors of mutiny begin stirring. Currents of danger, betrayal, magic, music, adventure, and love will rock the core of this crew, and it's up to the audience to decide whether they'll sink or swim as they navigate these unfamiliar waters.

"Pirates Wanted first developed from one simple thought "What if we did an immersive show on an actual ship?" says creative lead Ashley Busenlener. "Over the next year and a half, that thought transformed and grew into the magical explosion of adventure, love, and diversity that is Pirates Wanted. I can't wait for you to join us on our maiden voyage and see that anyone can be a pirate."

"When I was in high school, I secretly wrote stories to my first love about what it would have been like if she was a dutiful British daughter and I was the rebellious captain of a ship, locked in a forbidden love with one another - What if we could escape on a pirate ship and create a new future together?" says director Brit Baltazar. "When I direct, I want to infuse into this show those feelings of danger-seeking excitement and passionate true love, so audiences can step onto the ship, let go of their day-to-day responsibilities, and join our revolutionary band of colorful, queer pirates!"

Pirates Wanted follows Last Call's trademark style of quests and audience-driven narrative, with over 50 quests that result in multiple potential endings and variable sword and fight combat scenes. Additionally, the show also incorporates live, original music and a more gamified aspect to the show with pirate training games.

The show is Last Call Theatre's 6th production and is the final show of its 2023-2024 season. Pirates Wanted is directed by Brit Baltazar. The production team is helmed by creative lead Ashley Busenlener with producers Riley Cole and Jacob Zorehkey. Pirates Wanted was created by Ashley Busenlener with narrative team members Brit Baltazar, Charly Charney Cohen, Riley Cole, Kale Hinthorn, Liviera Lim, Sabrina Sonner, and Jacob Zorehkey. The team also includes Shoshanna Ruth Green as fight choreographer, Suzie Hicks as assistant director, Last Call Theatre's resident costume designer Kale Hinthorn, Ronen Rinzler as composer/lyricist, Sabrina Sonner as Dramaturg, and Jacob Zorehkey as Assistant Dramaturg.

Pirates Wanted is now casting for performances in April 2024 and is currently fundraising for the production through GoFundMe. Learn more about the show, how to audition, and how to support at www.lastcalltheatre.com

About Last Call Theatre

Last Call Theatre is an LA-based immersive theatre company that specializes in creating highly interactive and engaging worlds for audiences to explore. Last Call productions give the audience the agency to affect the world around them, with every individual's choices having a lasting impact on the narrative. Audiences become a part of the story, making every performance unique. Find them on Instagram and TikTok @lastcalltheatre and learn more at www.lastcalltheatre.com

Brit Baltazar

(they/she/he) is a proudly queer, Filipino, multi-hyphenate artistic leader who dedicates themself to making people laugh and cry at all times with their uniquely empowering and unapologetic storytelling. In 2021, she earned her Bachelor's in Theatre with an Acting Emphasis at USC, where she made her directorial debut with Stop Kiss (2019). Ever the romantic, Brit fell in love with Last Call Theatre's style of immersive theatre when they co-wrote and acted as Cullen in Abandoned (2022) and later played Dr. Wondertainment in The Showroom (2023). They were also the Assistant Director for their Hollywood Fringe show, The Collective (2023). Most recently, he co-created, co-wrote, and acted as Isaac in The Harvest (2023). Having fully plunged into Last Call's work, Brit is beyond excited to soon present to you their biggest artistic endeavor yet-AHOY, MATEYS!

Ashley Busenlener

(she/her) is one of the Executive Directors & Founders of Last Call Theatre. Ashley is very passionate about immersive, interactive theatre and creating stories that transport audiences to new and fantastical worlds. She is thrilled to have a creative home with Last Call! In addition to serving on the Production Team for Last Call's productions, she is also a frequent narrative team member, and manager for Last Call's Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and website. Ashley is a double Trojan, holding a M.S. in Marketing from USC Marshall and B.A. in Theatre from USC's School of Dramatic Arts. She wrote on the narrative team for Last Call's Signals and The Collective and has written several one act plays. Pirates Wanted! is her first full-length show. She has produced over 18 live events including plays, musicals, escape rooms and immersive entertainment. You may have also seen her as Valentina Telletino in The Collective, Dany Taylor in Signals or (very briefly) as the Envoy in Abandoned. In addition to her work with Last Call, she has also worked with other immersive companies including Spectacular Disaster Factory, the Madcap Motel, and They Played Productions. In her free time, Ashley loves playing DnD, reading one too many fantasy books, and making charcuterie boards.

 

Test and expand your Broadway knowledge with our new game - The Broadway Match-Up! How well do you know your Broadway casting trivia?	Play the Daily Game, explore current shows, and delve into past decades like the 2000s, 80s, and the Golden Age. Challenge your friends and see where you rank!
How well do you know your Tony Awards history? Take our never-ending quiz of nominations and winner history and challenge your friends.	Can you beat your friends? Play today’s daily Broadway word game, featuring a new theatrically inspired word or phrase every day!