Last Call Theatre’s The Showroom Is a Choose Your Own Adventure Murder Mystery in North Hollywood
Someone has been murdered inside an Infinite IKEA, a mysterious furniture unit with trapped inhabitants. Some have been trapped for years, and others for just a few months. I was part of the newly trapped civilians, and we had to figure out who the killer was before the creepy, humanoid staff from the Infinite IKEA takes over. There was a mystery to be solved, but when I met Cam, my primary goal shifted. Cam was sweet but confused, and he was locked inside a cell for being at the scene of the crime. Trying to free him sent me on a wild adventure where I had to sneak around and steal a device, talk to the inhabitants to learn about their story, and search inside the building for missing clues.
The Showroom is an in-person, immersive theatrical show from Last Call Theatre that’s set inside an Infinite IKEA. Imagine participating in a murder mystery and an interactive show where you can choose your own adventure while also helping shape the outcome of the story. It was a wonderful experience where I felt as if I was part of the story. A word of caution: The Showroom is not for passive observers, and to really appreciate and enjoy it, one must become active.
The concept is surreal where you have people trapped inside an Infinite IKEA. The characters who were there before us have different backgrounds and different times they were trapped. Robyn Sloane and Joseph Joe Williams are scientists, Wren Montgomery and Edgar Vaughn are security, and Dr. W is a newcomer, just to name a few. Since this is a murder mystery, it’s our group’s job to talk to the different characters and try to find out who has it in them to become a murderer. There will be clues and puzzles, but it’s your choice, and you can focus on other storylines involving romance, friendship, and curiosities.
The bulk of my storyline involved trying to free Cam. I even tried to rally the group with a new hashtag: #FreeCam. A couple of missions had me trying to retrieve different types of devices and items. One included trying to get a device from Sloane, and there were different options on how to proceed. I decided that my best course of action was sneaking around and stealing the device at the lab, but Sloan caught me standing suspiciously nearby, so I switched it up and pretended to be a fan of her work. The show is so interactive and engaging that my actions bit me in the ass later. In one instance, I tried to convince the group who the murderer was, and Audra Magness, who portrayed Sloan, beautifully countered that I wasn’t to be trusted because of my actions. This is just one example of how riveting this show is. If improvising isn’t your cup of tea, there are other ways to reach your goal.
The Showroom is a bizarre concept, but it’s truly an entertaining murder mystery that’s all about character interaction and figuring out innovative and fun ways to complete your tasks. Your level of enjoyment is based on how engaged you are with the story and characters, so I recommend that you try to interact and talk to as many actors as possible.
Last Call Theatre’s The Showroom Information
The Showroom is a 2-hour show with no breaks. This marks the third immersive production from Last Call Theatre and is co-directed and co-created by Jason Pollak and Michaela Skaribas.
Last Call Theatre’s The Showroom is now running Thursday-Sundays, 8 p.m., until March 5, 2023.
Tickets are $45 each and are available at https://lastcalltheatre.ticketleap.com/theshowroom. The Showroom is located in North Hollywood at 5740 Vantage Ave. Los Angeles CA 91607.
