Is this real, or have we simply gone mad?
Step into a realm between life and death for a haunting evening of mystery and exploration, filled with Halloween-infused surprises, Instagram-ready moments.
It is up to you to follow the story to the very end, as it unfolds throughout your time inside. The entire duration of the story is roughly 50 minutes.
Interact with characters and explore the small details of every environment. Become part of the world and join in the finale just before the portal closes.
Guests stepping through the portal and into Dark Passage will face an immediate choice; chaos or control. A brief introduction to the storyworld is presented by a few flickering old television sets, and then the exploration can begin. Whether those venturing into the afterlife choose chaos or control is mostly irrelevant as both paths quickly reunite, and the open-ended nature of Dark Passage allows for aimless meandering.
The storyworld exists in the space between life and death, better known here as Obscurum. But is it possible that none of this is real? Can it all actually exist in the mind of Amelia, the protagonist of Dark Passage?
Although it is a simple concept, the story can be difficult to follow. There are many characters, intricate rooms to examine and an overwhelming desire to understand what any of it means.
The scenic at Dark Passage was easily its weakest point, with a few exceptions.
Guests enter Obscurum through the portal – a multi-sensory fusion of color, sound, and touch. This short area resembles a cotton candy cloud tunnel with ever changing lighting and is certainly a great spot for photographs to mark the transition to the afterlife.
Unfortunately, while there is a memorable first impression, the scenic immersion through the remainder of the experience does not live up to the hype created by the portal.
The halls and rooms in Dark Passage are of the same quality one would find in a cheap home haunt. Black fabric not entirely covering the wooden framing, hanging plastic and foil to separate spaces, and dim flickering lights that attempt to obscure it all fail to truly immerse souls in Amelia’s creation.
There are several smaller rooms to be discovered, each hidden through small entryways in the curtain walls. These spaces tended to be significantly more interesting than the larger scenes in Obscurum as they showcased detailed theming and set design. However, scanning the pictures on the walls and flipping through the seemingly random books did not work to further the immersion or propel the story in any way.
There is one alcove that is overtly sexually themed. Dark Passage does warn patrons that this is an experience recommended for those 18 and older. Even with the knowledge of the adult nature, paired with being in a room that resembled a kinky sex den, we were quite shocked to see that photographs of genital mutilation were used as part of the scenic and story.
Immersive theater stands apart from other show experiences in large part due to guests being able to interact with the cast members, possibly even shaping how the story unfolds. For this to be a successful method of pulling audiences into a storyworld, the acting needs to be natural, believable, and purpose driven.
Dark Passage utilizes six or seven actors roaming Obscurum. The first interaction comes right after guests walk through the portal, when the afterlife welcoming committee of one gives a brief overview and presents the two path options that can be taken.
From that point forward, the interactions with the cast consisted mostly of them asking “what’s your name” followed by them asking “have you seen Ava/Lucia/Amelia/etc”. To their credit, the team was working hard trying to build the narrative, but they just didn’t have much to work with. Several of the cast members were decent at improving conversation, but most fell back on asking the same general questions repeatedly.
Each 50 minute time slot culminates with a grand finale where the entire cast gathers in the center of Obscurum to play out the ending of the story.
We entered Dark Passage with very open minds, wanting to be blown away with this unique experience. We left discussing how the poor scenic, weak acting, lack of purpose, and photographs of mutilated genitals came together to create an event memorable for all the wrong reasons. People who truly love interacting with others in unconventional settings while taking a deep dive into random backstories will possibly enjoy their exploration of Obscurum.
Pseudonym Productions, the creative team behind Dark Passage, has ran several other shows elsewhere in the country. This was their first time introducing Philadelphia to their work, and they plan to deliver new experience year round. It is exciting to have a new player in the region who is creating unique immersive theater experiences. While this particular event has areas that can be improved upon, we are hopeful that their future shows will bring Philadelphia more immersive and intriguing experiences.
Dark Passage is a pop-up Halloween immersive experience new to the Philadelphia scene. It runs for a limited time from October 11th through November 2nd.
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Venue: Dark Passage
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Dates: Select Nights October 11th – November 2nd
Hours: 7:00PM – 11:20PM (5 different available time slots, one every 65 minutes)
Cost: Single Night Admission: $35 | Unlimited Access Pass: $79
We thank Dark Passage for inviting us to experience this show. Although complimentary admission was generously provided, that in no way impacts the opinion included within this review.