RATING: 6 Keys          RESULT: Win          REMAINING: 5:00

Renowned socialite. Dignified debutante. Attentive host. Veracious lover. Possible drag queen. Experienced widow. Remorseless murderer.  But who are we to say no to a tea party?

NOTICE: THIS REVIEW DISCUSSES ADULT SUBJECT MATTER OF A SEXUAL NATURE.

The loss of a loving husband is never easy to accept, but sadly, it’s just a part of life. The loss of a second, third or even fourth husband is a truly unfortunate circumstance. The loss of a thirty-seventh husband – well, that might indicate it’s finally time to call in a qualified team of skilled investigators. Lucky the perfect ‘in’ has presented itself – Miss Jezebel is hosting a private Tea Party in her home, hoping that one man who walks in a stranger could wind up as (un)lucky number thirty-eight. The invitation is open to all:

With each death – and subsequent inheritance – suspicion swells around the renowned socialite herself, Miss Jezebel. But without solid evidence, police are powerless to stop her. In our civilized world of ‘innocent until proven guilty,’ quickly replacing your lost lover (or, more than three dozen of them) just isn’t enough on its own to stand up in court. Investigators will need to gather the death certificate of her most recent husband, solid evidence to the means of murder, and, after so many former spouses, just what Miss Jezebel’s full name even is these days – then personally serve this devious debutante with a long over-due arrest warrant. It may seem like a simple game of Clue set to play out in real life, but searching the web of this lurking black widow will be anything but a cup of tea.

Miss Jezebel is our omnipresent hostess for the evening. Popping in and out for a bit of friendly chit chat, juicy gossip, uncomfortable inuendo and some heavy flirting, all while regularly checking in on the pot roast that’s just an hour away from its savory completion in the kitchen. Portrayed in a highly immersive way by a skilled improvisational actor, no two visits to Miss Jezebel’s Tea Party will ever be the same, and with so much on the evening’s agenda, somehow it just never came up that we’re pretty sure Miss Jezebel was a man.

Miss Jezebel’s home is modest despite her vast inheritance(s). The majority of the Tea Party takes place in her small, run-down and frankly filthy sitting room. Just inside the door, a rack full of outlandish hats and stylish scarves are available to arriving guests, inviting them to spruce up before the party begins. After all, it will be quite the classy affair. This becomes the first clue of the high level of immersion yet to come during Miss Jezebel’s Tea Party – giving guests the opportunity to embrace the role of their own would-be socialites and mingle with a truly elite culture.

A small table with just the right quantity of tiny stools surrounding it perfectly matches the number of guests expected to attend this evening’s dinner party. At the head of a table, a larger chair awaits our hostess, torn and disheveled as an unpleasant sign of things to come.

A serving stand holds the meal’s dinnerware, quite literally thrown in mismatched and disorganized piles, interspersed with elegant appetizer options such as pickles, eggplant and several other distinctly sexual double-entendres.

A beaded curtain leads way toward the kitchen, but proper guests mustn’t peek while the lady of the home is preparing our meal. It obviously just isn’t proper.

Somewhere in the house is hidden Miss Jezebel’s private parlor, furnished with a well-used red velvet couch, its walls, ahem, dripping with Miss Jezebel’s many secrets. (Let’s just say: if these walls could talk, they’d unquestionably still opt to keep their mouths closed.)

If this were a normal escape game, one might suggest its puzzles were on the easier side of the spectrum. But like our hostess, there’s just nothing normal about this experience. Miss Jezebel’s Tea Party brilliantly blends its tasks together with actor interactions in a way we’ve just never seen before. At many points, Miss Jezebel herself becomes a puzzle (and we aren’t just referring to her gender.)

In a sense, Miss Jezebel’s Tea Party is equal parts Escape Game, Immersive Theater, interactive murder mystery, hide and go seek and musical chairs. If that sounds bizarre, it’s because it is – in all the right ways. Some challenges are as simple as “pick up this object” – except dinner guests must somehow find a way to do it without Miss Jezebel catching them out of their seats – and like a moth to a flame (or in this case a murderous sexual deviant to a wealthy unsuspecting suitor) Miss Jezebel is always philandering about, eagerly prepared to punish those unable or unwilling to follow her instructions.

Fleeting moments pass prematurely while she tends to the roast, leaving investigators far too little time to effectively search her home without getting caught out of their seats. Unique teamwork strategies the likes of which were probably never even considered in any other game will be required to distract the devious debutante while stealing things quite literally right under her nose. It will take a mix of clever strategy, a steady hand and the ability to get lost in the storyworld to role play in character as the situation demands.

Successfully cracking this case will also require a willingness to accept some of the most bizarre absurdities you’ll likely ever encounter, including covert interactions with Miss Jezebel’s nosy neighbor, Gloria Hole. Gloria is – how can we put this delicately – a dirty sock puppet come to life. She acts as both the town gossip, occasional hint system and, at times, a puzzle herself. If investigators are able to meet her unusual demands, she might just be willing to share some information she’s uncovered stuffed inside the darkest regions of Miss Jezebel’s drawers. We know what we said.

Pulling back the curtain just a bit, there are, as of this writing, currently three different actors that take turns portraying the role of Miss Jezebel. Each brings the character to life in their own way, adding nuances and quirks that truly make for different, almost repeatable encounters between them. Although the puzzles will be the same, Miss Jezebel’s Tea Party is truly about the experience – leaving unexpected twists and turns to transport you throughout its hilariously twisted storyworld.

Interestingly enough, of those three actors, two are female and one is male – impeccably portraying this black widow bride as a very noticeable, albeit unspoken drag queen. In a storyworld forged on a foundation of absurdity, we cannot imagine any actor better suited to play the role of Miss Jezebel than Patrick, our delicate and depraved hostess for the evening’s festivities. We’d later learn that prior to donning the wig, Patrick actually helped to write the script for the Jezebel character’s dialogue throughout the show – making it all the more clear why he was so believable in the role.

From the start, it’s evident that Miss Jezebel’s Tea Party is going to be something very different – but even with that understanding, it may come as a surprise just how unique this attraction is. Blending Escape Game concepts with an Immersive Theater approach is not something entirely unheard of – but its rare to encounter an experience capable of blending both so seamlessly that it becomes a front-runner for top accolades on both sides of the spectrum.

Simply put, the gameplay in Miss Jezebel’s Tea Party is so engaging and clever that it instantly becomes one of our favorite Escape Games in the country – while the intimate (and at times, delightfully uncomfortable) interactions with its titular character put it in league with the very best Immersive Theater moments we’ve encountered. We dare say that at times, Miss Jezebel’s Tea Party casts guests into its storyworld more successfully than legendary stalwarts such as Sleep No More and Then She Fell.

But as with any Immersive Theater-flavored experience, guests to Miss Jezebel’s Tea Party truly do get out of it what they’re inclined to put into it. Walk into her home with an open mind and a willingness to play an outlandish character in this absurd storyworld and you’ll receive one of the most engaging and entertaining hours of your life. The key is to not worry about looking silly – because frankly, that’s entirely the point. Let yourself go. Get lost in the role. Have fun with it, and we promise, one way or another, Miss Jezebel will have fun with you, making it a night to remember. We know what we said.

In essence, Miss Jezebel’s Tea Party is poised to cross-populate guests from two entirely separate industries, inspiring each fanbase to dabble in an entirely new-to-them genre. It offers just enough Escape Game to inspire new fans to cross over from the Immersive Theater world, while creating an approachable, comfortable and memorable take on Immersive Theater that could encourage Escape Game fans to break out of their shells to embrace the notion of in-character role-playing. At the end of the day, both industries will directly benefit from the exposure 60out is creating with this attraction.

Miss Jezebel’s Tea Party is a very different kind of outing from 60out. Despite being one of the saturated Southern California market’s strongest brands, they’ve never before tinkered with the inclusion of live actors in any of their prior games. Moreover, everything else in their portfolio has been suitable to be enjoyed by the entire family.

All of that changes as they take things in a whole new direction with this game. Miss Jezebel’s Tea Party is truly “60out After Dark” – an adults only attraction full of rambunctious, raunchy humor and sexually suggestive situations. On paper, it may seem like a gamble for an established brand, but in execution, Miss Jezebel’s Tea Party truly is 60out’s new crown jewel. It’s the game that will stand tall and proud, poking out above all the rest in a true creative climax guaranteed to leave guests smiling and satisfied. We know what we said.

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Venue:  60out

Location: Los Angeles California

Number of Games: 3

GAME SPECIFIC INFORMATION:

Duration: 60 minutes

Capacity: 5 people

Group Type: Private  / You will not be paired with strangers.

Cost: $45 per person (a minimum of three people are required for booking.)

We thank 60out for inviting us to play this game. Although complimentary admission was generously provided, that in no way impacts the opinion included within this review.