Rehearsal discussion

Divided by Zero – Interview Series “The Hunt of the Scarecrows”

We sat down with Dark Tour veterans and stars of the upcoming “The Hunt of the Scarecrows” actors Andrea Lorin, Justin Bennet, and director Michael Verderber to get some insight on this next production. The espionage-based play is a radical departure from the usual horror themed Dark Tours. Dark Tours are Zero Untitled’s name for their immersive production series staged in pitch-black spaces in which audiences travel the space with only dimmed flashlights. Previous productions have been set in Wonderland and Willy Wonka’s factory, but with this latest show, the group returns to the noir, crime-filled world of Emerald City.

DB0: Tell me a little bit about your role in the upcoming Dark Tour. 

Andrea Lorin: Everyone in this show, myself included, plays a different role every night. So if you want to learn more, you’ll just have to come all three nights and see for yourself!

Justin Bennet: I play Finch, a detective and Finch is just trying to set things right after years of being a corrupt cop.

Michael Verderber: In addition to co-writing and co-directing, I will be a handler for the show.

DB0: What’s a handler?

MV: Oh, I will be helping out with the technological aspects of the show. Some audience groups will be required to go online and connect with an Operative who will give them mission directives.
DB0: What can audiences expect from coming to this show? 

JB: The audience can expect wall-to-wall action and feel like they are making a difference in the story.

AL: Audiences can expect lots of walking, espionage, and clues that will keep you guessing.

MV: A different sort of work. Katherine (co-director and playwright) and I wanted to venture into new territory; away from horror and to tread something new. But like previous shows, the immersive element is what will make it fun. The difficulty is, will the audience miss something? So, definitely confusion and mistrust, but that is by design.

DB0: Can you expand on that?

JB: (Laughs)

MV: Yeah, the show has a timing element where certain events happen at certain times, so if the audience isn’t where they are supposed to be, they might miss out.

JB: Like in a scene that I am in, some groups will see it while others will not.

AL: Same here.

MV: So seeing the show which has four different “paths” is the best way to get the big picture.

DB0: How does this show differ from other immersive Dark Tours that Zero Untitled has done?
AL: A traditional Dark Tour is often indoors and meant to scare you while also telling a story. The Hunt of the Scarecrows, an outdoor experience, is meant to make you think and think quickly, as you only have a certain amount of time to complete your mission. There is also no “tour guide” as in most of our Dark Tours, taking you from place to place – the cryptic clues you receive are your only guide, along with your wits and knowledge of the TAMUK campus.

JB:  What set this different than other Dark Tours from the past is that we are giving the fate of the play into the hands of our audience. Plus the audience now has freedom to move more freely, because in the past the audience was confined into a close space. But with this Dark Tour, we give them for freedom to interact with our characters and their environment.

DB0: Thanks, gang! “The Hunt of the Scarecrows” has two performances per night at 7:00 and 8:15 on May 7, 8, and 9.