No Proscenium

Returning for its 7th year in 2026, Denver Fringe continues to grow, evolve and solidify its role as an incubator for innovative performance art. As an enthusiast and supporter, I love the festival for my own reasons, like the small, intimate performances and the smorgasbord of options to gorge myself on for a weekend of weird, interactive theatre. But I also love the way that this festival is designed just as much for the artists as the fans.

Every August thousands of theatre-goers and artists descend upon Edinburgh for the Festival Fringe: the largest performing arts festival in the world and the one independent performing artists from around the world dream, scheme, and hustle their way into.

By Promotional Image for DARKFIELD'S Flight. (See 'Las Vegas' & 'Edinburgh Fringe' below) This post is for subscribers only Become a member now and have access to all posts and pages, enjoy exclusive content, and stay updated with constant updates. Become a member Already have an account? Sign in Read Next 1 min read 8 min read 10 min read

This week host Noah Nelson is joined by esteemed members of the NoPro New York Review Crew: Curator Allie Marotta, East Coast Editor at Large Blake Weil, and Senior Correspondent Nicholas Fortugno for an often feisty conversation about what's happening in the NYC immersive scene in what has been a very busy year.

This week our staff has prepared three substantial courses for you that will promenade you around DUMBO, lure you into a liminal space in North Hollywood, and invite you into Brooklyn town home. Unusual theatre in unusual spaces, that's (one of) our (nineteen) motto(s) here.

One of the more buzzed about happenings in the NYC indie theatre scene this summer is the conversion of a former sweater factory in the Ridgewood neighborhood of Queens into a new performance space.

During the time that we were all online, Marino developed Planet of the Grapes, his "epic, tabletop, sci-fi adventure," as a piece that played out over Zoom. Now Marino and director Michole Biancosino are transforming the show into live, in-person experience that brings all kinds of tools and tricks to the table.

How do you create a truly replayable escape room experience? How can choice meaningfully impact game design, story, and player agency within the framework of an escape room? Doors of Divergence, now remounted in Charlotte, NC following a critically-acclaimed run at its original location in Brooklyn, NY, is tackling these questions by pushing the boundaries at the intersection of escape rooms, immersive theater, and replayable narratives.

By Promotional image for The Timewalk Exhibition. (See "London," below.) This post is for subscribers only Become a member now and have access to all posts and pages, enjoy exclusive content, and stay updated with constant updates. Become a member Already have an account? Sign in Sign in for exclusive content

Shelley Snyder, London & UK Curator: Another year of Voidspace Live in the bag; London's own little immerso-fest weekend where it feels like pretty much everyone doing cool stuff in England ends up in town either showcasing, playtesting, or networking. Thomas was even staging his own production, weren't you? Thomas Jancis, London Correspondent: I was once again fortunate enough to come to VOIDSPACE as an audience member on the Saturday and performer of 'OTKAS' on the Sunday.