Geffen Playhouse Announces World Premiere of Live, Virtual and Interactive Theatrical Experience “Someone Else’s House”

GEFFEN PLAYHOUSE ANNOUNCES WORLD PREMIERE OF LIVE, VIRTUAL AND INTERACTIVE THEATRICAL EXPERIENCE “SOMEONE ELSE’S HOUSE”

TRUE-LIFE HAUNTING STORY WRITTEN AND PERFORMED BY OBIE AWARD-WINNING MULTIMEDIA ARTIST JARED MEZZOCCHI AND DIRECTED BY MARGOT BORDELON

MARKS FIRST FORAY INTO HORROR GENRE FOR GEFFEN STAYHOUSE BANNER

PREVIEWS BEGIN APRIL 23 - OPENING NIGHT IS APRIL 30

LOS ANGELES (March 23, 2021) – Geffen Playhouse today announced the world premiere of Someone Else’s House, a live, virtual, and interactive theatrical experience written and performed by playwright, director and Obie Award-winning multimedia artist Jared Mezzocchi (Vietgone, Russian Troll Farm).

Someone Else’s House is a true-life haunting story based on the Mezzocchi family’s terrifying experiences in New England and marks the first horror-themed show to be produced under the Geffen Stayhouse banner, as well as the sixth show in the series to date. Additional Geffen Stayhouse productions are currently in development.

“In a year of complete isolation, I found myself digging deeper into my family story and was shocked to unearth unbelievable truths that connect these dots,” said Mezzocchi. “I hope that audiences not only find themselves thrilled by the haunted nature of the experience, but also grow to appreciate mortality, family, and the undeniable need for ghost stories amidst such a challenging time in the world.”

ABOUT THE SHOW
Obie Award-winning multimedia artist Jared Mezzocchi has a harrowing story to tell: his family’s frightening, true-life haunting inside a 200-year-old New England house. Flip the switch, light your candles, and prepare yourself (as best you can) for this first-hand story of terror with the latest interactive production from the Geffen Stayhouse.

HOW IT WORKS
Someone Else’s House will take place via the Zoom video conferencing platform and each performance will be limited to a maximum of 40 households. Each household will receive a haunting kit in advance, not to be opened before showtime, which includes materials to help set the scene for the story, as well as important artifacts to be used to interact during the performance. Due to mature content, children 12 and under are strictly prohibited.

The Geffen Stayhouse banner originally launched in March 2020 with free, short-form content in response to the Geffen temporarily closing as a result of COVID-19. Geffen Stayhouse went on to develop and produce its first full-length effort The Present, a live, virtual, and interactive experience from magician, illusionist and storyteller Helder Guimarães, which made its world premiere in April 2020. The 250+ performance sold-out run was extended three times before closing with a global, livestreamed grand finale with more than 6,000 viewers. Currently running through April 4, 2021, is Guimarães’ The Future. Additional Geffen Stayhouse productions have so far included Inside the Box, Citizen Detective and Bollywood Kitchen.

SOMEONE ELSE’S HOUSE
WORLD PREMIERE

Written and Performed by Jared Mezzocchi
Directed by Margot Bordelon
Produced in Association with Virtual Design Collective (ViDCo)

Previews: Friday, April 23 – Thursday, April 29
Opening Night: Friday, April 30
Closing Night: Saturday, June 5

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
Monday No performance
Tuesday 6:00 p.m. PT
Wednesday 8:00 p.m. PT
Thursday 8:00 p.m. PT
Friday 6:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. PT
Saturday 6:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. PT

Sunday No performance

TICKET INFORMATION
Tickets are currently priced at $65.00 - $75.00 per household. Available by phone at 310.208.2028 or online at www.geffenplayhouse.org. Fees may apply. Full buy-outs are available.

Due to mature content, children 12 and under are strictly prohibited.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Jared Mezzocchi (Playwright and Performer)
Jared Mezzocchi is an Obie award winning director and multimedia designer, playwright, and actor. Mezzocchi’s work spans the United States at notable theaters such as: The Kennedy Center, Arena Stage, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, Cornerstone Theater Company, Portland Center Stage at The Armory, South Coast Repertory, HERE Arts Center, and 3LD. In 2016, he received the Lucille Lortel and Henry Hewes Award for his work in Qui Nguyen’s Vietgone at the Manhattan Theatre Club. In December of 2020, The New York Times highlighted Jared on a list of the top 5 national artists making an impact during the pandemic. His work was also celebrated as a New York Times Critic’s Pick on Sarah Gancher’s Russian Troll Farm where it was praised for being one of the first digitally native successes for virtual theater. Currently, Jared is creating a new work through his mini-commission at the Vineyard Theatre in New York City (On the Beauty of Loss). His book, A Multimedia Designer’s Method to Theatrical Storytelling, will be released in Spring 2021/22 through Routledge Publishers. He is a two-time MacDowell Artist Fellow, a Princess Grace Award winner, and is the Artistic Director of Andy’s Summer Playhouse. Jared is an Associate Professor at the University of Maryland and the CEO of his production company, Virtual Design Collective (ViDCo).

Margot Bordelon (Director)
Margot Bordelon is a New York and Portland based director who specializes in new work. Off-Broadway and New York credits include: Wives (Playwrights Horizons); Something Clean (Roundabout Underground); Do You Feel Anger? (Vineyard Theatre); Eddie and Dave (Atlantic Theater Company); Plot Points in Our Sexual Development (LCT3); Too Heavy For Your Pocket (Roundabout Underground); The Pen (Premieres NYC); A Delicate Ship (The Playwrights Realm); Still (Juilliard); Wilder Gone (Clubbed Thumb); The Last Class: A Jazzercize Play (DODO). Margot has directed productions regionally at ACT Theatre, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Alliance Theatre, American Theater Company, Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Marin Theatre Company, Steppenwolf Theatre, Wilma Theater, and Yale Repertory Theatre. She has developed work at Ars Nova, Berkeley Rep, Cherry Lane Theatre, The Lark, Ma-Yi Theater Company, Manhattan Theatre Club, New Dramatists, NYTW, Page 73, Portland Center Stage at The Armory, Primary Stages, The Public, Playwrights’ Center, Rattlestick Playwrights Theater, Seattle Rep, and Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company. Upcoming: …what the end will be (Roundabout Theater Company). B.F.A., Cornish College of the Arts; M.F.A., Yale School of Drama. www.margotbordelon.com

OPENING NIGHT SPONSORS
Audi
City National Bank

ABOUT VIRTUAL DESIGN COLLECTIVE (ViDCo)

Founded in the middle of the pandemic, ViDCo (Virtual Design Collective) is a collective of over 20 designers, programmers and technicians innovating new ways to tell stories and create communities online. Focusing its core values on audience engagement and live design, ViDCo generates entirely live performances with heightened design elements that bridges Theatre, TV, and cinema tricks into an online hybrid form. We strategize to use the strongest elements of every discipline to inspire the artistic community to use their tools while we provide them the platforms and expertise to tell their stories.

ABOUT GEFFEN PLAYHOUSE
Geffen Playhouse has been a hub of the Los Angeles theater scene since opening its doors in 1995. Noted for its intimacy and celebrated for its world-renowned mix of classic and contemporary plays, provocative new works and second productions, the not-for-profit organization continues to present a body of work that has garnered national recognition. Named in honor of entertainment mogul and philanthropist David Geffen, who made the initial donation to the theater, the company was founded by Gilbert Cates and is currently helmed by Executive Director Gil Cates, Jr., Artistic Director Matt Shakman and Board Chair Howard Tenenbaum. Proudly associated with UCLA, the Geffen maintains extensive education and community engagement programs, designed to involve underserved young people and the community at large in the arts. www.geffenplayhouse.org

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MEDIA CONTACT
Zenon Dmytryk
Geffen Playhouse