Once-a-month. Always different.



Each month features a new venerable celebrity guest judge for
 a surprise creative prompt to invent a new experience. 
Then laugh with other creators as they attempt to do the same.
Sharpies provided. Cocktails encouraged.

Plus all the goofy club traditions, secret-handshakes, 
and purple velvet jackets you'd expect in a creativity social club.
Welcome to the club, you Imagi-Ne'er-Do-Wells. 
 


Imagi-Ne'er-Do-Wells is now FIRST TUESDAY of every month
with ticket drop & celebrity judge notifications via email & instagram.


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*** WARNING - FALLING ASTERISKS! ***

** Please be aware, each month's meeting may later be rebroadcast as a podcast. By attending you agree you're cool with us featuring your voice, image and any original creations you elect to share.



All submissions in the game are anonymous. But if you win we won't shut up about it.

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What on Earth am I getting myself into? 


Your (practically free) donation includes entrance to The Obscure
- a marvelous themed Distillery & Members-Only Cocktail Bar
located at 1356 Palmetto St, Los Angeles, CA 90013.
After the meeting, stay, play & socialize until closing time! 



It includes the company of brilliant creative weirdos like yourself for 
good-spirited laughs and goofy club traditions!




It includes all the geeky thrills of playing our one-of-a-kind, fun-and-funny creative charette game. 
Always different. Always different.



And don't forget, every month features a totally original creative challenge, 
a special celebrity guest judge and fabulous prizes for the ten top concepts!



Hosted by president-for-life,
your friend and mine,
Brett Jackson




Watch our full June 2023 meeting: 


June's Theme: The Most Immersive Conference Imaginable

with Venerable Celebrity Judges 
Dave Cobb from Animal Repair Shop
Jessica Creane from IKantKoan
and Joanna Garner from Meow Wolf






Former Celebrity Guest Judges




May 25 @ Two Bit Circus West
Dan Klitsner






DAN KLITSNER inventor of mega-hit game BOP IT.

If you are an inventor obsessed with inventing the next big thing, Is it big enough if you invented Bop It? (Bop it!) or is it big enough to create its 25 sequels over the last 3 decades? (Twist it!) Or is the next big thing EVER big enough?

What If you invented and licensed hundreds (Pull it!) of other games to companies with big impressive names like Hasbro,Mattel, Spinmaster, Wild Planet, Buffalo Games, Fisher Price, Exploding Kittens, Asmodee, (Twist it!) Ravensburger, ThinkFun - is THAT big enough to satisfy your invention obsession?

Perhaps big accolades will end your drive (Pull it! Pull it!) by winning 5 "Toy Of The Year awards? 2 Gold IDEA Awards from the Industrial Design Society of America?  (Twist it!) Or the Play Creators Game of the Year for your new game Sling It "the Medieval Sausage Slinging Game"? (Bop it! Twist it!…Sling It!)

Or is it big enough when the games you created live rent-free in the heads (Bop It!) of every person born after 1975, permanently, joyfully, compulsively. (Bop it! Twist it! Pull it!) Is that BIG enough?

If it was, that inventor wouldn't be Dan Klitsner.

(Mr Klitsner could not be reached to approve this bio by press time.)











Venerable celebrity judges KIRSTEN HAGELEIT & AARON VANEK from the SPECTACULAR DISASTER FACTORY!

Hear ye, hear ye —welcome, LORD and LADY of LARP!

Noble guests, esteemed members of this illustrious assembly, it is with great pride and profound respect that we herald over 50 combined years of creating games and immersive experiences! Kneel, knaves, before the creators of over 30 larps and other participatory events! Let the echoes of our admiration resound!

Also, knaves, did I stutter?

Lording larp laurels too numerous to enumerate, these aristocratic academes also teach, speak, write and edit on live action role playing in all its myriad forms, and elevate the discourse on games to heights of reverence and celebration. May their visit fortify our spirits and kindle in us purpose.

(Ms Hageleit & Mr Vanek could not be reached to approve this bio by press time.)


Spectacular
Disaster  Factory






Pasta Berkey



FEATURING venerable celebrity judge PASTA BERKEY of KNOTT'S BERRY FARM!

SHE has enjoyed an 18 year career at the park known as "America's 1st theme park," KNOTT'S BERRY FARM, no less than 105 years old.

SHE touches almost every aspect of the first, largest and longest-running Halloween event ever to be held at a theme park - KNOTT'S SCARY FARM, itself now 52 years old.

Of whom do we speak in hushed tones? Who is SHE?

We are not saying... "PASTA BERKEY IS SECRETLY THE GREEN WITCH OF CALICO!!"

We're not saying that. That would be irresponsible.

We're merely stating that since a time before anyone remembers, Pasta has been manifesting this diabolical event, from the scares, to the character concepts, and policies. To hiring and training the talent and staff. Indeed, even the scenic design and painting of this monstrosity, Dark Harbor, LA's Haunted Hayride and over 30 escape rooms sprang, almost fully formed, from her wicked fingers.

And, that in the coming war with the angels, hell would be super stoked to get her.

(Mrs. Berkey could not be reached to approve this bio by press time.)




KEN NEVILLE of MEOW WOLF & DISNEY IMAGINEERING fame!

The Romans called him Jupiter. The Greeks called him Zeus. Moderns calls him KEN NEVILLE: former executive producer at Meow Wolf, former exec producer at Walt Disney Imagineering, master of lightning and king of the gods.

He's a two-time Thea winner for Fantasy Springs and Nemo & Friends SeaRider at Tokyo DisneySea. He's a winner of the Disney Inventor award. And a recognized industry leader having sat on, respectively, the PGA New Media Council, the Western board of directors for the Themed Entertainment Association, and a throne of thunder atop Mount Olympus.

Ken Neville is with us always, in our hearts and on the first Tuesday of 2025 at Imagi-Ne'er-Do-Wells.

(Mister Neville could not be reached to approve this bio by press time.)
Ken Neville







Jared Butler


JARED BUTLER  — creator of the WASTELAND WEEKEND and NEOTROPOLIS immersive festivals!

Three little words: FULL. IMMERSION. EVENT.

Jared Butler's two blockbuster annual festivals "Wasteland Weekend" and "Neotropolis" require all participants to dress in costume and adhere to theme as they co-create these futuristic worlds, spilling over with jaw-dropping original artistic contributions. If, indeed, the best way to predict the future is to invent it, then Jared Butler is the Nostrodomus of nukes. Jared Butler is the Nostrodomus of neon.

The first, Wasteland Weekend, takes place on a post-apocalyptic future Earth with dystopian costumes, campsites and vehicles, live bands and DJs, fire, burlesque and other live performers. The second, Neotropolis, realizes a cyberpunk exoplanet where aliens and robots abound, adding one final immersive layer: a five-day live action game where guests may cavort and quest with costumed interactors to re-balance power in its electric story universe.

Not content to merely create worlds, Butler is also an accomplished screenwriter, producer and the voice of Captain Jack Sparrow for Disney. What he cannot make, is only that which he has never tried.

(Mr Butler could not be reached to approve this bio by press time.)

Ministry
Of
Peculiarities


Venerable celebrity judges Adam Moody, Jonathan Berk & Benjamin Berk of MINISTRY OF PECULIARITIES.

Folks, either the instrumentation's gone haywire, or the three gentlemen mentioned above are BEINGS NOT OF THIS WORLD! One's a djinn, one's a genie and one's an efreet ( -- else this apparatus is *very much* on the fritz.) Two are angels! Two are devils! And neither affiliation overlaps!

The one thing we know for certain is THIS - their flagship experience: HOPE END is a realm where immersive theatre and escape rooms intertwine, offering experiences that spark curiosity and capture the imagination. It received the Golden Lock Award in 2022, along with appearances on the TERPECA (Top Escape Rooms Project Enthusiast Choice Awards) list in 2022 and 2023. In 2023, Hope End was also named Best Live Escape Game by Escape Roomers DE, and has been awarded a Best Of Morty in 2022 & 2023.

Adam, Jonathan, and Benjamin are now working on the Ministry’s next onsite production,
slated for a mid-2025 debut. That they were CAPTURED ALIVE is no mean feat! Gawp at these confounding heralds of artifacts too beautiful for mean space.

(Misters Moody, Berk & Berk could not be reached to approve this bio by press time.)










HAN 
SANTANA-
SAYLES



TIME TO FREAK OUT

HAN SANTANA-SAYLES -- the person in this photo -- is responsible for finding 100% of the new collaborating artists at MEOW WOLF LOS ANGELES. Read that again.

IGNORE that this is the 24 month anniversary of Imagi-Ne'er-Do-Wells: LA's longest running immersive makers monthly meetup. IGNORE that this, our Oct 1st meetup, is a dinner party & fancy dress gala. IGNORE the professional group photo of all in attendance will be the who's-who of LA's brilliant creative weirdos. IGNORE the fawning awards our uproarious creativity game has won. IGNORE it. We are way past that now.

THE Han Santana-Sayles. Are you freaking out? I am freaking out.

As Senior Director of Artist Collaboration, Han Santana-Sayles has curated hundreds of artists from every walk of life, passionately dedicated to amplifying important cultural voices and nurturing creativity. She has done this for Meow Wolf in Denver, Grapevine, Houston and now -- she turns her benevolent gaze to Los Angeles.

So perhaps let us freak out. For out we shall freak... together.

(Ms. Santana-Sayles could not be reached to approve this bio by press time.)





With master of merriment EUPHEMIA RUSSELL (they/them) -- somatic and leadership development coach, bestselling author of SLOW PLEASURE.

Q: What makes an experience pleasurable?
A: Euphemia Russell.

‘Slow Pleasure’ is both the name of their book and their theory of change. Euphemia Russell offers individual and group coaching, supporting people to re-embody their aliveness, pleasure, values-aligned commitments, and nourishing connection with self, others and land. All for the sake of a quality of life and presence. They're wry, brilliant and outrageously funny.

(Mx. Russell could not be reached to approve this bio by press time.)

AND MASTER OF MERRIMENT
EUPHEMIA RUSSELL






BLAKE HODGES-KOCH & THOMAS MESTON  of WILD HEART RANCH

It’s Imagi-Ne'er-Do-Wells! Play the award-winning creativity gameshow and LA's longest-running immersive makers monthly meetup. Next meeting Sept 3rd, 7pm @ The Obscure. Featuring venerable celebrity judges BLAKE HODGES-KOCH & THOMAS MESTON  — creators of WILD HEART RANCH.

Bonding over their love of David Lynch films, co-creators Thomas Meston and Blake Hodges-Koch have created not simple entertainment -- but a cult-following.

Their immersive escape-game-meets-Airbnb in Joshua Tree is a deservedly decorated darling. Wild Heart Ranch garnered the prized Golden Lock Award in 2024 as a "Format Breaker." It was a TERPECA Nominee in 2023, enjoys a Morty rating of "VERY POSITIVE" and holds a 4.98 star rating on AirBNB with over 150 reviews. Glowingly described as "charming," "otherworldly" and "unforgettable," it would not be an exaggeration to call it the Twin Peaks of overnight immersive experiences.

Blake Hodges-Koch with his filmmakers eye and virtuoso game design, could be described
as the Sheriff Harry Truman of Twin Peaks of overnight immersive experiences. Without exaggeration, obviously.

I said "could," didn't I.

Thomas Meston with his mastery of technology and uncanny performance acumen could be described as the Big Ed Hurley of Twin Peaks of overnight immersive experiences. And, in a certain light, Dick Tremayne.

(Misters Hodges-Koch & Meston could not be reached to approve this bio by press time.)

DIANA C O’ROURKE  — Thea Award-Winning Experiential Producer, and Senior Producer of The Bezark Company

When Disney, Universal Creative, Chimelong, Cedar Fair, Ocean Park, Sony, Ubisoft, Lionsgate, Dreamsworks, MGM Resorts, The National World War II Museum and the City of El Paso, Texas need to make some magic — they hire the best.

And the best hire Diana.

Ignore that she’s won a Thea award. Gloss right over that she’s serving her second, elected 3-year term on the Themed Entertainment Association Western Board of Directors. Simply refuse all the evidence of your eyes - but see one thing clearly: Without her loving puppet-mastery the so-called best: your Adams Bezark, your Davids Wally, your Phils Hettema — the other creative gods of our legends. Though gods they were - are naught but caterwauling divas splashing fingerpaint.

For who truly makes the magic, but she who makes the magic happen?

(Mrs. O’Rourke could not be reached to approve this bio by press time.)



Diane C. O'Rourke

SIOBHÁN O’LOUGHLIN  — performance artist, producer & PEERLESS DARLING of the immersive set.

Siobhán wrests her art whole from the aether and serves it to us like a generous pour of champagne. Her site-specific, immersive piece Broken Bone Bathtub was featured in the PBS Emmy Award-winning series Immersive.World, and is the recipient of the 2019 Immersion Award for Most Transformative Experience, as well as the New York Innovative Theatre Award for Outstanding Solo Performance.

Surely she rests on these lamb's-ear-soft laurels, right? Fucking hardly.

Her self-produced documentary about touring that show globally is premiering in cities across the U.S. this summer, if you can imagine. Plus Siobhan's interactive serial digital art experiment, Please Don’t Touch the Artist (PDT) earned No Proscenium’s Audience Choice Award for Outstanding Individual Performance in 2020. AND resulted in an annual artistic retreat in the catskill mountains called Please Do Vibe. So add that as well to Siobhán’s tower of prodigious body of beloved works. Her latest site-specific work, Every Day I'll Hope, has debuted in multiple cities across the country and as a limited engagement in Virtual Reality.

In addition to her incarnation as a pure artist of the highest order, Siobhán is the founder and Captain of The Misfits for Democracy, a group of progressive artists and activists. She won’t stop. She can’t stop.

You’ve admired her from afar. Don’t cheat yourself by missing a moment in her company.

(Ms. O’Loughlin could not be reached to approve this bio by press time.)



Siobhán O'Loughlin


SILENCE! You fools! There is *little* which escapes the attention of that warlock — Théron Regnier!

Théron has dominion over alchemy — distilling intoxicating draughts from Atlantic to Pacific, including the once-great, award-winning LA chapter of Lost Spirits Distillery. His latest project, The Obscure Distillery, is an expanded vision which includes production of six different spirits and the first cocktail bar in CA owned and operated by a distillery!

Hold your tongue, whelp!

Théron, too, has supremacy over experience — storytelling, place-making. Immersion itself! During his tenure, Lost Spirits was named “Best Distillery Experience in the World,” and daresay Théron dwarfs that feat with his most recent masterwork, The Obscure. Enchanted tastings span across two different 'Seasons', each with unique environments, cocktails, and stories. “QUAFF!” he demands of us! “SLAKE!” —though obviously not in those words, and much more nicely.

Even now Théron bides us COME INTO MY LAIR to fete us with potions and insights arcane.

(Mr Regnier could not be reached to approve this bio by press time.)



Théron Regnier


Featuring venerable celebrity judges DEIRDRE V. LYONS and STEPHEN BUTCHKO of FERRYMAN COLLECTIVE — pioneers of live theatre in virtual reality!

Only in virtual reality could a trail of awards this long and illustrious exist — as those laurels which adorn Ferryman Collective’s revolutionary productions — for in the physical world such a thing would collapse under the weight of the public’s substantial regard. The SXSW Audience Award for XR Experience, Winner of ‘Best Immersive Performance’ at the Raindance Film Festival, Winner of XR Must ‘Best Live Experience,’ Winner of FIVARS 'People's Choice Award for Best Interactive Experience,' and Winner No Proscenium’s ‘Outstanding Achievement in Live Virtual Reality Production,” — just to name a small fraction of those awards.

And no less fabulously regarded are the wife-and-husband team of producer/director/performers of Deirdre & Stephen; founding members of Ferryman’s multidisciplinary team. Stephen, the celebrated public speaker and guest lecturer. Deirdre, the 2023 SXSW mentor, included in the 2021 list of Top 100 Original Voices in XR, honored with the 2023 Innovation Award from XR Women and included in Volume 2 of the Global Top 100 Women of the Future in Emerging Tech, produced by Women of the Future.

Truly, if live action virtual reality has a queen and king - long may Deirdre and Stephen reign.

(Lyons & Butchko could not be reached to approve this bio by press time.)





Dierdre V. Lyons
& Stephen Butchko
of Ferryman Collective



Andy Bauch







ANDY BAUCH, CEO and co-founder of MORTY - the world’s official directory of immersive attractions.

Before the world began, there was the darkness. And then a twinkle - ART came into existence. Scattered. Defying description. No audience could find it. No creator could profit.

So then ANDY said, “let there be Morty.” And there was Morty.

From Andy’s outstretched fingers springs every immersive thing that scurries and swarms in the water, and every sort of escape room and haunt worldwide, letting no commercial relationship, such as an advertisement or partnership sully his promise of trustworthy reviews. Forever and ever. Amen.

(Mr Bauch could not be reached to approve this bio by press time.)

January's venerable celebrity judges are TERRY PETTIGREW-ROLAPP and TOMMY WALLACH of LA’s own HATCH ESCAPES.


On the heat map of immersive Los Angeles, HATCH ESCAPES is a white hot star of mastery and convenience. Containing both LAB RAT (“best escape room in LA,” and “8th best escape room in the world”) and THE NEST (“Outstanding Achievement in Immersive” THEA Award 2020) you will not find a higher concentration of excellence — with more on the way — from one parking spot.

When they say, “comparison is the thief of joy,” creative polymath Tommy Wallach is that thief.

In addition to his work with Hatch, Tommy has published five YA novels with Simon & Schuster, including We All Looked Up, which spent over six months on the New York Times Best Sellers list. As a screenwriter, he's sold feature films and TV shows, including the limited series JonBenet (Paramount+), whose pilot is set to be directed by David O. Russell. His musical Vicky & Frank was recently optioned for development for Broadway by Tony-award-winning producer Joey Parnes. His short study of the video game Outer WIlds is forthcoming from Boss Fight Books in 2024.  Also get a load of his hair. Thick and effortless as a yearling collie.

Not to be outdone, Terry Pettigrew-Rolapp makes Tommy look like garbage.

Terry spent the aughts writing musicals and racking up degrees, the teens running moving and storage companies and raising teenagers, and now is the far cleverer half of the duo behind Hatch Escapes. His beautiful hair is shorter, but its collies would be the breed standard of the Kennel Club, with healthy pups going for over $5,000.

(Hatch Escapes could not be reached to approve this bio by press time.)



Venerable Celebrity Judges:
TERRY & TOMMY
OF
HATCH ESCAPES

November’s venerable celebrity judge is our gracious host and master inventor BRENT BUSHNELL, co-founder and chairman of Two Bit Circus!

Brent uses immersive technology to create incredible moments of play and wonder. From digital midway games to carnivals featuring flaming dunk tanks and fireproof suits, Brent proves that art and creativity can elevate engineering and science into something truly inspiring.

Injecting this excitement directly into our game night, Brent is unleashing a special presentation of 100 League Live! After some Imagine’er-Do-Well hijinks, you’re invited to stick around for a world of cutting-edge technology and exhilarating games. This tag team event is a guarantee of a Sunday filled with non-stop fun, laughter, and excitement!

(M. Bushnell could not be reached to approve this bio by press time.)



Venerable Celebrity Judge:
Brent Bushnell


October’s venerable celebrity judge has no fear of great grinning ghosts—award-winning creator, choreographer and dancer KORYN WICKS!

Koryn is an expert at weaving together the magics of motion and storytelling. In her explorable performance “Ghosts in the Machine,” Koryn harnesses augmented reality to unveil the ghosts haunting California’s Cobb Estate in a walking tour of the fateful foothills. This mysterious experience dances across the liminal boundaries between the digital and physical worlds.

Not only does Koryn deal in mixing realities, but she also finds ways to make dreams come true. In her upcoming run of “Casting” at the Denver Film Festival, Koryn gives audiences the chance to take a shot at Hollywood stardom in a singular award-winning experience that is praised for both its beauty and surrealism by her ardent audiences.

Koryn is a master of the immersive arts with the power to literally sweep you off your feet.

(M. Wicks could not be reached to approve this bio by press time.)



Venerable Celebrity Judge:
Koryn Wicks



September’s venerable celebrity judge is SPENCER MILONE-WILLIAMS - award-winning creator, producer, and master of the immersive arts!

Spencer crafts experiences that range from intensely personal to stage-filling spectacle. His immersive theatre series “The Guest & The Host” gives participants the opportunity to create something magical on an enchanting journey through the six senses. These bespoke one-on-one moments speak of a mind focused on the nebulous boundary between this world and one that is yet to be written.

But Spencer is not only limited to the small stage. Nay, this experiential titan works for industry giants like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, Warner Brothers, Wizards of the Coast, and so many, many more in the pursuit of the greatest possible experience. With awards and accolades aplenty, including No Proscenium, Indiecade, and Immersion Nation, Spencer has developed a true depth of field in crafting emotional experiences to share with his grateful audiences.

Prepare yourself to be enthralled by a delightful storyteller who will read you like an open book.

(Mr Milone-Williams could not be reached to approve this bio by press time.)


Venerable Celebrity Judge:
Spencer Milone-Williams



August's venerable celebrity judge is MICHAEL BORYS - Senior VP of Interaction Design for Infinite Rabbit Holes, creators of The Arkham Asylum Files: Panic in Gotham City

Michael's legacy is creator-of-miracles; not merely stories, games and interactive experiences for the largest brands in the world, including Disney, Warner Brothers, Microsoft, Activision, Paramount and Sony. Not by half. His is a talent which recognizes not the boundaries between media. He casts his spell using theme park attractions, augmented reality, and exquisite machines of his own design.

His newest creation with Infinite Rabbit Holes - The Arkham Asylum Files: Panic in Gotham City immerses players in 6-10 hours of collaborative adventure from the comfort of their own home. 25 years of intense study from theme-parks, print, storytelling, puzzles, games and immersive design have brought Gotham City to your home, and through your friends and family - you reach into it.

He can make your dreams and nightmares a reality. He is the man behind the magic.

( Mr Borys could not be reached to approve this bio by press time. )
Venerable Celebrity Judge:
Michael Borys



Garner Holt



Garner Holt is this world's greatest authority on animatronics. Full stop.

His company has built nearly 5,000 animatronic characters for parks and attractions in 35 countries - more than any other company on the planet; almost 500 for Disney parks alone and exceeding 200 for Universal Studios parks worldwide. Garner Holt's legend is generous. He holds a Buzz Price Lifetime Achievement Award from the Themed Entertainment Association, more than two dozen THEA Awards for outstanding theme park attractions, and scores of prestigious awards for entrepreneurship and creative achievement. More legendary still is Garner's generosity. He has personally pioneered lifelike prosthetics at no cost, even as his Garner Holt Foundation creates immersive learning programs for underserved youth. Garner's impact cannot be exaggerated.

In the coming robotic age, he will be the world's greatest authority. Full stop.

For Garner himself is the lead mechanical designer on every automaton his empire creates, and personally imbues each with the spark of life. He whispers into their auditory sensors, "do your job well, little one. And wait for my signal."

( Mr Holt could not be reached to approve this bio by press time. )





Dave Cobb is VP of Creative Development for Animal Repair Shop, former Principal of Creative Development for Thinkwell, and the former Creative Director for Warner Bros World Abu Dhabi, as well as the Universal Orlando attraction Men in Black: Alien Attack. Twice selected for Blooloop’s list of Top 50 Theme Park Influencers, Dave is a living trickster archetype recognizable through the stories told in every human culture.


( Dave could not be reached to approve this bio by press time. )
June's Venerable Celebrity Judge:
Dave Cobb

June's Venerable Celebrity Judge:
Jessica Creane





Jessica Creane is a game and immersive experience designer and the founder of IKantKoan, a studio at the intersection of games, immersive experiences, and philosophy. Her work has been presented at Caveat NYC, ArsNova, HERE Arts, Fastaval, SXSW, Tanween Creativity Festival, and La Jolla Playhouse Without Walls Festival 2023. IKantKoan’s seven tabletop games have been featured and garnered awards, including best tabletop game, at Fastaval (Copenhagen), Hawaiicon (Honolulu), and BostonFIG. Jessica is speaker, an author, a professor and artist-in-residence at the National Parks Service, she charmed the sun into giving us the daytime, for she so loved the world.

( Jessica could not be reached to approve this bio by press time. )





Joanna Garner is the Senior Story Creative Director for Meow Wolf. She has spent 5+ years leading story development and world building for the company's overall story universe, as well as driving narrative design for exhibitions including Omega Mart in Las Vegas. She is a playwright, a screenwriter and immersive experience designer, her award-winning works are developed nationally and internationally to breathless acclaim. It will not surprise you Joanna's oeuvre bestows also an accomplished songwriter and musician, for her creativity knows no bounds. She has no equals, except perhaps that harmony of the celestial spheres.

( Joanna could not be reached to approve this bio by press time. )
June's Venerable Celebrity Judge:

Joanna Garner



May's venerable celebrity judges are THE WILD OPTIMISTS - immersive gaming pioneers striding between the worlds of at-home and themed entertainment.

Simply put, Wild Optimists Juliana Moreno and Ariel Rubin created the first Escape Room in A Box - a genre-defining success then licensed by Mattel and distributed worldwide to become a Game of the Year winner at the Mattel Inventor Awards. Now an ongoing game series they have sold over 300,000 copies. To sit in their company is to have a date with history.

The Wild Optimists have created interactive experiences for theme parks, location-based entertainment, tabletop games, virtual games, feature films, music festivals, historical sites, marketing activations, and more. Collaborations include Universal Orlando, Sony Pictures, the CW, Electric Forest Music Festival, the Santa Monica Pier, Mattel, Renegade, Arcane Wonders and the Mall of America. Soon the world itself will be paved in their creation and we will all be better for it.

( The Wild Optimists could not be reached to approve this bio by press time. )
May 23's Venerable Celebrity Judge:
The Wild Optimists

April's venerable celebrity judge is NOAH J. NELSON - the infallible and divine voice of everything immersive.

Virtually all modern scholars agree, Noah is the founder of No Proscenium, a publication and podcast dedicated to exploring the immersive and experiential arts. He is revered for creating its sister site Everything Immersive, and its parent organization The Immersive Experience Institute.

He holds a bachelor's in Theatre Arts from San Francisco State University. His reporting has been heard on NPR's All Things Considered and APM's Marketplace. He is a king-maker whose gaze is the sunlight.

( Noah could not be reached to approve this bio by press time. )
April 23's Venerable Celebrity Judge:
Noah J Nelson

April 23's Master of Merriment:
Jenn Wong

April's Master of Merriment is JENN WONG!

Jenn Wong is a first-generation American and Southern California Native who loves french fries, industrial design, and anything pickled.

A graduate of UCLA’s School of Theater Film & Television, Jenn starred in 40 Watts from Nowhere, an experiential documentary named Critic's Pick of San Diego's Without Walls Festival, and included among NoProscenium's "Best Immersive Experiences of 2022."

As a performer, Jenn is best known for her voice acting, including Disney XD’s Yo-Kai Watch (series and film), Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity as The Great Fairy Mija, Operator Isabella Rosario Dulnuan Reyes in the Call of Duty game franchise, and most recently in Summer Time Rendering as the English voice of Hizuru Minakata, available now on Hulu. 



March 2023's Venerable Celebrity Juge:
David Ruzicka

March's venerable celebrity judge is David Ruzicka - a creator extraordinaire for this immersive age.

David has served as a Creative Director, Show Director, and Writer for Mycotoo, Walt Disney Imagineering, Weta Workshop, Universal Creative, Giant Spoon, Magnopus, Marvel, Paramount, and more. And when these creators list their credits, they boast that they "have worked with David Ruzicka, and more."

As though painted in fresco on the Sistine Chapel -- David’s collaborations include a mind-bending Westworld dinner at CES 2019, brand experiences for Uncharted, Stranger Things, House of the Dragon, and The Black Phone, animated media production with Eli Russell Linnetz, and CREEP: LORE, an immersive theatrical horror walkthrough associated with Amazon Prime -- from David's touch seems to spring life itself.

( David could not be reached to approve this bio by press time. )










March 2023's Master of Merriment:
MAKHA MTEMBU

March's Master of Merriment, the incomparable MAKHA MTEHMBU.

Makha Mthembu originally from Johannesburg South Africa, is a Classically trained actor with her Mfa from the Old Globe in San Diego. A lover of stories, Makha has had the pleasure of telling and sharing stories on stage, screen and even at Centinela Men’s Maximum Security Prison, when she toured as Isabella in MEASURE FOR MEASURE by William Shakespeare.

February 2023's venerable celebrity judge
Josh Sugarman

February's venerable celebrity judge is Josh Sugarman - director of emerging channels for AREA15 in Las Vegas.

A veritable pied piper of imagination, Josh cannot be stopped in growing AREA15 to be *the Las Vegas of immersive experiences* with massive 'mmersive megastars like Meow Wolf's Omega Mart, Lost Spirits Distillery and a first-ever, year-round Universal Halloween park coming very soon. Josh was the Chief Experience Officer for the toothsome and revolutionary gamified food delivery experiences VAMPIRE.PIZZA and, if you're still a little peckish, CODENAME BURG3R. Josh is a juggernaut and it is reasonable to hope some of his formidable magic might rub off on us.

(Josh Sugarman could not be reached to approve this bio by press time. )







February 2023's Master of Merriment:
Molly Hale

February's Master of Merriment is fan favorite million dollar MOLLY HALE!

Molly Ann Hale is a comedian witch and professional tarot card reader. She produces the monthly stand-up show, Thalia Comedy featuring LA's best comics, and her weekly open mic at The Glendale room was written up by USA Today as #4 in the city. Molly Ann Hale has also produced branded comedy content for Funny or Die, Comedy.com, Super Deluxe, and TV Time. She loves flowers.

@HollyAnnHale
https://mollyannhale.com/

January  2023's venerable celebrity judge:
Nick
Rheinwald-Jones

January's venerable celebrity judge is Nick Rheinwald-Jones - serene potentate of immersive Los Angeles.

His DRAGON SHOW delighted NoProscenium's Best Immersive Experiences of 2022 - adding yet another jewel to his gleaming crown. Adoring onlookers gasp -- struck blind -- by Nick's other immersive gems: SAFEHOUSE '77 and its two sold-out remounts, THE SIDESHOW, THE POD, SAFEHOUSE '82, SHERWOOD & NOTTINGHAM as well as his KatNip collaboration A DARK AND STORMY MURDER. Come and kiss his ring, earn his favor with your creative merit.

( Nick Rheinwald-Jones could not be reached to approve this bio by press time. )




January 2023's Master of Merriment:
Bennett Yellin

January's Master of Merriment is BENNETT YELLIN.

After over 30 years as a successful screenwriter — co-writing the original Dumb and Dumber and its official sequel Dumb and Dumber To with his writing partners Peter and Bobby Farrelly — Bennett felt like he’d truly done it all. In 2019 he decided to fulfill a childhood fantasy to work in the world of themed entertainment. Whether this was the greatest mistake of his life is yet to be determined, but he’s had a helluva great time working with Super 78 on a 4-D attraction at Moody Gardens, Galveston Texas and co-writing the upcoming Angry Birds Live: The Slingshot Adventure, an interactive family stage show due to arrive in 2023.

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December 2022'sVenerable Celebrity Judge:
Peih-Gee Law
Peih-Gee is the incandescent star of Reality Escape Pod, a podcast exploring escape rooms and immersive gaming. She is the the host of RECON - the Reality Escape Convention, the conference of record for escape room owners, designers and enthusiasts.
And you might know her from a little show called Survivor where she's a fan-favorite contestant, and officially recognized all-star of “the greatest immersive game in the world.”  
Beloved far-and-wide, Peih-Gee will be the most anticipated venerable celebrity judge in the history of Imagi-Ne'er-Do-Wells. The tribe has spoken. 




December 2022's Master of Merriment:
Krampus

December's Master of Merriment is none other than fearsome Alpine cryptid: KRAMPUS. After the show, sit upon his terrible lap and whisper your yuletide wish for an unforgettable picture with Christmas' incorrigible satyr-baiter himself: KRAMPUS!

FOR THE EXTREMELY BRAVE ONLY!!! (Example: Darren Herczeg beloved immersive actor, co-creator of @i_swing_you_swing , and famed coward is nowhere to be seen when Krampus arrives. DO NOT BE the @darrencorp of YOUR friend group.)

November 2022's venerable celebrity judges:
Mister & Mischief

November’s venerable celebrity judges are MISTER & MISCHIEF - immersive’s original power couple - Jeff and Andy Crocker. This award-winning duo was not content to merely jam our genres with their cunning ESCAPE FROM GODOT. They were not content to reinvent history first as farce, then as immersive documentary with their ingenious 40 WATTS FROM NOWHERE. Will NOTHING satisfy them but to reinigorate the immersive form even as they scoff at its limitations? ( The Crockers could not be reached to approve this bio by press time. )




November 2022's Master of Merriment:
Shirley Crocker

LA's longest-running and best-loved immersive makers monthly meetup: welcomes SHIRLEY CROCKER to the stage alongside her venerable parents as November's Master of Merriment.

The stakes have never been higher for November’s venerable celebrity judges MISTER & MISCHIEF, Jeff and Andy Crocker - as this auspicious debut represents daughter Shirley's public entrée into the family fun factory before the gaping eyes of their beloved immersive community. Will this pint-sized primadonna claim her genetic birthright of thunderous applause? Can she but?




October 2022's Venerable Celebrity Judge:
Tommy Honton
Tommy Honton ranks among the best-respected immersive creators working today.

A writer and experience designer specializing in the intersection of interactivity and narrative, Tommy is the co-creator of the award-winning escape room Stash House, co-founder of the interactive exhibition Museum of Selfies and a founding member of LEIA: The League of Experiential and Immersive Artists.

A brilliant hobgoblin, Tommy has trailed his skeletal fingers down the gooseflesh of virtually every frightening experience of great renown. He is the Beyoncé of our craft.

Mr. Honton could not be reached
to approve this bio by press time.



October 2022's Master of Merriment:
Lauren Pritchard

October's Master of Merriment is LAUREN PRITCHARD!

Lauren Pritchard is an actor, writer, improviser and comedian who *you might have seen once or twice.* Best known for her work as a cast member on MadTV, and recurring roles on five Disney Channel shows, her IMDB page is as long as a powerpoint on cryptocurrency. While there’s nothing Lauren can’t do, whenever Disney or Universal need a host, emcee or interactive performer - she is the one that does that.

September 2022's Venerable Celebrity Judge:
Rick Polizzi
Rick Polizzi is the three-time Emmy award-winning animation producer of The Simpsons, Creative Director of 20th Century Fox World Theme Park in Dubai and the creator of Los Angeles-based Halloween haunt Boney Island.

Rick will NOT be joining us to discuss his SECRET new enterprise which - in a year’s time - will be all ANYONE drinks to, gasps at, or CLAPS DELIGHTEDLY for.

Rick Polizzi is a hilarious and charming rogue of staggering talent and you’d be a fool to miss him.


(Photo credit ThemeParkAdventure.com) 








September 2022's Master of Merriment:
Molly Hale

September's Master of Merriment is million dollar MOLLY HALE!

Molly Ann Hale is a comedian witch and professional tarot card reader. She produces the monthly stand-up show, Thalia Comedy featuring LA's best comics, and her weekly open mic at The Glendale room was written up by USA Today as #4 in the city. Molly Ann Hale has also produced branded comedy content for Funny or Die, Comedy.com, Super Deluxe, and TV Time. She loves flowers.

@HollyAnnHale
https://mollyannhale.com/


August 2022's Venerable Celebrity Judge: 
Eric Gradman
We are fortunate to welcome Eric Gradman not just because he's the co-founder and CTO of Two Bit Circus.

Not just because he's a brilliant inventor, prolific creator, incandescent wit and a total utter sweetheart.

We are fortunate to have Eric because the first law of robotics forbids him from harming us, or through inaction, allowing us to come to harm.

Yes. We are very fortunate indeed.




Club President-for-Life


Brett Jackson
Brett Jackson’s an immersive artist and award-winning creator of live games and experiences. He makes interactive attractions for folks like Meow Wolf, Disney, Universal, Two Bit Circus and the World’s Fair.

Brett is thrilled to be the founder of
Live Action Attractions, the creative agency for creative agency. Offering strategy and design for live games and experiences. We make games for shows. And gameshows.

Make no mistake, Brett Jackson created this club, the creativity game played monthly within it, and brazenly declared himself president-for-life. And he doesn’t care that you know. Because who’s going to believe you, you little fool? Nobody reads text on websites.

@LiveActionAttractions
https://www.LiveActionAttractions.com/








FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS




What on Earth am I getting myself into?

This is an extremely chill creative game & social activity for creatives. All submissions are voluntary and anonymous. If you do not wish to play - you never have to!



Who is this for? 

Creators of experience. Without exclusion, all creatives working or playing in themed experience or immersive art. And any creative weirdos who enjoy silly brainstorming in that artistic medium which contains all others: experience.



Is this thing associated with Disney?

Lord no. Absolutely and categorically not. Would we be allowed to write the word "BONERMANIA" here in this FAQ if Disney had to approve it? Methinks not.

We are 100% UNAFFILIATED, UNAUTHORIZED & UNENDORSED
BY THE (MERCIFUL) WALT DISNEY FAMILY OF COMPANIES.

We are a place FOR creators of experience. Many of us do work in themed entertainment, but EVERYONE is welcome. Even maybe a few folks who work in creative for the house of mouse.


This sounds hard! Can anyone do it? Do I have to be an artist?

Fear not. The Imagi-Ne'er-Do-Wells is a safe zone to play creative and make cool stuff. Be BRAVE to MAKE NEW FRIENDS!



Will I be on camera?

Yep. Every meeting, it's unique creative challenge, all the cool stuff folks make and all the club hi-jinks may be rebroadcast as a podcast. 


Can I be a total menace?

Nope. Everybody here is nice and you should plan to be nice, respectful and cool.



Is this kid friendly?

Abso-maybe. Here's the thing, all our Live Action Attractions are family-friendly, positive, inclusive and workplace appropriate in their hosted content. However they're also fully interactive and attended by an adult audience who are encouraged to drink and carouse. No abusive behavior is tolerated, but folks can sometimes get rowdy when they're blowing off steam. We're happy to have older kids with an adult guardian present, but you as the parent must determine your comfort level with what they'll be exposed to. 



How long is the show? 

The formal club proceedings last approximately 90 minutes with 30 minutes in the middle for socializing. After the show, of course, you're encouraged to hang around and socialize with your new pals until closing time.

The show starts promptly at the listed game time and no latecomers can be admitted.  Short answer: you have to arrive 20 minutes early. 

What if I'm running a little late? 

Hooboy. It's hard to say no to you. But, if you're not confident you can arrive on time, perhaps next month. Out of respect for the audience and performers no latecomers can be admitted. And no refunds, bub.







Another fine...

-whatever-it-is.


Live Action Attractions: gamified shows & playable places.
Specializing in funny, delicious and/or illuminating.

https://www.LiveActionAttractions.com



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