What is Delusion? We have covered it multiple times before and have explained time and time again why we love it so much. Although Delusion took a year off, it is now back and better than ever. We got the chance to explore this year’s attraction and we’re obsessed. So let’s start with the basics: What was this year’s theme?
Every year Delusion delivers with an amazing story to tie you into this. This year was by far my favorite – vampires. Initially before I had even attended, that sold me, but let’s dig deeper.
Selene is vampire who falls in love with a mortal named Berke and becomes the only vampire to bare children. You, along with the other people in your group, are her dhampir children. We have every reason to believe our mother and father are dead… until we get a lead and go after the two of them to find answers. That’s where you loop in and begin your journey into Delusion.
Now that you have some context, let’s talk details. I’ll do my best to not spoil to much for you!
The Location
Known for its ability to seek out amazing venues, Delusion did not go wrong this year. What seemed like a four-story mansion was the home where we got to run through and explore. Let me tell you, I wouldn’t have it any other way. Every part of the location was ideal.
The mansion allowed you to lose your sense of the outside world. You would get halfway through and not even realize what story you were on anymore. It made me forget about everything else except for what was happening at the moment. That, in itself, gave me the opportunity to fully develop myself into the story and feel like everything I was surrounded by was real. If you ask me, that’s the best thing anyone could ask for when it comes to interactive theater. I wanted to go forget that I was myself and pretend I was actually a child of Selene and figure out the mystery that lie within the house. Delusion did just that.
The Characters
It’s important that every character has a place and fits in well with the story. Delusion did not disappoint with that factor this year. Every character meshed in perfectly and allowed the overall product to flow and work well. Each character played their part, helped us get by, and didn’t feel out of place.
The Actors
There are always two or three actors that stand out to me more than anyone. Even though I fancied some opposed to others, every single actor did such an amazing job. So first thing first, shout out to the casting director. Actors involved in His Crimson Queen fit their roles so well. I was scared, intimidated, and in love all at once. For those against us, they made me feel against them. They played their role in making me feel either hate, disgust, or fear towards them. I was scared when I was singled out by an evil vampire or leech, and I was more than intrigued when a character on our side asked me to help them.
Back in 2014, an actor playing the role of Jeremy in Delusion: Lies Within, nailed his part. I didn’t even hear him talk. All he did was laugh, and he sold me. Within minutes I was taken away by his ability to make me terrified and love him at the same time. This year, Elli Rahn returned and played a different character, and before I even saw him, I heard him. I knew it was him from the beginning, and for me, that’s enough to make me come back again.
Delusion has a great reputation for hiring actors that have been involved and loved throughout their run. I am so thankful to them for this, because it gives me the chance to connect with the same actor in a different way.
The Technical Stuff
In terms of paintings, artwork, decor, continuity, lighting, and concepts behind each room, everything was done so nicely. The paintings, especially those in the front room, left me in awe. Words cannot describe how much I adore and would love to own one of them. The decor fit in so well with the era. Sometimes in theatre, things can get misplaced or represent a different era. In Delusion, everything was where it needed to be and made me feel just as much a part of that time period as I’ve always wanted to be. The lighting was eerie, dark, and represented vampires exactly how you would imagine. Take a crap ton of classic vampires, put them into one house, and think about how things would probably feel. That’s right, exactly like that. When sunlight needed to be there, it was. When no lights needed to be there, there wasn’t. It was spooky, marvelous, and perfectly timed/placed.
The continuity blew me away within the first seconds. What I mean by that specifically is how everything fell into place with each other and didn’t go too far off the storyline. Things were persistent, kept up with each other, and carried everything along in the way it was supposed too. Not once did we fall out of the initial story. Each room felt like another part to the house, opposed to just another random room. It made sense, and it was brilliant.
One thing that I really enjoyed was the inspiration and ideas that they could have pulled from original vampire lore. I heard some names could have been from The Vampire Diaries. (It’s a possibility!) We were called dhampir vampires, and although they are a part of traditional vampire lore, it’s also a concept I recognized from Vampire Academy. Everything they used to write the story was almost like it was paying tribute to its predecessors in the best way possible. This really stood out to me and helped me in my journey when I was asked questions or needed to progress into the story.
What was new?
Firstly, I want to mention that every time we entered a certain room or moved on to the next part of the story, a narrator would talk above us to give us some context. I. Was. Obsessed. This entire idea was a fantastic way to keep people going and remind them what we were doing and what clues we had just put together. It gave us a sense of reality, allowing us to remember who we were, why we were there, and what we needed to do. This I feel like was so important and creative. I cannot express how much I loved this aspect of Delusion.
The also made the entire show more about being interactive opposed to scary. Now don’t get me wrong, there was definitely an element of horror and it was scary. But unlike Lies Within, there was a lot less creepy things happening. However, that was one of my favorite parts. It being not as terrifying made me want to be as involved as possible. When I attended Lies Within, I was far too scared to do anything. I never volunteered and I don’t think I even talked. This year, it was the opposite. I wanted to be in front. I wanted to be right there. This was one of the things that sold me.
Lastly, they added in an escape element to the mansion which was really cool. With escape rooms gaining popularity, it was so smart to feature this and let members of the group go off onto their own and unlock parts of the story. Like any escape room, it makes you think outside the box and work together. This brought our group together even though I didn’t know a lot of them, and gave me a sense of familiarity. For those of you going on your own or in a smaller group, remember that teamwork is so important and when you need to break that barrier with the rest of the people in the group, Delusion will do it for you.
Other things like magic powers, connection, lots of blood, ways to fight off your enemies, and flying vampires tied everything together. The thought process behind this year’s act was not a forgotten one. The writers thought of everything, making it really cool to be a part of. And when you have vampires flying around in the house you’re running through, let me tell you, there’s nothing better. This year they really outdid themselves with the technical properties and stunts of it all.
Overall, I’m going to admit, I’ve loved Delusion every time I get the chance to go. But this year will by far be my favorite. The story, the actors, the characters, the atmosphere, and the interactivity of this one in comparison to the previous years made me fall in love over and over again. There were new things this year that I hope they continue to carry on throughout future years. There are aspects of this year that I can’t stop thinking about. Let’s just hope that this year, I get to back again. And again.. And again. (Fingers crossed.)
I highly encourage you to sign up for updates on ticket sales for this year, as the initial run is sold out. But if they extend the dates, I cannot push you enough to get tickets and GO. Trust me on this one!
And next year, if you don’t get the chance to attend this year, let’s just hope you see me in it.
Don’t forget to check out our interview with creator Jon Braver about His Crimson Queen.
from Nerd Reactor
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