Reviewed by Jessica Neu
“The fourth wall has been shattered, and the direct control of the story is in your hands!”
As audiences settle into the cozy Greer Cabaret Theater for Pittsburgh’s CLO’s Twenty-Sided Tavern, they are promptly and swiftly transported into a mythical world resembling a classic Dungeons and Dragons game. The small, hilarious cast establishes the tone and atmosphere perfectly from the beginning of the show and does not miss a comedic beat until the end, which cannot be an easy feat considering that a large amount of the show is improvised.
Upon walking into the theater, where masks, and costumes, are optional and proof of Covid-19 vaccination is not required, each audience member has to select one die from a bag. There are three different colored dice representing how the audience will be divided into three color-coded teams, each led by a different actor throughout the show. This serves as the precipice for audience participation, continuing until the show’s conclusion. Indeed, the actors are not joking when they exclaim the fourth wall has been broken, and the audience is largely in control of what happens throughout the show. Once the performance begins, audience members use a QR code found on their table to open the show’s app on their phones. As an aside, ensure your phone is connected to the theater’s WiFi for the app to work correctly. The app then prompts audience members to vote for different locations, battle different monsters, choose different actions or scenarios, personality traits, and even answer riddles and trivia questions (spoiler alert: pay attention to the order in which everything occurs!). All of which influence the trajectory of the action and plot and inevitable outcome.
However, at its core lies a mythical tale grounded in Dungeons and Dragon theory. I immensely appreciated that the cast dutifully and eloquently explained the concept of the plot and the rules of the game to those of us who were very unfamiliar with Dungeons and Dragons. As someone who has never played before, I did not feel at a disadvantage whatsoever, which could have easily happened with the use of jargon or assumed preexisting knowledge. What emerges from this adventure is a ruckus comedic ride full of unexpected twists and turns and improvisation that made me feel as though I was in the audience for a classic improv show such as Whose Line Is It Anyway.
While some of the show is obviously scripted, the audience participation, unpredictable nature of the game, and unknown audience votes leave much of the show open to the actors’ interpretation. To say that they handled the unexpected like pros would be an understatement, not even missing a beat during a major technological glitch midway through the first act. The cheeky one-liners and shticks for such occurrences as rolling a “natural 1” or “natural 20” only add to the comedic delight. Regardless of how the journey ends, you are sure to laugh your way through the adventure.
Another fascinating aspect of the show’s structure is that, due to the improvisational nature of the show, you can see Twenty-Sided Tavern every night from now until it closes on April 30, 2022 and experience a different show each night. You can get a different color die, which puts you on a different team, choose different adventures, and experience different characters. All of the supporting characters are named through audience participation in real-time (we had a character named “Tinkles,” and I strongly encourage suggesting such hilarious names). The small cast of five actors (four characters and one engaging “tech support”) never break any character they are tasked with portraying and truly revel in their comradery.
The audience interaction also allows you to dabble with your inner curiosity and dare-devil nature that you may not exhibit in your everyday life. When else can you safely pick whether you want to enter a room filled with smoke or riddled with the clanging noises of wood and metal and safely “see what happens!”
There is a much-needed lightheartedness and reverie that comes with this experience. Twenty-Sided Tavern embodies a safe space where you are free to be yourself and share your quirkiest ideas and opinions. Mistakes are made, resilience and humor are at their best, and, in the most tumultuous of social times, everyone comes together, cheers together, laughs together, and, most importantly, works towards a collective common goal.
For more information and tickets visit: https://www.pittsburghclo.org/shows/twenty-sided-tavern#
“All patrons under the age of 21 must be accompanied by a ticketed adult chaperone age 25 or older.”
Categories: Reviews
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