World Premiere of New Immersive Play Hotel LaFleur at CTC performed by Theatre Arts Training

Directed by Ryan Underbakke, creator of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

Minneapolis, Minn. (November 23, 2016) – Children’s Theatre Company’s Theatre Arts Training presents the world premiere of Hotel LaFleur, a new, immersive theatre piece performed by Theatre Arts Training’s Senior Company. The new work is created and directed by Ryan Underbakke, who in 2015, was commissioned to create 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, also an immersive production that took place in various areas of CTC’s building. Theatre Arts Training will be transformed into the enchanting Hotel LaFleur and the guests (the audience) will be pulled into and amongst the theatrical magic. The ensemble cast will serve a variety of roles with some scripted and some improvised performance. The audience will wander the hallways and rooms, meet and interact with the hotel characters, and ultimately shape their own adventure within the performance of this exotic hotel’s opening night.

In this particular adventure, Underbakke will be exploring a new concept in immersive theatre, he calls “questing” which allows the audience to make choices that affect their experience in the performance entirely. He explains, “While my previous work featured a unified storyline that led the audience down a single path, as in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Hotel LaFleur features over 30 branching paths throughout the experience, making it impossible to see all the quests in a single night. I feel this allows the audience to make those decisions almost every moment of the show and ask questions like, "Do I get pulled into the water tasting room or do I stay in the Coconut Lounge?” or “Do I go into the dance party or follow this note into the secret room?".”

Theatre Arts Training’s Senior Company is comprised of students in 9th through 12th grade who have auditioned for the program. The Senior Company provides students with demanding material that seeks to challenge them as artists, educate them in a professional setting, and inspire them to be active voices in their community. It is designed for actors with a commitment to refining their craft and demonstrated positive work ethic.

Hotel LaFleur runs December 1-4, 2016 in Theatre Arts Training, entrance at the Stage Door. The production is recommended for all ages. Tickets are on sale now for $8 general admission. Due to the format of the performance, there is no late admittance. For more information, visit us online at childrenstheatre.org or call the Ticket Office at 612.874.0400.

Children’s Theatre Company (CTC) is the nation’s largest and most acclaimed theatre for multigenerational audiences. It creates theatre experiences that educate, challenge, and inspire for more than 300,000 people annually. CTC is the only theatre focused on young audiences to win the coveted Tony Award® for Outstanding Regional Theatre and is the only theatre in Minnesota to receive three Tony® nominations (for its production of A Year with Frog and Toad). CTC is committed to producing world class productions at the highest level and to developing new works, more than 200 to date, dramatically changing the canon of work for young audiences.

CTC’s engagement and learning programs annually serve more than 85,000 students ages 2-18 through Theatre Arts Training, student matinees, Bridges, and early childhood arts education programs that bring students to the theatre and bring teaching artists into the classroom. The ACT One program is CTC’s comprehensive platform for access, diversity, and inclusion in our audiences, programs, staff, and board that strives to ensure the theatre is a home for all people, all families, reflective of our community. www.childrenstheatre.org