Rock Island Tunnel Co. to Premiere The Tapes: An Immersive Revolution at Sound Conservatory Oct. 11-26

The newly branded Rock Island Tunnel Co., creators of the smash immersive hit The Stacks, will premiere their sophomore piece, The Tapes: An Immersive Revolution, at Moline’s Sound Conservatory from Oct. 11-26. Curated by Artistic Director Ben Gougeon and written by Alexander Richardson, with art direction by Dominic Ramirez, the show will take place throughout multiple rooms and floors of the Sound Conservatory, and centers on a resistance movement in a fascist state. Audiences will experience a mix of guided and free exploration of THE NATION, where a cast of resistance fighters and state agents match wits and fists in a fight for freedom.

Based on Richardson’s play Tapes from a Fascist State, The Tapes centers around the story of failed poet/sanitation worker Yevhen and the state agent assigned to monitor him, Conrad. Audiences will begin their journey in THE NATION’s Welcome Center as new members of the dystopia, and will then be free to explore the immersive space, with some guided portions of the experience, as the action of the story swirls around them. As the battlelines ebb and flow and lines of loyalty are blurred, the audience will question whose side they're really on.

Immersive theater differentiates itself from traditional theater by removing the stage and “immersing” audiences within the world of the piece. This can be accomplished by using a site-specific location, allowing audiences to interact with their surroundings, and giving the audience agency in how they choose to follow the show, transforming them into active observers. In addition to the events that play out, the show’s art director, Dominic Ramirez, and his team are transforming the basement of Sound Conservatory into an explorable art installation in and of itself, with 9 different spaces that contain hiddens secrets that add to the depth of the story, characters, and the audience’s experience.

The cast and creative team of The Tapes includes several veterans of The Stacks, as well as many Quad Cities Theatre mainstays, including Jeremy Mahr as Yevhen and Esteban Lopez as Conrad. The ensemble will feature Maggie Caliendo, Dash Crow, Anjuli Gordon, Jess Gordon, Katie Griswold, Noah Hill, Emma Hughes, Perin McGrath, Ulan Okai, Sora Richter, Vivian Rodriguez, and Emma Watts. The creative team is made up of Ben Gougeon (Producer/Director), Alexander Richardson (Writer), Dominic Ramirez (Art Director), Jean Tegtmeyer (Asst. Director/Stage Manager), and Lily Blouin (Violence/Intimacy).

The Tapes: An Immersive Revolution will perform at Sound Conservatory’s downtown Moline location located at 504 17th St. on October 11, 12, 17-19, & 24-26. All performances begin at 7:30pm. Doors open to the public 30 minutes before curtain. Advanced reservations are highly encouraged as capacity is extremely limited. Tickets and details can be found by visiting Rock Island Tunnel Co. on Facebook and Instagram (@rockislandtunnelco) or Eventbrite at bit.ly/thetapesimmersive.

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The Tapes: An Immersive Revolution
Directed by Ben Gougeon
Written by Alexander Richardson; based on his original script “Tapes from a Fascist State”
Art Direction by Dominic Ramirez

Performances:
Friday, Oct. 11 @ 7:30pm
Saturday, Oct. 12 @ 7:30pm
Thursday, Oct. 17 @ 7:30pm
Friday, Oct. 18 @ 7:30pm
Saturday, Oct. 19 @ 7:30pm
Thursday, Oct. 24 @ 7:30pm
Saturday, Oct. 26 @ 7:30pm
Saturday, Oct. 26 @ 10:00pm

Ticket Information:
Tickets are tiered pricing from $10-75 and can be purchased through Eventbrite. More info can be found on Facebook and Instagram (@rockislandtunnelco):
www.facebook.com/rockislandtunnelco

(Show runs approximately 75 minutes. Subject matter for Mature Audiences only. The audience WILL NOT be seated and will be ambulatory throughout most of the experience. There is an elevator between floors for patrons needing assistance. Questions about accessibility can be directed to rockislandtunnelco@gmail.com)