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If You Seek a Unique Show, Seek This Out—A Review of Hide

Joseph Szalinski - 'Burgh Vivant

Jul 25, 2024

Vigilance is a theater company that passionately pushes the medium forward. They eschew the passivity that is pervasive in a lot of theatre, and instead, advocate for more demanding productions that share powerful messages, whether they be completely original works or wild interpretations of more familiar fare. Pacifying people with run-of-the-mill entertainment is easy. Crafting an experience that will be sure to stimulate and stick with them, not so much. But time and time again, Vigilance Theater Group puts on a show that does exactly that.

Growing up, house shows were the best way to be exposed to live entertainment. What could be better than enjoying underground art being made in a house none of the artists own? Now that we’re older, it’s comforting to know that house shows are still a thing. Only someone’s parents’ garage has been replaced with an Airbnb, and the post-hardcore band we saw has been swapped with an experimental theatre company. And apparently everyone is now really confused when I get up to do my spoken word set. But that’s no matter because Vigilance Theater Group’s latest production, Hide, directed by Brooke Echnat, is bound to confound, terrify, and entertain its unprepared audiences in its cozy Highland Park neighborhood.


Written by Sean Collier, Hide offers theatergoers a glimpse into the life of the dysfunctional Mercer Family. However, unlike a typical play, the story doesn’t just simply unfold before one’s eyes, it invites one to be a part of it. Folks are encouraged to schmooze with the characters—for any socially anxious patrons, conversation isn’t mandatory, and the performers are fantastic at coaxing even the most reluctant into chatterboxes. Parts of the house, like the bathroom, are open to explore. Throughout the rest of the show, the immersive aspect mutates, as does the role of the audience. All of this is brilliantly in balance with a solid narrative. A risk of immersive theater is that story suffers in favor of gimmick, this isn’t the case here. Everything is fleshed out and metered masterfully. I’d love to explore this world more, especially in such an imaginative way.


Performances are stellar across the board, most notably the cast’s ability to improvise. It is interesting to notice how characters act amongst the crowd in the living room, with particular characters elsewhere, or just with the audience. The dynamics seem realistic and seasoned. Everyone helps make the world seem lived in, as opposed to only existing to showcase some drama. Aside from the off-the-cuff stuff, the prepared parts of the script are terrific too. Tension, humor, love, forced civility, make one forget they have been granted access to a fictional world. Kudos to the incredibly talents of Marisa Postava, Maddie Kocur, Bradleigh Bell, Tamara Siegert, John Feightner, Sarah Dugan, Tyler Ray Kendrick, and Allie Lampman-Sims.


From a technical perspective, this production is awe-inspiring. Unlike more traditional theatre that isn’t as reliant on everything working smoothly, immersive entertainment must maintain the illusion to keep folks appropriately engaged. Add the fact the crew has to work in a space that isn’t normally used to stage shows and a space they do not own, makes it all even more challenging. From the wrangling of curious wanderers, to the costuming, to the props, to the lights and sound, to the amusing easter eggs amongst the books, CD’s, and DVD’s, and beyond, these crew members outdo themselves.


Highland Park is a beautiful area of the city that immediately conjures images of nice neighborhoods and memories of the zoo. It’s really cool to be able to not only see a show out that way, but also to see it in such an unconventional space. While this particular location may or may not continue to moonlight as a theatre, I hope that the spirit of hosting house shows and staging events in atypical areas becomes more of a trend.


Vigilance is a theater company that passionately pushes the medium forward. They eschew the passivity that is pervasive in a lot of theatre, and instead, advocate for more demanding productions that share powerful messages, whether they be completely original works or wild interpretations of more familiar fare. Pacifying people with run-of-the-mill entertainment is easy. Crafting an experience that will be sure to stimulate and stick with them, not so much. But time and time again, Vigilance Theater Group puts on a show that does exactly that.


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