Enter into The Count’s Den, DTLA’s immersive, member’s only club, and grab a drink from the bartender, Ava, as she narrows her eyes at you.
“Letting mortals into our world,” she sneers, showing off a pair of sharpened canines. “Never a good idea.”
The first of five episodes of REMEMBER ME ran last Monday and Tuesday evening, bringing (mortal) guests, five at a time, into the back story of Germaine, one of the vampires who haunts the Den.
After having a drink (which Ava notes will probably be your last) you’re ushered next door. There you meet Haken, the vampire’s spiritual advisor, who will guide you on your journey.
Between incantations, a prayer around a pentagram, and a bit of blood dabbed onto your forehead, Haken brings you into a 1980s New Orleans punk rock show, where the humans headbang, mosh, make out, drink beer, and listen to a kick ass punk band featuring Germaine (played by Matt Vorce) banging on the drums.
Head vampire Cora (Dana Benedict) is smitten with the drummer for reasons she can’t quite put her finger on. We watch from behind the cloak of invisibly (thanks to Haken’s incantation) as the drama between the lovers plays out.
This story of their tragic pairing is mixed with fun little scenes: Watch as the wacky drug dealer (Ian Heath) goes full Nicolas Cage on Germaine before plying him with drugs. Watch as one of the vampires starts to make out with a boy-toy in the crowd (Jason Britt), only to revisit them later on in the story as he lies on the ground, blood spilling out of his throat as she drains his body.
Things go south on your little stroll through memory lane when the spell wears off and you suddenly become visible. As the vampires close in on you as Haken chants some incantations (mad props to Anes Hasi, who was pretty damn solid with those prayers) and gets you the fuck outta there.
Overall, it was a fun and inventive show. Short and sweet (no more than 30 minutes), and it began and ended in The Count’s Den (with an open bar, which truly is how every immersive experience should be bookended).
What I loved about the experience is that the team behind The Count’s Den (lead by Rachel Foti) is really keen to try new things. In addition to unfolding this story one episode at a time, while also running the members-only club, and having four escape rooms (which Foti also houses in the building). Thursday night at the Count’s Den brings game night for the members, and along with other themed nights of music and performance, these short immersive shows are designed to tell the stories of the vampires who call The Count’s Den their home, bringing us mortals deeper and deeper into their world.
The vibe is wonderful, the wine flows, and the storytelling is top notch. Excited to see what the Count’s Den brings us next.
Just tell Ava that HorrorBuzz sent you. She’ll be thrilled.
