Enter the violent, filthy, underworld…the dark and gritty of the organization.
BRANDING OF THE LAMB is part of the expansive M series of shows that BL4KM4SS has put on over the last year. It’s where everything begins in the story line of this organization. As per usual, I’m waiting in the dark for a phone call and a pickup. I’m given my directions for when I reach a hideout as well as a code name to go by. The directions essentially were to just listen in and be quiet, don’t raise any alarms. Like in a previous show I attended, I’m a plant. Of course, once inside this dingy dirty space, the idea of not saying much gets thrown out immediately and I’m very involved in dialogue and the activities that take place. This experience had a good balance of witnessing violence and uncomfortable scenarios as well as having some freedom to fill in my own narrative if I wanted to. There’s an unexpected turn of events as the show progresses and my heart rate legitimately increased and dread filled my body. I eventually get pulled out just in time and felt the relief and excitement as the show ended.
I really enjoyed this experience. I could feel the excitement that I’m sure guests who had been there from the start of this series of shows felt when I ran into familiar characters. I didn’t expect that familiarity to have such a strong impact on me, but it did. This production was story driven and put me through a full range of emotions. There were times that were fun, others that were cringe worthy and uncomfortable, to downright scary. This show made me wish I had been to all the others in the M Series. I can’t stress enough the shift I felt from interacting with familiar characters and the actors were very consistent in their personality and behavior. Everything felt cohesive. I also believe this show worked well for me because it was at a starting point so I didn’t feel like I was fumbling as much to put the pieces together from shows I had missed.
I had participated in another show, which was further along in the story, and that was difficult for me to follow. To overcome this issue for those have not been to the other productions, they are providing videos to fill in the storyline. This was my main critique last time so I was pleased to see this implemented. It is also worth noting that I attended BRANDING OF THE LAMB March 13th just at the precipice of quarantine. The crew took precautions to ensure safety. My temperature was taken at the start, there was plenty of disinfectant, and I was also made aware that everything was being cleaned in-between shows. Fortunately, the precautions did not interfere with experience itself.
BL4KM4SS is currently on hiatus during this time of quarantine. They have other shows planned, but they are on hold for the time being. The best way to stay up to date with them is via their Instagram page.
