Just days before the planned March 4th opening, Blackout Haunted House has cancelled their Los Angeles Off-Season 2016 run. In a statement issued from their Facebook page the state.
“Ladies and gentlemen, as many of you know, one of the most important reasons BLACKOUT has gained its reputation is because of the value we place on our audience’s safety. We want to push limits but would never jeopardize the health and safety of our actors or our audience by moving forward without the proper permits in place… most notably, insurance.
There are those shows that would move forward without proper safeguards…those that would jeopardize the safety of the audience. We do not count ourselves among those types of experiences. It is for this reason that we unfortunately are going to have to cancel our upcoming Los Angeles off-season.
After running for over 6 years and 25+ shows, all with a strong safety record, we currently find ourselves being held hostage by our insurance company. We refuse to jeopardize your safety just to accommodate their greed. Regretfully, we do not feel comfortable moving forward with the show unless we can guarantee the safety and coverage for both the actors and our audience. While it pains us to do it, we feel it is the safest, and only, option we have right now.
Anyone who has purchased a ticket to the upcoming Los Angeles show, you will be receiving a refund on your purchase this evening. It should take approximately 3-5 days to show up on your account.
On a personal note, we’ve seen this show grow a lot in the last six years. We began as a tiny show in NYC that gave you a shot of whiskey at the door. Now, we are lucky enough to design experiences at the Forum alongside Queens of the Stone Age. We are proud of what we’ve built and so appreciative of the support we’ve had from you, our audience. It is always been you who has held us up.
Thank you everyone for your support – we apologize again for any inconvenience . We hope we are able to make it up to you soon.”
Sincerely,
Josh, Kris, and John
BLACKOUT
As fans of this immersive horror theatre experience we are, of course saddened to hear of this show’s cancelation. What is far more infuriating, however, is the fact that an insurance company’s greed is what killed the show. Good for Josh, Kris, and John for not letting themselves be taken advantage of on the eve of a show opening.
Another thing to note; The high value that Blackout and its creators place on safety. It is a fine tightrope act to pull off, creating a seemingly dangerous environment while being completely safe. Instead of putting their patrons at risk, they chose to simply refund the money.
While a surprise to many, this is not the first time that experimental theatre and immersive horror have collided with real life horrors. During the 2013 run of Delusion: The Blood Rite, Creator John Braver actually had to postpone the opening night of his intricate show due to city permit acquisition. Then, during the same run, they had to cut an extension short, refunding money to customers, due to more problems with the city and approvals.
The take away from this is that, haunts, horror, and immersive theatre are a very tricky business in this modern age. It is a business that MUST be nurtured and supported. Blackout is not gone. Fans can still play the new Blackout 21 game now. Blackout Haunted House plans, of course, to mount more shows in the future as they released a visceral teaser for 2016.
Shame on greed and the selfish nature of insurance companies that like to prey on shows like Blackout, Alone, Delusion, or any other type of experimental show. SHAME SHAME SHAME.
Josh, Kris, John, The siren call of Blackout is something that its followers yearn to experience again and again. We all support your tough decision and we wait, with baited breath, for your next creation! See you in the dark.
