In 2011, Delusion burst onto the scene with its innovative style of immersive theatre. Situated at the historic Beckett Mansion in the West Adams neighborhood, Jon Braver’s show redefined what Halloween and horror entertainment could be. Using the location as the main character, Braver created a story that led visitors in and around nearly every room of the home, placing them into their very own horror movie. Braver would eventually move to other locations around southern California to create a new show for each space. Still, the original mansion remained the iconic birthplace of something very special.
Delusion is back for 2026 and, at long last, has returned to Beckett Mansion to spin an entirely new yarn. Den of the Mosquito takes us to a secluded brothel in New Orleans that is run by vampires and mobsters. Much better than previous shows like The Red Castle and the Harrowing of Hell, Mosquito is the longest Delusion show to date at approximately 50 minutes. It offers more chances for guests to get involved or to choose their own paths. For nearly an hour we are are overwhelmed with a dense plot, multiple characters, certain danger, and narrow escapes. Den of the Mosquito feels like a homecoming on multiple levels.
We arrive at the Beckett Mansion and are told to enter from the garden gates on the backside of the property. Shuffling up the concrete steps under a canopy of foliage we hear the sounds of the swamps. Fog drifts in the air. We are now in the Louisiana bayou. The time and place is 1920’s New Orleans and things are not good. A rash of deaths leaving behind bloodless corpses, supernatural events, and multiple disappearances have rattled the city. In response, President Woodrow Wilson has formed a secret task force known as Anomaly. Their job is to investigate paranormal and otherworldly events. One of our fellow agents has gone missing leaving behind a cryptic message referring to an ancient relic, ““they fight over it— flesh and blood–feeding like mosquitos.”. Where is the missing agent? What is the relic? Why is the mafia fighting over it with a brothel?
Once our showtime arrives we are alerted via text and told to meet at the side of the mansion. Our intimate group of 10 people is debriefed and told that while the mob runs the gambling, a nest of vampires are running a brothel. Too, it seems that within the home, there is a relic that both groups fight over. As agents of Anomaly, we are tasked with finding the agent, the relic, and with stopping the forces of evil.
The hallmarks of classic Delusion have, mercifully, been restored in Den of the Mosquito. We have intimate storytelling, close-up interactions with various characters, jaw-dropping stunts, and powerful performances. At one point in the show, I was invited to play blackjack with fellow audience members in a secret casino just before a gunfight broke out between three different characters. In another scene I was sent alone down a slide and into an empty basement to meet up with a possible vampire.
There is a lot that goes on. Braver’s script is strong this year as he leans into his knack for building a world populated by complicated characters. Everyone has a secret motive and their own agenda. Of course everything has that otherworldly feel of the Delusion universe which makes it all the more unpredictable.
Once you exit the show you are welcomed to hang out, grab a drink on the Beckett Mansion Grounds, and explore the various relics from previous shows. You will need this time to process the wild adventure you’ll have just survived. Give in to the show, you will have the time of your life.
TICKETS
This is not a cheap night out. At $143 on any given night, it’s easy to scoff at the price. For roughly the same amount of money you could have a night at Halloween Horror Nights with one-time front of the line. However I can guarantee you that you will not have as intimate an experience. Here you are invited to become part of the show.
That said, Delusion is back to form here and there is nothing else like it in the world. Grab your tickets here.
