A new immersive production Monster Party will run April 16–25 at Rita House, inviting audiences to step directly into a surreal cocktail party filled with mystery, politics, and supernatural intrigue.
Created by writer, director, and producer Matt Dorado, the interactive play places guests inside the home of an enigmatic host known as The Baroness. Throughout the two-and-a-half-hour experience, attendees move through the party, interacting with performers and fellow guests while piecing together a strange and often grotesque narrative.
Unlike traditional stage productions, Monster Party uses conversation, gossip, and social interactions as storytelling tools. Guests can participate in party games, engage characters in dialogue, or observe as the narrative unfolds around them. The experience is designed to accommodate both newcomers to immersive theatre and longtime fans of the format.
The play’s story unfolds in Washington, D.C., during the early 1950s amid the political climate of McCarthyism and the anti-LGBTQ purge known as the Lavender Scare. Through surreal imagery and melodramatic storytelling, the production explores themes of power, conformity, and the social forces that can turn communities against one another.
Dorado describes the show as a blend of dark humor, political allegory, and participatory performance. While rooted in exaggerated melodrama, the story encourages audiences to reflect on the systems that shape behavior and identity.
The cast includes Dasha Kittredge as The Baroness, alongside Sidney Franklin, Benjamin Berg, Bukola Ogunmola, Emily Yetter, Misha Reeves, and Darren Herczeg.
Performances of Monster Party are limited to 50 guests per showing. Tickets include the full 2.5-hour performance along with drinks served throughout the evening. The production is restricted to guests 21 and older.
