Theaters Reopen: Munich Welcomes Its First Immersive Theater Production

“Know thyself” is the inscription on the threshold of the Oracle of Delphi[1] , and it may well be the most important maxim of the ancient world. The oracle’s guidance was often ambiguous and irrefutable. It posed paradoxes to those seeking advice, forcing them to think from another dimension. Created by Susanne Kennedy and Markus Selg, Oracle explores, in an immersive environment, the possibility of coexistence between humans and artificial intelligence. In this world, humanity ceases to be central to identity and instead becomes just one part of a symbiotic relationship with other creatures and intelligent machines.

After falling in love with director Susanne Kennedy’s production of Three Sisters last year, I had been eagerly anticipating this new play. However, shortly after rehearsals began, the entire production was halted due to COVID-19. For several weeks, the director and actors continued rehearsing via Zoom, which made it possible for a trial version of this play to be presented in June, allowing theater-lovers to return to the stage.

Upon entering the main area, three actors wearing masks and voice modulators guide you to a stone pillar and introduce themselves as messengers of the gods. The intense gaze of the actors instills a strange fear. As they proceed, they silently slip behind you and whisper, their body language and words expressing curiosity about “you” as a human. This is, in my opinion, the best part of the entire play. The mix of excitement and fear quickly transforms the audience from mere observers into worshippers in a temple. When the actors’ voices are modulated to sound mechanical, audiences familiar with the director are instantly transported back to scenes from Three Sisters.

However, after the first segment, the following 30 minutes feel somewhat sloppy. Lying on blankets listening to recordings, entering a small dark room to watch strobe lights, or engaging in silent diagonal eye contact with actors in a room — although one can understand the director’s artistic intentions, the execution feels haphazardly assembled. The set relies heavily on curtains rather than solid architectural materials to evoke the feeling of a temple. As you move through the space, you gradually slip back from the immersive experience into the role of a spectator.

At the center of the temple, there are three opportunities to ask the “god” a question. But whether due to a limited sample or something else, the “god” before me—especially as a materialist—felt like a “synthetic simpleton.” Walking out of the theater, the excitement from the first part lingers, but I did not feel as if I had undergone a spiritual journey.

This immersive theater piece is similar in form to others, but compared to Sleep No More, it lacks the freedom for the audience to explore independently, as actors guide you along a predetermined path. The performance admits one audience member every 6 minutes, taking about 36 minutes to complete one circuit. In a two-hour show, there may be only about 20 spectators in total. I wonder how such a format can be profitable.

As Munich’s first (?) immersive theater production, it is still worth seeing. Hopefully, the final version will improve.

7/10

[1] The Delphic maxims are said to originate from the sacred sayings of the Oracle of Apollo in the Temple of Apollo at Delphi, dating back to the 6th century BCE. They served as a series of moral guidelines for the pre-Socratic Greek peoples, containing much ancient Greek wisdom and teachings on character. The most famous maxim, “Know thyself,” was inscribed above the door of Apollo’s temple. The Delphic maxims advise living a pious life and are teachings bestowed by Apollo upon humanity.