A trip behind the curtain

[EllisGordonKeymaster]

Once again I find myself stepping out from behind the crumbling 4th Wall.

The 4th wall exists so we, the creators can hide behind it and not ruin the illusion.

In the end, this is just one big elaborate magic trick… or, did some of you think this was real? The Oracles, The GateKeepers, Anoch?

I hide not because I don’t want to see you… But, because I do not want YOU to see me.

What good does my face or identity do anyone? Maybe it humanizes me? Maybe, if you saw the way I looked you would surely think, he is not a monster, look at him… We can put our trust into him, and whatever this is he is doing…

Sadly that is not the way this was set up to work.

This morning I awoke to numerous emails and Facebook messages from concerned Participants all worried that we depicted a fan… no… a plant… no wait, a player…. or wait, was he an actor, strangling another actor… or wait, was he a Gatekeeper.

I said I would step out from behind the wall, not show you what was on the other side of it.

A few facts… No, Buz was not, or is not a plant… He has never had knowledge of any event prior to the rest of the community, nor was he ever tipped in advance… we do not play favorites.

What Buz is, or was… a pawn. Someone we used to carry out an action based on a storyline that was shifted, and created, and spun within the very walls you digest this letter I am writing you now. Buz was vetted, and vetted, and then vetted again.

Buz however was present when the magician was preparing a magic trick… He was given the opportunity to partake in a narrative shift.

I will let Buz comment if he so chooses on his own experience. This is his experience to tell, or not.

Some of you here might watch as much TV as III claimed to do.

Walking Dead, perhaps?

Walking Dead has had numerous chances to win a walk on role.

Imagine if Mike Fontaine wins a walk on role on The Walking Dead and is tasked with killing a Zombie.

He shows up to set, blocks the scenes and shoots it…

The night it airs, all of the community gather together and flip on the tube and watches as one of their own kills a zombie…

The next morning the phone to the Walking Dead’s Production office begins to ring… “This is dangerous… what if others who love the show walk around and start hurting zombies because they saw Mike do it?”

“What if someone in the Walking Dead attraction is hurt because Mike Fontaine, a Participant killed a zombie on TV?”

I am not saying your concerns do not matter to me, they do… greatly. Hence this overly long, overwritten blog post.

Buz, won a role, a role he didn’t know he won until after he arrived at our warehouse. A role that was rehearsed for hours… with a stunt person… with blocking… with people who’s entire job it was, was to ensure the safety of everyone involved.

Buz is not, was not, and continues to be unattached to this entire thing. He was active, got a cameo…

–but what happens next???

Some of you sent in emails demanding answers… Your emails highlighted why you deserved a response from the creators.

You are right… You have been playing along since it’s inception. You have spent a lot of time, and energy into this universe.

If you truly want us to lift the curtain entirely we will, but this magic act is long from over…

If however this comes down to trust, and you feel you can’t trust us, I am truly afraid that one post on a message board will not tapper whatever ill will you feel. It gets darker before it gets light, so now would be as good as time as any to walk away.

That said, I truly hope you don’t. I truly hope you stay. We have the best trick of all waiting in the wings.

On a final note, Tension: Ascension is not Indoctrination, and will have its own set of clearly defined parameters.

See ya Saturday,

EG

[DimStyleParticipant]

@ellisgordon I think you are right… All is a game. You Gordon, have no idea what it is like to kill a person. What it is REALLY like. To take a person’s life and them stand over them, watching them gasp, stare off into space… Like a fish out of water. You feel no remorse. You feel nothing but you are happy to be still alive alive and the other person is not. You win, they lose. On to the next.

All is games. You will never really have any idea…true power, true regret, true life… Really living

• This reply was modified 7 years, 8 months ago by  DimStyle.
• This reply was modified 7 years, 8 months ago by  DimStyle.

[Addison BornParticipant]

Thank you for posting this, @ellisgordon.

I was one individual who emailed you last night as a concerned participant, and I want to speak my case. I’m not concerned about anyone being a plant, nor am I concerned about uncovering what’s going on behind the scenes or what’s to come next. I hope that’s not what was taken away from my note. For the good of the experience and the future of Tension, what’s behind the curtain should stay there, as everything we’re experiencing here on a daily basis is still exciting and engrossing and a large part of everyone lives.

I wrote you an email because I wanted to make my own concerns about seeing a participant putting their hands on an actor with apparent intent to harm known, and make sure that The Tension Experience is aware of the precedent they’re setting within the immersive theater and extreme haunt community. Some may disagree with my concerns, but a door had been opened that had this clarification not been made, had the potential to be detrimental to the future existence of hands-on immersive experiences. I don’t want to see other experiences I and many others love be effected from a legal aspect due to a misunderstood plot development.

I greatly appreciate the measures taken by you and your team in making that a safe action, and hats off to @thebuz for his convincing acting.

So thank you for the clarification to the community. I’m lpoking forward to seeing you tomorrow, and I’m looking forward to the future of The Tension Experience.

[CodyParticipant]

I do feel for those who would think that people actually died as a result of a public.. open to everyone game with unencrypted transmissions where videos had previously been posted of other charachters being murdered. Not to mention, the video being made public on youtube. Obviously this is metaphor.. not to discount any of the very real lessons one can gain from it.
It would be quite disheartening if anyone actually thought of real world harm to actors or other participants immersed within this experience.
That being said… Don’t lift the curtain!

View post on imgur.com

[AH-layParticipant]

I for one do not want the illusion to go away, I do not demand answers from tension that are not meant for me to have, we are all characters in this, why this stupid need to know what’s behind the curtain when it has nothing to do with the story? I hope we move on, I hope that we all think long and hard if we want to stay. I know I want to.

[DimStyleParticipant]

At the end of the day, @thebuz will be fine. He will go on.

2 will lead to 1. The OOA will be vindicated. @gatekeeper2 will be the path to the light

[AH-layParticipant]

This isn’t about that right now.

“In the end, this is just one big elaborate magic trick… or, did some of you think this was real? The Oracles, The GateKeepers, Anoch?”

This is his coming from behind the curtain.

• This reply was modified 7 years, 8 months ago by  AH-lay.
• This reply was modified 7 years, 8 months ago by  AH-lay.

[DimStyleParticipant]

Read my reply from before. I hope no one thinks this is real. Real and imagination can mix but in the end… This is a game. Not real. You don’t know the real. I do

[Anonymous]

To be fair, you don’t know that she doesn’t know the real either.

[Anonymous]

While I understand the concern behind the emails I also am saddened and frustrated by it. I teach college students who constantly ask for “trigger warnings” on things that should not need them. Art *should* make us uncomfortable, I feel this very passionately, and I’ve discussed immersive theatre with my students in general and Tension specifically as examples of things that cross the boundaries they themselves would create in order to remain “safe.”

Immersive theatre has already been tainted by abuses. This isn’t going to set a precent for more, they’re already there. “Sleep No More” is rife with stories of them.

I believe Tension did what it did responsibly and safely. We want them to push the envelope, and we can’t suddenly get cold feet when they actually do.

[MikeParticipant]

Thank you Mr Gordon for your well, thought out response. I hope one day I get to kill zombies

You’ve said all along that this will keep getting darker and more messed up. I really hope this doesn’t change that. There are some of us who still want the darkness and want to be messed with.

What happened with @thebuz was awesome and I was totally giddy that you would allow one of us that opportunity. Glory be and see you tomorrow!

[ReidVParticipant]

I worry that what happened here was a confusion of concern with that of criticism…

Many of us admire the “blurring” being done here and the innovative mind games, and if we come off strongly, it is always with the best interests of this experience in mind…

And yes, we wish for darkness. So yes, go boldly, we are here for you as much as you are here for us. Glory be.

[Freedom’s FlameParticipant]

I also would rather the illusion not be broken. I believe that it was our community’s concern for Buz, rather than a desire to see Tension… sterilized- that led to the aforementioned emails. I haven’t been here long, but I have immersed myself in the narrative, and the elements where it blurs reality are by far the best of it. Hopefully with this cleared up we can all return to our roles we have chosen to play in this story. Thank you for taking a moment to step out from behind the curtain and address our concerns, however.

[LucusParticipant]

Wow, well this ruined some of the illusion. I personally thought the @thebuz scene was an awesome addition to this. I am unclear as to what the problem is here? In order to enhance my experience I try to immerse myself as much as I can in order to make this feel as real as possible. You’ve said this is entertainment, let’s leave it at that. I did originally have a concern about people watching the murders who have nothing to do with the experience but then I remembered all the shit on the Internet. To those who posted reasons for their concerns thanks and to those for whom this was meant… Take the jealous crybaby attitudes somewhere else. I’m sure there’s a slack channel somewhere you can whine on.

• This reply was modified 7 years, 8 months ago by  Lucus.

[ReidVParticipant]

Dear @ununpentium, the concerns presented seemed quite valid at the time, and we are happily mistaken.

And trust me, slack is not a concern and will never be.

[LucusParticipant]

@atticus360 fair enough. All concerns are valid. Everybody has a right to voice them and did so privately it seems (great, let the wizards behind the curtain know what you think). But now the wizards are here to ease hurt feelings and interrupt the flow…I just was a little upset with the hand holding and constant reminders that this is only theatre. My apologies if it seems harsh. (Of course like everything else this could all be by design, the bouncing back and forth between reality and fiction can only add to the blurriness later)

[RustyParticipant]

Dear Mr. Gordon,

I would like to say to the community that I am someone who did send an email privately. Not in protest, simply to state several people had asked my opinion of events from the perspective of someone who has worked inside the “haunt” industry.

You may have noticed Mr. Gordon that I did not offer an opinion in the email I sent. Simply because, I did not want to offer it in case The Tension Experience chose to make a statement. I expressed a concern, that is all – a concern obviously shared by many.

I hope you understand that the concerns expressed indicate a level of commitment and interest that is admirable for this experience – an event that you admit you refuse to define. The front page of this event refuses to define the event but clearly states that this is for entertainment purposes. If you refuse to define it, the community has a right to question it at times.

I did not “demand answers” but apparently some did. As part of this community, I appreciate all the opinions that have been expressed here.

Mr. Gordon, early in your post you reference trust. Indeed, Sir, trust is a key that can open any lock.

It is hard for me to believe that anyone ever thought that The Tension Experience turned Buz into a murderer. If someone actually didn’t believe that is reality, I feel perhaps this may not be a suitable pastime for them to be engaging in. (Please escort yourselves out now.)

Personally, I believe this is less about what happened, and mainly about how it appeared to happen. Privately, someone expressed to me it felt “reckless.” Mike Fontaine once publicly stated “appearance is everything.” I believe it is “appearances,” that are ruffling feathers here.

Your clarification is that Buz is a “pawn” in a bigger story. Interesting. Well, I challenge the community to consider that this opens up all kinds of exciting possibilities for all of us in the future. We have been told we get out what we put in, I find it intriguing and exciting that we may all be asked to perform in some way as if we the patrons are actual characters. Very interesting possibilities for everyone involved, but I am sure we all have limits as to what we would be willing to do, exactly… we would have to choose our own path. Perhaps we should start considering ourselves as characters if we have not done so previously. Personally, I have already considered myself that and at times acted in that manner, and I do not mind the “darkness.”

There are those in this community who will not take kindly to being called, or used as a “pawn.” In my opinion, now that you have clarified the approach that the Tension Experience is using behind the scenes… let’s move forward.

Mr. Gordon, The appearance that this event has is a double edge sword. The concern of a patron laying hands on a character is disconcerting. In my own past, I have been attacked inside an immersive environment by a patron who felt it was okay to touch me. The other edge of that sword, in some weird way – I think some people are wondering about our own safety as patrons. Thank you for addressing that issue specifically in your post. Personally, I have NEVER felt unsafe at any live event tied to The Tension Experience.

So, now what? In my opinion, we have been told this is getting darker, and I, for one am excited about the possibilities of where that warning may lead us all. Each of us will need to determine what our “darkness” limit might be. I sincerely hope that the Tension Experience does not suddenly decide to “pull punches” because a valid concern has been expressed.

This break of the wall became necessary because of actions by The Tension Experience. I, for one, vote to continue the exploration and will move forward keeping this exchange in mind.

The future excites me. Now that we have been reminded that this is a big ol’ adventure and there may be rough bumps in the road ahead. I choose to participate and I respect those that choose to walk away.

Okay, The Tension Experience. Bring it.

Let’s play…

[BlondieParticipant]

Ugh, I hate being drawn OOG but here I go…

There are many of us who have never, and sadly probably will never, meet other players in real life. The Tension Experience attracts more and more new players every day leading up to Ascension, and who knows who they are and what mental baggage they bring with them… Some have never been involved in immersive theatre or haunts or any of that awesome stuff before so the rules could be unclear. What I’m trying to say is that I totally understand the concerns that Buz being involved in a “murder” of a key character could cause confusion for some, make it seem ok for a player to physically interact with a character in order to further their idea of where the narrative should be heading. Some players have known each other IRL for some time and can vouch for their comprehension of the blurring of lines and this is great. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for everyone else. The personas we present on the forum may or may not reflect who we are in our own lives. It’s better that this be thrown out in the open like this than in a month’s time, Tension being splashed across the headlines because someone got hurt, because someone went too far when they lost sight of reality/the rules of the game.

Personally, I hate rules. But I understand the need for them. To protect everyone involved.

All that being said, I think involving a player like that was absolutely amazing. And now people have aired their concerns and the rules have been made clear, lets just crack on with letting this sh*t get dark. If it gets too dark for you at any time, the creators aren’t here to hold your hand and you know where the door is. But @ellisgordon, I *want* to be messed with and terrified. So bring it on.

[DimStyleParticipant]

@blondiecamps couldnt have said it better myself

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