Actors Susie K. Taylor and June Raven Romero will alternate in the role of Avery, president of the fictional Miami Elvis Fan Club in Juggerknot Theatre Company's "Conjuring the King." (Photo by Scott McIntyre)
Participating in the latest Elvis extravaganza in Miami may be the next best thing to visiting Graceland, “The King’s” home in Memphis, Tenn.
“So, shine those blue suede shoes, fluff up that pompadour, and let's make the King proud. See you at the secret hideaway – where the spirit of Elvis lives on!” says Tanya Bravo.
She is the founder and executive director of Miami-based Juggerknot Theatre Company, which is staging “Conjuring the King.”
Photographer: Scott McIntyre
Tanya Bravo is the founder and executive director of Miami-based Juggerknot Theatre Company, which is staging “Conjuring the King.”
But the piece is hardly similar to your average play. Indeed, “Conjuring the King” is the “ultimate immersive Elvis Fan Club experience,” according to publicity material. Instead of sitting back, relaxing and enjoying the show, you get to fully participate in this experience. More specifically, you may sing, dance, eat Elvis’s favorite fare, play games, and interact with the performer.
Actors Susie K. Taylor and June Raven Romero will alternate in the role of Avery, president of the fictional Miami Elvis Fan Club.
For those who may not be familiar with him (if you've been living under a rock), Elvis Presley (1935-1977) was an American singer and actor known as the “King of Rock and Roll.” Many regard him as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century.
Playwright Dipti Bramhandkar stresses that “Conjuring the King” is not a biopic of Elvis. Rather, “it’s about an Elvis fan (Avery) and her relationship with his story and music.”
“Conjuring the King” runs from Friday, March 1 to Sunday, April 28. Performances begin at 7 p.m. and 9:20 p.m. Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays, as well as 7:30 p.m. and 9:45 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Each performance will be limited to 15 participants and is about 90 minutes.
Performances will take place at a location in Miami’s Little River neighborhood. You will learn the specific spot once you’ve bought a ticket.
Photographer: Scott McIntyre
"Conjuring the King's" director, Ana Margineanu.
Bramhandkar, who says she is not a huge Elvis fan but enjoys his music, wanted to write about fandom and how our relationships with the people we idolize affect who we are. In addition, the playwright says she wanted to tell a nuanced story about a woman who is complicated and undergoes a transformation.
Mission accomplished, according to Bravo.
“I think (the playwright has) written an extremely complex character who comes off as superficial and fan-like but becomes much deeper as (the show) progresses,” says Bravo.
In all, Bramhandkar has written 12 full-length plays which focus on themes such as belonging and identity. She says she has focused on those themes because she was born in India but came to the United States at age 3.
Bramhandkar describes her piece as a “dramedy” (a combination of comedy and drama). The work includes plenty of pathos and humor, she says. And no, you do not have to be an Elvis fan to appreciate the play. In fact, “you don’t need to know anything about him to enjoy the show,” she adds. “You can experience the play at many different levels. At its heart, this show is about our relationship with ourselves through who and what we idolize.”
Expect to use your five senses during the experience – sight, sound, smell, taste, and your sixth sense. The latter is the relationship between yourself and the universe, says the production’s director, Ana Margineanu.
Margineanu says her directorial approach involved finding a balance between creating an experience that is fun and engaging but also raises “deep and profound questions” about our relationships with others, including idols.
Margineanu is a theater director who works nationally and internationally. Most recently, she worked with Juggerknot Theatre Company as the director of “The Blues Opera,” “Miami Motel Stories” and “Long Distance Affair.” All are immersive theater pieces.
Photographer: Scott McIntyre
Susie K. Taylor, above, and June Raven Romero will alternate in the role of Avery, president of the fictional Miami Elvis Fan Club.
“Conjuring the King” is audience participatory and site-specific. However, it's their choice to participate in the experience. If you wish, you can observe and enjoy while watching other audience members participate.
Margineanu says she thinks the rise in popularity of immersive theater ibecause people love to participate in events.
Juggerknot Theatre Company, which has existed since 1999, has been producing immersive theater in Miami since 2016.
“I love them,” Margineanu says, referring to those who are all a part of Juggerknot. “It’s a community of people that you can’t really say goodbye to, they are so incredibly creative.”
She says that being around them is "addicting" and adds: “You want to stay and do more with them.”
Photographer: Scott McIntyre
June Raven Romero in the role of Avery, president of the fictional Miami Elvis Fan Club. (Photo by Scott McIntyre)
Romero has worked with Juggerknot at least one other time, when the company produced “Long Distance Affair” during the height of the pandemic. For that experience, audience members “flew” to far away places via Zoom to interact with individuals just like themselves.
Romero, a transgender actor and activist, says “Conjuring the King” marks her fourth or fifth time acting in an immersive theater project.
“It’s like an Olympic gym or training ground for actors,” she says, referring to immersive theater. “There’s no escaping the perception of audience (members). They’re perceiving you from every angle” within a close distance.
Romero says she believes participants will see themselves in her character.
“There’s a transparency and eagerness and vulnerability about her,” says the performer, who was born and raised in Miami.
Romero says her character is different from her. Specifically, unlike Avery, Romero is not a big Elvis fan. In fact, Romero says that while she is fascinated with the culture of idolatry, she doesn’t agree with it. She adds that it is difficult for her to understand how somebody could idolize another person as many do Elvis.
To prepare for the role, Romero watched Elvis performances and tried to “consume the things he might have consumed.”
What can audiences (or participants) expect?
“They can expect a journey,” Romero says, adding, “they can expect the unexpected for sure.”
She hopes that people bring their flexibility, openness, and vulnerability to the experience.
Unlike Romero, Taylor says she is “obsessed” with Elvis. Specifically, she feels drawn toward his work ethic, his bravery, and his drive.’ Taylor says she also loves her character.
“She reminds me a lot of myself and (my) wonderfully complex female friends,” she adds.
While Taylor says she had “a little too much fun with the part,” she adds that portraying Avery has pushed her way past her comfort zone. Namely, the part challenged her to use many of her abilities at the same time.
Taylor, like Romero, has been acting most of her life. While “Conjuring the King” marks her fourth or fifth immersive acting project, it’s her first solo immersive role.
“I think I found my niche: one person shows,” admits Taylor.
What can people expect from “Conjuring the King?”
They can “expect to be blown away, to have the best time,” she says. “They’re going to leave with a warm, happy heart and a huge smile on their face.”
And does she believe audiences will take away from the experience?
Realize that “life is precious” and you need to be kind to yourself, she says.
"Conjuring the King: An Immersive Elvis Fan Club Experience" will run from Friday, March 1-Sunday, April 28 at a location in Miami’s Little River neighborhood. You will learn the specific location once you have bought a ticket.
“Conjuring the King” running time is about 90 minutes and opens Friday, March 1 and runs through Sunday, April 28. Performances begin at 7 p.m. and 9:20 p.m. Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays, as well as 7:30 p.m. and 9:45 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.
Each performance will be limited to 15 participants. The cost is $77 per ticket, while VIP costs $107, and includes a complimentary drink and “Conjuring the King” swag.
For tickets and more information, go to juggerknottheatrecorporation.ticketspice.com.
