June Raven Romero, above, plays Avery, an obsessed Elvis fan. Two actors share the part at different performances. Susie K. Taylor also plays Avery.
The latest immersive and participatory theatrical experience about an Elvis fan and her obsession with “The King” is entertaining and stimulating — not just physically, but mentally.
Indeed, chances are you will leave “Conjuring the King” exhilarated and thinking about your own relationships with those that you adore and/or idolize. Are such relationships healthy, you may find yourself wondering?
Fortunately, you have until the end of April to experience “Conjuring the King,” a world premiere mounted by the Miami-based Juggerknot Theatre Company.
Photographer: Scott McIntyre
June Raven Romero as Avery in the immersive world premiere of Juggerknot Theatre Company's "Conjuring the King."
Juggerknot, a champion of immersive, site-specific theater, has a history of producing entertaining and meaningful immersive experiences such as “Miami Motel Stories.”
“Conjuring the King” is Juggerknot’s newest hit. Its director is Ana Margineanu, who nicely balances moments of levity with darker, more depth-filled instances. In addition to directing, Margineanu also thought up the piece’s immersive concept and deftly paces the show.
You will learn the location once you’ve bought a ticket to this event, which takes place in Miami’s Little River neighborhood.
“Conjuring the King” is hardly similar to your average play or musical. Instead of sitting back and taking it all in, expect to play games, sing, and dance to Elvis’s music, learn facts about “The King,” eat some of his favorite fare, possibly win awards, and get to know an Elvis super fan named Avery.
In reality, Avery, whose last name we never learn, is a fictional character created by playwright Dipti Bramhandkar. And the idea behind “Conjuring the King” is that Avery, president of the Miami Elvis Fan Club, invites a maximum of 15 fellow fans of “The King” to each performance held at her self-made museum celebrating everything Elvis.
Photographer: Scott McIntyre
Susie K. Taylor as Avery in her bedroom filled with boxes in Juggerknot Theatre's "Conjuring the King."
Of course, participation is voluntary – nobody is going to force you to do anything you don’t want to do. In fact, you don’t even have to be an Elvis fan to enjoy the experience and find it meaningful. It centers on a complex woman who, at the beginning, may seem superficial. But by the end, you find Avery to be endearingly vulnerable, sensitive, and in need of connection.
Two actors – Susie K. Taylor and June Raven Romero – alternate in the role of Avery.
At the reviewed event, it was Taylor as Avenry. She delighted and moved the crowd bringing Avery to vibrant and believable life, with assistance from her devoted assistant, Asha. This individual is your guide for the afternoon or evening. She will lead you through Avery’s self-made museum and answer any questions you may have throughout the course of the afternoon or evening.
The experience actually begins as soon as you pull into the parking lot. There, you will hear Elvis’s music and notice objects such as a paper cutout depiction of “The King.” Before you step inside, there's the opportunity to buy a drink.
Once inside, one of the first things that catches your eye is a wall filled with newspapers dedicated to everything Elvis. In addition, you will encounter writings on the wall from past participants of “Conjuring the King.” They have left notes for Elvis that read, for instance, “Long Live the King.”
Once you enter Avery’s “museum,” you don’t know where to look first. The room is filled with items such as portraits of Elvis, Elvis-themed license plates, and calendars. Big block black letters with white dots spell out “The King’s” first name.
As designed by Vanya Allen, the room is spacious, inviting, and includes plenty of details that remind us that a hugely devoted Elvis fan designed the room.
Photographer: Scott McIntyre
Susie K. Taylor as Avery asks the audience to join her in planting seeds of hope in Juggerknot Theatre's immersive world premiere of “Conjuring the King.”
While Allen’s design of the “museum” and other rooms is specific and richly detailed, Anamaria Morales designed the lighting. At times, the hues are pink and blue, which create a celebratory aura. Another room features disco-style lighting, with lights rotating throughout room.
Soon after we enter the “museum,” Avery appears, sporting a golden-colored outfit, almost like a cape (the costume designer is Brooke Vacca). Of course, Avery’s costume is also Elvis-themed.
We learn that Avery hails from a small town in Mississippi, not far from Elvis’s boyhood home in that same state. Since her youth, people have told Avery that she is pretty and that she resembles Elvis. She participated in talent shows in her hometown, and later worked as a waitress, while still performing. She has loved Elvis since she was a preteen.
“I was eleven years old when I first heard his voice,” the character says. “His songs speak to me in ways nothing else does. He’s singing directly to my heart, even in the middle of a crowded room or in the car with friends. His songs whisper secrets and stories that ache with my desperate yearnings and unrequited passions. His voice offers solace, understanding, and a sense of belonging that transcends ordinary life.”
A dark-haired, dark-eyed Taylor, speaking in a believable Southern accent, imbues Avery with a breathless and dreamy adoration when she talks about “The King.” In addition, Taylor lends Avery charm, charisma, spirit, and she is seemingly in perpetual motion. When she speaks, her lips are not the only part of her body moving. In addition, she shakes, squats, and dances.
Photographer: Scott McIntyre
Inside the mega fan's Elvis museum in the Juggerknot Theatre Company's immersive world premiere of “Conjuring the King.”
While Taylor’s Avery is vivacious and bright early on, her personality turns shades darker later on. Clearly, this woman is obsessed with Elvis, and it has negatively impacted her daily life. In fact, she literally speaks to him and she believes that he speaks to her.
One day, Avery visits Elvis’s home. However, the script does not make it clear whether she is visiting Graceland in Memphis or a room in Miami that she has made up to look like Graceland. She has just learned that other Elvis fans are coming to pay tribute to him, and she is not happy that Elvis is accommodating them.
“Elvis Aaron Presley, we need to talk,” she tells him while looking at a photo of Elvis on her cellphone. “Did you know they (the other fans) were coming? Did you know that all of them were coming? I came for you. You asked me to be here. No no no – groupies I get. But this is different. They love you. You know, I don’t want to do this with you anymore. You said I was the only one. I’ve done everything for you. I have sacrificed everything for you. I love you! They don’t love you. They’re just stupid and young and they think you’re an icon. I know who you really are. I know your heart. I know your soul. We have something really old and special. No! No! Don’t baby me. Don’t sing that! Please don’t! Just promise me that there’s nobody else. Please. Okay, okay. I’m gonna go talk with your mama again.”
As Avery, Taylor speaks these words with a combination of disappointment and dismay. In addition, the actor’s voice is filled with conviction. Watching her and listening to her, you really believe that she is talking to somebody who is alive and next to her. Also, you may wonder whether Avery needs to see a therapist.
Photographer: Scott McIntyre
Fans get a special taste of a drink at the show.
Clearly, Avery is devoted to Elvis and little else. You sense that from the boxes piled high in her bedroom and her careful labeling of everything in her bedroom having to do with “The King.”
But “Conjuring the King” is not a dark, cautionary piece about fandom taken to an extreme. Indeed, if that were the case, the play might have ended tragically. Instead, this awareness-raising play ends with Avery clearly having grown from an obsessive fan into a thoughtful, sensitive person who has found peace. It’s a character arc that requires a performer to seamlessly change, and Taylor proves up to the task.
In fact, the entire team at Juggerknot deserves kudos, including producers Tanya Bravo and Natasha Bravo. Their solid work keeps the company a driving force in the South Florida theater community.
The world premiere production of Juggerknot Theatre Company’s “Conjuring the King” continues through April 28. Showtimes are 7 p.m. and 9:20 p.m. Wednesday-Thursday and Sunday, as well as 7:30 p.m. and 9:45 p.m. Friday-Saturday. Tickets are $81 (includes fee), $112.50 VIP (includes fee, one drink and Elvis swag.) For more information, call (786) 757-1986 or go to www.juggerknottheatrecompany.com.
