'The Speakeasy' is theater complete with gin joint

Roaring Twenties Prohibition is back in Nick A. Olivero's immersive theater project at a secret location. Roaring Twenties Prohibition is back in Nick A. Olivero's immersive theater project at a secret location. Photo: Peter Liu Photo: Peter Liu Image 1 of / 3 Caption Close 'The Speakeasy' is theater complete with gin joint 1 / 3 Back to Gallery

Nick A. Olivero has been spending a lot of time at an undisclosed location dealing with showgirls, craps dealers and illicit hooch peddlers. You might say he's the proprietor of a speakeasy circa 1923 where you have to know the right people even to find the joint; and once you get there, you need the right password to gain entrance.

Olivero, the co-founder and artistic director of Boxcar Theatre, is realizing a long-held dream as he prepares to open "The Speakeasy," his latest immersive theater experience. The secret location and the password are all part of the time-traveling experience, and once you're inside, there's a full casino with blackjack, roulette and craps as well as a bar serving Prohibition-era cocktails and a full-size cabaret stage with singers, dancers and a live band.

"The Speakeasy" is also a piece of theater with a cast of 32 performing a script conceived by Olivero and written by a team of half a dozen playwrights. This is a massive undertaking, one that excites Olivero, as he explained in a recent phone call.

Q: Why do you think there's been a resurgence of immersive theater around the country?

A: It's about technology. The last 10 or 15 years have seen an explosion in the way we communicate, but it's not necessarily for the better because there's a deeper disconnect between human beings. We need to find other outlets to connect with each other and engage all of our senses. We tend to get desensitized and want to be part of a spectacle, part of a fantasy.

Q: With "The Speakeasy," what's your fascination with the 1920s?

A: I'm not as fascinated by the 1920s as I am with illegal behavior. I'm joking a little, but in thinking about Prohibition, it was an era famous for needing passwords to get VIP treatment, where people are treated differently because they have access others don't. It also involves the theme of secrets. Everyone is hiding something. The whole notion of a speakeasy is that it's a secret event, and it's full of characters having affairs, gambling, dealing with liquor and drugs.

Q: How does "The Speakeasy" work as a show? Are audience members free to go where they like during the three-plus hours they're there?

A: For the first 45 minutes or so, it's pretty controlled. That's the first act of a three-act show, and it sort of brings the audience into the world and gives them clues about how they can interact with it. Non-theater people tend to get the concept better than traditional theater people, who say things like, "Wait a minute, how do I see everything?" And I say, "You don't. It's life. You don't get to see everything."

If you go

The Speakeasy: 8 p.m. Thursday (Jan. 9)-Saturday. Through March 15. $60-$70. Address revealed after ticket purchase. www.thespeakeasysf.com or www.boxcartheatre.org.