Who wouldn’t want the ability to read minds? I’m sure we’d all like to hear what other people are really thinking about and compare it to what they actually say. Or even catch someone in a lie, despite them being sincere to your face. Hell, it might even be cool to walk down the street, and hear the random thoughts of people passing by.

Lucky for me, I have this ability. Which is why I was selected to be a test subject for Shine Labs the other night, and wander around Hollywood to help hone my ability.

At least, that’s the premise of The Truth, an immersive walking tour that is part of the 2016 Hollywood Fringe Festival.

The concept of is pretty great, and had me intrigued since I first heard about it. Written by our own Anna Mavromati, and directed by Marlee Delia, this fantastic detour through the heart of Los Angeles is incredibly original and brilliant in its execution.

You begin your journey by meeting up with other fellow test subjects along Santa Monica Boulevard. When we were all gathered together, the seven of us were led by an incredibly cheery scientist in a lab coat around the corner, where we were met by a Shine Labs technician, played by Stephy Karmei. From there, Karmei explained how the test would work: we were to use special devices (our smart phones) to tune into the thoughts of others while we walked around. We would be listening to a pre-exisiting audio track, set to a certain frequency, in order to help us hear these thoughts.

The idea is simple, and yet, having Karmei as our first real point of contact set the mood for the rest of the evening. She was cheerful, hilarious, and really help sell the idea, no matter how ridiculous she seemed to act. She asked us questions as we walked to meet the man in charge, such as “Is there a numbing sensation in your right foot?” or “Any unexplained pregnancy?” (directed toward Norm, of course), and wrote notes down based on our answers. She really was quite good, and made us all laugh multiple times.

She introduced us to the lead scientist, Dr. Herbert Griffin (played by Skip Pipo), further up the street, and their interplay was fantastic. It was almost like watching a comedy duo, how they bounced off each other, and reacted to the answers we gave, and the unpredictable environment around us. Pipo especially played his part with gusto, taking the experiment very seriously, and helping us to understand our role.

And with that, they set us off on our way, listening to the first track, and tuning into the thoughts of those we passed. “Feel free to stop whenever and where ever to listen,” Dr. Griffin told us. “But don’t let anyone else see your device!”

Of course, there was a cacophony of sound at first, our brains trying to make sense of it all. But it wasn’t long before we came across an arguing couple, and we were turned into their most intimate thoughts. The older man, grey streaks in his hair, asked us to prove to his “girlfriend” that he was right in the location of a theater. A few of us talked to him for a bit, while my fiance Martina was pulled aside by the girlfriend, before we were sent on our way again to listen.

It was here that the story really begins to be explored. In typical Los Angeles fashion, everyone is connected. The thoughts and feelings we experienced, thanks to our special listening devices, weren’t just random things we happened across…it was all connected, making for a beautifully-written story about broken hearts and dreams in Hollywood. But the crux here is that we are not just passive observers in this story; you are encouraged to interact, to talk, to really explore who and what these characters are.

Every character we met, every interaction we had was top notch, with each actor really selling their role. From the self-obsessed Hollywood actor to the lost soul we met at the end, there really wasn’t a weak link in the entire chain. There was also a beautiful sequence in the middle where a woman on the way to her audition asked us to watch her routine, and while doing so, we heard every single thought of self-doubt she had. It was powerful, and well done. It was also a great story point overall that we could hear these characters talking to us, but also hear their inner most thoughts to get the real story behind what they were saying.

The story also took an unexpected, supernatural turn at one point that delighted and surprised me. While The Truth overall wouldn’t be considered horror by any means, there was a section where a scared woman was leading us away from an incredibly creepy spirit shouting who knows what at us in Russian, leading us down twisted and turning streets in order to escape her. It was both frightening and funny at the same time, and the actresses involved totally pulled it off.

Of course, finding out what The Truth actually is, and the stories behind everyone we had encountered, ties it all together nicely. Having heard the thoughts of pretty much everyone we saw over the last hour had me thinking that I actually COULD hear what people were saying. Even when my ear phones were no longer in my ears, and the experience was over, walking back to the car through large crowds of people had me second guessing if what I was hearing were snippets of conversation, or the thoughts of those around me.

My only gripe is that your listening device is dependent entirely on your cell phone reception. There was a point where I wasn’t getting a good signal, and was a few moments behind what everyone else was listening to, but that’s a minor quibble. Cell phone reception is spotty at best sometimes in LA, so if you don’t think your phone will cut it for the hour duration of the show, let the first technician know, and she will gladly give you one of theirs to make sure you don’t miss out.

Overall, The Truth is a fantastic, immersive experience that should not be missed. The entire team came together to create this unique experience, and it was so incredibly well done. Though it was a preview night when I attended, it ran so smoothly that you would have thought they had been doing this for years.

If you want to see the best of the best of the Hollywood Fringe, check out The Truth. You won’t be disappointed.

You can learn more about The Truth, and purchase tickets, on the Hollywood Fringe Festival’s website. You can also find out more about them on the Shine Laboratory Facebook page.

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE: Saturday, June 11th 7:40 pm, 8:00 pm, 8:20 pm, 8:40 pm, 9:00 pm, 9:20 pm Thursday, June 16th 7:40 pm, 8:00 pm, 8:20 pm, 8:40 pm, 9:00 pm, 9:20 pm Friday, June 17th 7:40 pm, 8:00 pm, 8:20 pm, 8:40 pm, 9:00 pm, 9:20 pm Sunday, June 19th 7:40 pm, 8:00 pm, 8:20 pm, 8:40 pm, 9:00 pm, 9:20 pm Wednesday, June 22nd 7:40 pm, 8:00 pm, 8:20 pm, 8:40 pm, 9:00 pm, 9:20 pm Friday, June 24th 7:40 pm, 8:00 pm, 8:20 pm, 8:40 pm, 9:00 pm, 9:20 pm Saturday, June 25th 7:40 pm, 8:00 pm, 8:20 pm, 8:40 pm, 9:00 pm, 9:20 pm

WHERE: Santa Monica Boulevard (audience will meet at The Hudson Lobby Cafe 6541 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90038)

TICKETS: $12