“They’re a witch!” is hurled in an accusation so volatile that Vanderpump Rules is nearly dethroned from their #1 position on my personal list of 2023 Tea-Inducing Drama. The townsfolk of Windsor Grove are quick to accuse once loyalties are uncovered in the Last Call Theatre’s newest production, THE HARVEST, making for a fun-filled night of love, angst, and a touch of magic.
Last Call Theatre is making quite the name for themselves and rightfully so. Their last production, The Collective, won the LA Theatre Bites Best Immersive Show Award and Encore Producers’ Award at the 2023 Hollywood Fringe Festival. THE HARVEST is Last Call Theatre’s fifth production and my favorite of their productions thus far!
THE HARVEST follows the story of a town who has opened up their gates to visitors to celebrate the centennial of the banishment of magic from their town. I was extremely impressed by the world-building skills presented in this production. I received an email a day before my showtime that contained show details and a note that set the stage nicely for what to expect. I really liked how Last Call Theatre provides options for different levels of participation based upon the comfort of each participant. This is a nice touch that makes immersive theater a little less daunting for those newer to it.
THE HARVEST truly excelled in immersion to the point where an event space I am quite familiar with became a different world entirely of its own. One of my favorite parts of the show were the costumes, as they added a level of depth to the world of Windsor Grove. The costume designer, Kale Hinthorn, did a marvelous job, and I was in awe of all of the pieces.
From start to finish, THE HARVEST flowed quite well and had a good balance of group and individual scenes. In a true, choose-your-own adventure format, the audience is encouraged to explore within the world while following a character’s storyline. In these types of shows, I tend to opt for playing multiple sides. However, with this show, I decided to stick with a single character and quickly became emotionally invested in their storyline. I ended up following the town apothecary, Abigail (played by Rena Bobbs), and had a fun time! Bobbs was incredibly receptive to what I threw their way and was quick to get me emotionally invested in their story. Due to this emotional investment, I felt truly immersed in the drama that would find me blinking back a tear or two.
Overall, I enjoyed my time in Windsor Grove. I had a really cool moment with a quest involving candles, to say the least, that was extremely innovative and was easily one of my favorite parts of the show. With multiple different endings, THE HARVEST is extremely replayable. With a variety of characters, each adventure will be a different experience. I highly recommend checking out THE HARVEST before it disappears.
