Odd Man Out: Broadway’s Most Sustainable Show Brought to You by One Green Planet and PITCHBLACK

PITCHBLACK Immersive Experiences, in association with Radio Drama Network, and One Green Planet have begun a partnership to promote practices in sustainability for theatrical productions. PITCHBLACK’s show Odd Man Out is set to launch its upgraded production as the company’s debut off-Broadway.

The show uses 6 actors and a technical team of 4 to create a vivid experience to stimulate all the senses except sight. Odd Man Out brings audiences on an exciting journey as they “travel” from New York to Buenos Aires in a 360-degree sensory experience. Following two previous highly acclaimed productions, this new version will begin from the moment “passengers” enter the building right up to the moment they arrive in the Argentinean capital.

Source: PITCHBLACK IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCES/YouTube

ODD MAN OUT does not use any sets, costumes, or lights in its productions. The show happens in complete darkness. Since its beginnings in the US, the play has been able to pack all of its props and set pieces into two suitcases and has reused all of its materials. Production prioritizes recycling and reusing, as well as sustainable transportation practices. PITCHBLACK also directly engages the blind and low-vision communities as part of the artists and creative team, as well as the vast Latine and immigrant communities of the city.

Premiering at the Sheen Center for Thought & Culture’s Shiner Theatre, Odd Man Out begins performances on Friday, June 28, for a limited engagement set to run through Sunday, July 21, with an official opening night set for Tuesday, July 2. Tickets start at $10, with first-class tickets including a drink in the lounge, priority boarding, a drink, and food item when you arrive in Buenos Aires, and other special treats. Spanish-language performances will also be available. For tickets and information, visit: OddManOutNYC.com.

“With PITCHBLACK Immersive Experiences, darkness allows us to perceive the world in a new way, and we extend that perception into how we create,” explains Carlos Armesto, CEO/Producer. “Odd Man Out was created with and performed by members of the blind and low-vision community; and because we do not create elaborate sets, costumes, or lighting effects, we can execute highly sustainable practices, and are endorsed by One Green Planet, the leading source for sustainable living.”

“Not only is the show beautiful and moving,” says Preeta Sinha, CEO of One Green Planet, “but PITCHBLACK’s use of minuscule lighting brings down energy bills significantly.  They also don’t use complicated sets or elaborate costumes for these shows.  They make powerful theater with a high focus on sustainability.”

Through a LIVE immersive sensorial experience designed to ignite the senses and the imagination, Odd Man Out tells the story of Alberto, a blind musician flying home from New York to Buenos Aires, Argentina, after decades of self-exile. Guests arrive via the airport lounge and gate as they prepare for their journey and are then guided to their seats in a pitch-black cabin. As the flight progresses, Alberto tells his life stories to his seatmates, while they imagine his journey as he perceives it: in complete darkness. They experience his life as a young man in 1960s Argentina and then in New York City. By engaging the ears, nose, skin, and palate, travelers are absorbed into a story of love, prejudice, and fears that were left behind. Upon arrival and disembarkation in Buenos Aires, passengers will have the opportunity to take in the beauty, life, and hope of their destination alongside fellow passengers – stay, commune, and enjoy local foods and drinks provided by Criollas and available for purchase.

The production began at Teatro Ciego in Argentina in October 2019 as a fully live, immersive theatrical production. Teatro Ciego has a 15-year history of creating live experiences in complete darkness. In the U.S., Odd Man Out was presented in a semi-live format at The Flea during Winter 2021/2022; before returning to a fully staged live production at the Bristol Riverside Theatre in December 2022 and at HERE Arts Center in January 2024.

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