Photo: Gregory J. Fields.
Cinematic Theatre: Exodus Ensemble
S
anta Fe’s most immersive theatre experience begins with a text message that includes a suggestion to wear sensible shoes and clothes appropriate to the weather. From the start, it’s clear that this won’t be a standard theatre outing. I follow the driving directions in the text down the driveway of a Santa Fe East Side property to enter the world of the Exodus Ensemble. A lively guide,
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already in character, meets me outside the house, already setting the stage for the ensemble’s adaptation of Anton Chekhov’s Ivanov. I and a dozen other attendees mingle on the portal until we’re invited inside—into this troupe’s performance space, in which they craft singular theatrical experiences several times a week. Over the next three-and-a-half hours, Exodus leads us on a collective journey.
We traipse throughout the property as the plot unfolds. Scenes skip from bedroom to living room, from garage to bathroom, as we follow the story of two siblings grieving their dead parents, and their friend Ivanov’s tumultuous relationship with his ailing wife. At times we audience members are flies on the wall. At others we’re participants, even co-conspirators. We hear confessions and witness intimate
