Shadden Hashem at the bottom of the winding stairs at Sons of Hermann Hall in Bombshell Dance Project’s immersive dance-theater production “West.”
Mae Haines
As one of the last wood-frame commercial buildings in central Dallas, Sons of Hermann Hall turned out to be “the perfect place, such a historic site” for Bombshell Dance Project’s latest immersive show, says the group’s Emily Bernet. The show’s a Western set just a couple of decades before the fraternal lodge opened at the eastern edge of Deep Ellum in 1911.
The audience at West will track 10 performers from the upstairs ballroom, downstairs to its former bowling alley, down the hall to the bar, and back. In the typical style of Bombshell’s immersive productions, audience members might not catch all of the overlapping scenes as they play out in a simultaneous if staggered rhythm across the three locations.
Article continues below this ad
“If you’re following one character, you’ll probably move around quite a bit,” explains Taylor Rodman, who co-founded Bombshell with Bernet nine years ago. “But if someone interrupts the scene, our hope is that it will encourage you to stick around and see who comes in the door next and who leaves. Maybe you follow them, maybe you don’t.”
They got the idea for West a while back but hadn’t found the right venue until they happened upon Sons. Bernet remembers taking a swing dance class there while she was getting her degree at Southern Methodist University. She thinks she had seen her musician-grandfather perform at Sons as well. The saloon-dance hall feel of the place, now known primarily for hosting concerts, was ideal.
From left, Gabriel Scampini, Brayl’n Crutchfield and Shadden Hashem in the upstairs ballroom at Sons of Hermann Hall.
Mae Haines
Bernet and Rodman were inspired by The Oregon Trail, whose choose-your-adventure format uses a similar tack. The primitive 1970s computer game was developed to teach eighth graders about pioneer life. New versions continued to be released into the 2020s.
Article continues below this ad
Make Dallas News a preferred source so your search results prioritize writing by actual people, not AI.
Add Preferred Source
“You can still play it online, but it’s super dinky, really pixelated,” Taylor says. “In the beginning, you’re given a character and a couple of dollars and you try to survive the Oregon Trail. You will most definitely die.”
Bernet’s interest was also sparked by the Aaron Copland-Martha Graham ballet Appalachian Spring in which she starred at SMU. It’s about the hopes and frontier spirit of a newlywed pioneer couple in early 19th century rural Pennsylvania.
The setting of West is an unnamed Texas town in 1890, the main plot about an engagement and the wedding that follows. There’s a twist at the ceremony and a secondary storyline about a woman who’s in danger of losing her land.
Article continues below this ad
Gabriel Scampini and Brayl’n Crutchfield in the upstairs ballroom at Sons of Hermann Hall.
Mae Haines
One of the themes of Westerns that attracted Bernet and Rodman was the idea of good guys and bad guys and how it can be hard to tell the difference. “Part of the work of the audience is to figure that out,” Rodman says. “Anything can happen at any moment — it can either go really good or really bad really fast — and that’s exhilarating.”
Created and choreographed by the co-artistic directors, it features a script by local theater artists Nicole Neely and Mac Welch that includes dialogue for the actor-dancers. “They move and talk throughout the show,” Bernet says.
Live music by Dev Wolf will precede each performance in the bar. Drinks will also be sold during the performances.
Article continues below this ad
The complicated nature of this kind of production means West has required a spreadsheet to help the producers keep track of the action. Who does what where and when won’t be finalized until they get into the space two days before the first performance.
It’s a high-wire act that Bernet and Rodman have grown accustomed to.
Friends since meeting at Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, they were reunited after college when Rodman joined Dark Circles Contemporary Dance, where Bernet was already a company member. They launched Bombshell a year later.
After a couple of straightforward dance performances, they settled on an immersive approach, starting with The Great 30, a dance party/tour of the Dallas Arts District. It was followed by In the Conservatory with the Knife, which sent patrons up and down the elevators and through the many rooms of the Wyly Theatre trying to solve a Clue-inspired murder.
Article continues below this ad
“Emily and I wanted to make work that our dads wouldn’t fall asleep in, something that would force them to be on their feet and engage with dance,” Rodman says. “For the performers, there’s an energy with being an arm’s distance away from an audience member. You can feel when someone loses interest, which has changed how we think about choreographing.”
By signing up, you agree to our Terms Of Use and acknowledge that your information will be used as described in our Privacy Policy.
“We’ve found that people who aren’t comfortable with dance shows get excited about this immersive concept,” Bernet adds.
Details
April 24-25 at 8 p.m. at 3414 Elm St. Music in the bar at 7 p.m. $38. VIP ticket, including early entry and an exclusive scene, $54. bombshelldanceproject.com.
Article continues below this ad
Brayl’n Crutchfield is in the hallway downstairs at Sons of Hermann Hall.
Mae Haines