Theatre Bizarre 2014

Photo by Marc Nader

Theatre Bizarre: John Dunivant’s Storytelling Masterpiece

by Anne Schultz

From Halloween house party to decadent masquerade ball, Theatre Bizarre continues to entice and lure curious minds to experience and share in its intertwining and layered story at this year’s Illusionists Ball. Creator and visionary John Dunivant will once again transform the Masonic Temple into a surreptitious world for guests to explore. It’s not just a Halloween bash; it’s an interactive work of art that we get to become a part of and is hands down, one of the most impressive, unique and unforgettable experiences to be had.

On Friday, October 17 from 6:30 p.m. – 2:00 a.m. and Saturday, October 18 from 6:30 p.m. to 4:00 a.m., performers in giant metal wheels, stilt walkers, fire breathers and many more await our arrival where we will hand off our tickets, take a program and walk into the world of beautifully disturbing and wonderfully weird things to things to see and interact with. Not only do the magnificent, grand displays and dioramas feature Dunivant’s artwork and fascinations, but the Masonic Temple itself becomes his canvas. There’s something inviting and captivating about being surrounded by things that are faintly familiar and nostalgic without knowing what’s really going to happen. While there are scheduled performances and continuous things going on throughout the night, who is to say what hundreds to thousands of masked and costumed guests surrounding you are going to do? That’s the best part….it’s a surprise.

This year is only the second year for Theatre Bizarre to host a preview gala night. “The first year at the Masonic was such a crazy experiment. So many things went wrong and people were like what the hell?” What people might not know is that Dunivant and his crew can’t get into the venue to set everything up until two weeks out. This year, some of the rooms are booked so that two week window now gets knocked down to five days. The preview night this year will include an open bar, strolling dinner and valet parking. Guests will also be able to see special performances from past shows, highlights from this year’s show, and exclusive gala night only sets.

On the main night, there are still plenty of new things to seek and explore. Among the new, familiar images from Dunivant’s Expatriate Parade series will be present in forms of enlarged pieces from the series to a diorama surrounded by glass that goes to the ceiling that showcases a taxidermy goat with a Ferris wheel on its back which is a representation of Theatre Bizarre’s journey from the evicted grounds to the Masonic. The dichotomy that is present in the Expatriate series is “good and bad. This is kind of like that too. To see the beauty in that. The color palette was like, well mud. It’s like when you mix all the colors together and get murky brown. It’s the shit you don’t want to paint with. I want to embrace that because it was an allegory of life.” Even though the initial departure from the grounds was a difficult for Dunivant, he along with Theatre Bizarre has made a journey to the other side. And while the whole parade itself was a constant mixture of happy and sad, the transformation and evolution from bizarre carnival to the alluring mystery of secret societies is more about celebration.

One of the special guests this year, for both evenings, is David J of Bahaus and Love and Rockets. “I was a huge fan. So to be able to have one of my heroes here is awesome. Bahaus created Goth. Nobody sounded like them in the 70’s;they were innovators. I love innovators.” David J will be with a full swing orchestra Friday night which is something that will not be at the event on Saturday. “The brass section in this room sounds amazing. To be able to work with a hero and have this swing orchestra and then do “Bela Lugosi’s Dead” in this Cab Calloway jazz-like version is something you’ll only be able to hear right here and nowhere else in the world. It’s like a historic event to me,” said Dunivant.

Despite the event only being two nights, the preparation and work that goes into creating and hosting the greatest masquerade on Earth is an ongoing, year long process. Theatre Bizarre has about 10 main department heads and a staff between 100-150 people the night of the event. How does one go about preparing for something on such a large scale? Meetings start in January and are endless and you get to deal with things like 70+ pages of fire reports, codes, and regulations.

Photo by Marc Nader

Additionally, the costume department is constantly adjusting , preparing, and making new costumes for all of the characters from elevator operators, ushers to the ticket collectors. The department is made up of a group of people headed up by cousin, Dana Macombs. Almost every Wednesday night of the year, there are different groups of people that come and sew. “They don’t just do costumes. They do curtains and anything that is fabric,” states Dunivant. No detail is over looked when it comes to creating the world of Theatre Bizarre. The building’s interior is draped with lavish swags, filled with custom built cabinetry and displays, and even has a perfect amber hue to illuminate the warm, saturated Bosch inspired color palette of the environment.

One of the ongoing challenges is each year Dunivant says is that there’s more pressure, more work to amaze.”At the grounds we could blow stuff up. It’s harder at the Masonic and tougher to work with. It was designed in the 20’s. Smaller doors and entrances, foyers.” However, despite what seemed like a setback has proven to work in Dunivant’s favor. “The architecture is gorgeous and serves as a good base and we can build on that.” From the Initiation, Summoning, and Procession, this year will mark the fourth year for Theatre Bizarre at the Masonic. Many of Dunivant’s curiosities, memories and metaphoric symbols can be found throughout his artwork and Theatre Bizarre itself. When asked if guests are, in a way, experiencing all the things that go on in his head, Dunivant replied, “Yep, pretty much. Even though [Theatre Bizarre] is a party, a lot of it is deeply personal.” Growing up in the Detroit area, Dunivant was an only child and described himself as a “weird” kid who was a punk growing up. What better way to be in a household where there was a strong religious presence with a mother who was a hard core Roman Catholic and a father who was a hard core Southern Baptist? “My parents just didn’t get me. They never talked to me much. I was lost in my own world and going to those things (roadside attractions/tourist traps) helped fuel stuff.”

Dunivant recalled going to some of the last true traveling side shows. “I remember this one…all the side show gaffs, with hoaxes and illusions. I remember looking into this lens and seeing this miniature woman who was in a jar. They did it with a reverse telescope or something like that and to me, I thought it was incredible. I knew I felt like I was being conned even though I didn’t know what that was. But I didn’t care. It was still cool. Seeing those illusions was cool. It is easier to do as a child, to lose yourself in the reality of something and then later you learn it’s just a guy in a mask. I’m trying to maintain that illusion.” The immersive environment has a museum like feel in the sense that everywhere you look, there are elements,details, and secrets that will begin to unveil themselves. “If you’re paying attention enough, you will pick up on little things. You can piece together a larger story. I want it to be so layered that you miss stuff that you want to come back,” said Dunivant.

It is obvious to those who know Dunivant and to anyone who steps foot into his imaginary reality that he has a great love and passion for what he does. Dunivant remembers when “the first five years was still a backyard party. But when it stopped (2005-2007), I realized all the things I loved doing- the set design, the painting, the sculpture, graphic design, all of it – creating this big environment was one of the most satisfying things I’ve ever done.” For the longest time Dunivant said his own father often asked him, “So when are you going to get a real job?” While his parents may not have initially been thrilled with what he was doing, he said over recent years they have turned around. “One year they decided to come out to the party and check it out and they were like, this is incredible!” Not only do they support him, but Dunivant’s mother, like the rest of the crew, can be found living at the Masonic for numerous days beforehand helping and prepping for the event.

Photo by Marc Nader

So when you enter this year’s Illusionists Ball, take the time to let everything sink in. Take in the sights, the scents, and tastes. The imagination, craftsmanship, and thought that goes into Theatre Bizarre is truly amazing. The experience will prove to be both intriguing and entertaining.
Visit http://www.theatrebizarre.com for more information.