I wasn't sure what to expect, but I obediently watched the video on their website and downloaded the file. I hadn't expected an elaborate narrative. Turns out, I was joining "The Heist" -- an attempt to "steal" a painting from a local art gallery. I had to choose one of four track to download, and I picked to one recommended for first time AVA-ers.
First thing, arriving at the group meeting place, I decided choosing that track was a mistake. Everyone else had gone with a different one -- the same different one, as suggested in a Facebook message that hadn't made it to me. Which meant I was taking my adventure... alone. In the realm of Awesome Little Things God Does For Me, a friend whom I do not see often enough had the same track and was standing alone in the crowd. And like that, I had a friend for the adventure!
When I pressed play, I heard a voice telling me to meet at the Wren Courtyard in 5 minutes. Each track took adventurers to a different location. Music coursed through the headphones as I made my way to Wren. A crowd had gathered at the foot of the building, and a guy whom I recognized from the intro video stood waiting. I hadn't expected there to be actors involved. The music faded and he began to "speak" -- mouth words and gesticulate, without making a sound, to line up with our recording. Every now and then he would give a command, and we saw how every track was off just a tad bit from the others.
After "training" for the Heist, we met up with the other groups. From then on out, we all had the same soundtrack, but commands often went out to one specific group. In addition to the five characters from the video, actors assumed the role of museum curator and guards at various points throughout the night. Our role got more and more ridiculous as the night went on. Picture two hundred people crouching on a street corner at night meowing like cats to keep a "guard" from noticing them. Or standing the pouring rain, learning how to "mime." And every time we were in transit, several hundred people danced to the same music inside their heads.
The sociologist in me went crazy. I wanted to talk to people there, to figure out if they thought of themselves as alone or together. Were they having an adventure with hundreds of people, a few friends, or by themselves? How did someone's experience change depending upon the people around them? Had the adventure been a bonding experience? Did people listening to different tracks have the same bonding experience? Each group had a small secret -- how did that effect the adventure?
The rest of me just enjoyed the ride. And wished I had hopped on this bandwagon sooner, so that this would not be my only AVAdventure.
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