tales of storyville

By the time 2018 rolled around, I had a pretty good idea of where this nightlife series was going. Each event introduced a new character within the ‘Drunken Devil Universe,’ and I knew for our annual Mardi Gras party, I needed to go bigger than the previous year’s axeman adventure. I wrote Tales of Storyville, a sequel (prequel?) to our incredibly popular Bloody Gras event.

Guests arrived at a nondescript warehouse and entered a brothel in Storyville (New Orleans’ red light district) circa 1917, where they were introduced to Madame Marie Harlow and her associates. The twist? The courtesans were vampires, and the guests were their prey! The immersive narrative allowed guests to fight against them, with the help of two bumbling vampire hunters, or be “turned” by them (can you guess what 99% of our guests chose?)

As guests maneuvered through the space, they imbibed on themed cocktails and beer, and enjoyed flaming absinthe shots; mixed and mingled with haunting roaming marionettes; and enjoyed burlesque paired to live music from the Dave Cavalier Band. After the show, the lights dimmed, and guests let loose to dark disco sets.

Partners: Our/Los Angeles Vodka, Lucid Absinthe, Peroni

Entertainment: Dave Cavalier Trio (band); Jessebelle Thunder; Olivia Bellafontaine, Donna Hood (burlesque); Rasputin’s Marionettes (entertainment); DJs Chris Bowen and Dirty Dave (beats)

Role: Writer, Director, Executive Producer