The Queen's Fools Theatre Company has announced that performers Peter Winkelmann and Anja Racić will lead their new immersive production HAG, which opens October 9th, 2025 in Los Angeles. The entire run sold out in twelve hours, demonstrating significant audience interest in experimental theater formats. HAG represents a departure from traditional theater productions, described as an immersive, experimental, audience-driven experience that evolves nightly based on participant engagement. The production blends improvisation, research, and unconventional rehearsal processes that challenge traditional theatrical approaches.
Winkelmann and Racić serve as both performers and co-conspirators in the production, having workshopped the piece through live audience test runs and helped shape the production from its development stages. Their involvement extends beyond performance to engaging with the Los Angeles immersive theater scene and helping define the production's unique characteristics. The Queen's Fools Theatre Company has established itself through previous immersive productions that have gained recognition within the experimental theater community. The company has been featured in publications including No Proscenium and Last Call Theatre, with their work described as unlike any other theater experience.
Mason Conrad, CEO of Queen's Fools Theatre Company, emphasized the performers' qualifications for the production's unique demands. Peter and Anja bring the exact combination of consistency, experience, and fearless creativity that HAG needs to thrive. Every night will be a living, breathing, unrepeatable piece of theatre. The rapid sell-out of HAG's entire run suggests growing audience appetite for non-traditional, participatory theater experiences that prioritize unpredictability and audience interaction over scripted narratives. This production continues Queen's Fools' mission of creating immersive and experimental performance that incorporates improvisation, collaboration, and audience immersion.
The company's approach to theater-making emphasizes creating experiences that are alive, unconventional, and never identical between performances, reflecting broader trends in contemporary performance art that challenge conventional boundaries between performers and audience members. The immediate sell-out indicates a market shift where audiences are actively seeking performances that offer direct participation and unique, nightly variations, moving beyond passive viewership. This success underscores the viability of experimental formats in mainstream theater markets and may influence future productions by other companies. The involvement of Winkelmann and Racić, who have helped shape the production from its inception, highlights the importance of performer-driven development in creating authentic immersive experiences. The production's model could set a precedent for how theater companies develop and market interactive works, potentially leading to more audience-centric performances across the industry.
