ASU presented its annual Emerge event this past March 17 and 18 as a visit to Luna City 2175.

This was an immersive theater event.  In other words, you, the audience, become part of the experience.  As you enter the theater, you are given a visitor tag, and invited to enter the lobby.  There your experience began.  Members of the Luna City community meet you and invite you to visit many of the displays available, Hyper Loop museum, Art, the Starlight Lounge is upstairs, and a tour of the neighborhood is not to be missed!

My involvement was a happy accident attributed to an errant email sent to the local chapter of the National Space Society.  I was copied on the distribution from the receiver of the original message announcing the Emerge: Luna City event.  Immediately, I was excited about the possibility of sharing EarthSeed’s mission thinking this was some small exhibition.  Imagine my surprise when I found it was a theater event!!

The team had already spent over 9 months preparing, but I sent an inquiry, and after a brief exchange, was invited to participate.  I discovered that this was a theater event, with young actors, director, etc. presenting a “day in the life” of Luna City 2175.  Ok, I could do this.  Maybe.

There were two sections, the lobby, and the neighborhood.  In the neighborhood, cast and scenes were loosely scripted, representing life in the facility dealing with day to day challenges from managing food production, or handling conflicts.  The lobby area, was more about meeting and greeting the visitors, you, the audience, and drawing you into the story, making you feel as if you were really on the moon in 2175.  I was part of the lobby cast, roaming about the lobby, between the displays, addressing questions, and introducing these visitors to the wonders of the moon.

I played Duckie, Chief of Maintenance for Luna City.  Born on the moon during a difficult landing, mom died in childbirth, and I was adopted by the lrish-born maintenance chief of the day, and his family.  Ever ready to tackle any maintenance task, and handle tasks assigned by Auntie Luna, Duckie always took time to visit with incoming visitors at least once a day.  I can dredge up a passable irish accent, and a few quick tales can intrigue many who cross the path of the Maintenance Chief.

I have done a small amount of theater over the years, the occasional play in high-school, road-shows through church in my youth, and I remember the grueling preparations, and rehearsals necessary to prepare.  This was nothing like those.  First it’s immersive.

But what does that mean?  It means the cast does it’s best to not only present you the story, but to involve you in that story – by asking questions of Earth, and inviting questions about our city.  Most of the time, the audience members kinda get into it, embellishing their answers, and asking more questions.  Our primary task in the lobby was to steer the guests to the displays, and particularly towards the concierge where they could schedule their tour into the neighborhood.

There were a host of people from many different areas science, technical, people studies (psyc/soc) as well as theater/drama.  Friendly, interested, filled with their youthful excitement about the experience.

For myself, this was a very different, intriguing theater experience.  The rehearsals were more about learning to be comfortable approaching strangers, understanding body language, and practicing listening.  These are skills I struggle with, given my passion for the settlement of space.  Inside, I am terrified, every time I must approach someone new, and will often hang back, waiting for an opening in the conversation and then, passionately diving in to overwhelm the conversation with my own interests.  OOOOpps.

This experience has driven home the need for patience, and really listening to others as a means to share my message.  Hmmm.  Now that reads funny …. listening to share … But, from what I saw at the Emerge: Luna City, it is key.

I am older, and now much wiser, about sharing my passion with those I will meet in the future.  If you missed the Emerge, you missed a good one, if you made it — we were blessed by your attendance, and the things you shared with us.  Thank you.

For more information about this event, see ASU Emerge 2018.