Today we’d like to introduce you to Brian Harden.
Hi Brian, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’ve been a theater nerd since I can remember. I got VHS tapes of “Meet Me in St. Louis” and “Oklahoma!” and watched them on repeat through my childhood. I went off to college in Illinois in a desperate attempt to escape the Dallas suburbs that raised me and pursued a degree in Musical Theater. After graduation I moved to New York City, hoping like so many to see my dreams unfold on the Great White Way. Unfortunately, the recession of 2008 hit right as I got there, and it was just so overwhelming, so I devoted the next few years to working in restaurants and celebrating my 20s. It was a debaucherous and amazing time, but when I was facing 30, I got stuck in a blizzard that stranded me alone in my tiny apartment with nothing but “Friday Night Lights” to keep me company. I knew it was time to go back to Texas.
Since moving to Dallas seven years ago, I’ve sought to create theater that crosses from immersive to experiential. I want the audience to be more than spectator, as then they could just go see a movie or something. The beauty of live performance is that there is a human element that yearns for connection. I knew I needed to create a niche for myself. I went on to create my own version of Lotería (Mexican bingo) and hosted games every Tuesday for four years at Taco y Vino- which ended up being over 200 performances and thousands of games. I also wrote and produced ten Murder Mystery Dinner Parties set in different time periods and locations that allow the guests to be a true part of the story as each has the possibility of being the murderer. Music has always been my first passion, and I’m in a band called Bishop Rising that performs all over Dallas- but particularly at “Random Acts of Talent” at House of DIRT which is a monthly variety show I helped create and host.
Currently, I am producing and performing as the Emcee in CABARET at Arts Mission Oak Cliff (running January 11-21, 2023). We originally ran the show in August but do to the devastating flooding that affected so many in Dallas and beyond, we had to cancel the final week of the show. It was devastating, but we were able to bring it back quite quickly. This is where my current focus lies, but who knows what will happen after January?
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has been quite the winding road. Lotería was my first hurdle as the original game is over a hundred years old and has some racist undertones. I wasn’t comfortable playing the original game, so I created my own. By the time I finished, I had created 8 different versions of the game from a French one to a Star Wars for May the Fourth, to variations on my own. Building up an audience that wants to focus on the food and friends in front of them over the sounds of some loud man trying to get them play some game they had never heard of was one of the key challenges. But it taught me about how to direct my energies to those that want it and to find acceptance in the fact that not everyone wants what I have to offer. It also very quickly got me over any kind of qualms I had hosting and speaking for long periods in front of people.
Everything changed with the pandemic. When lockdown hit, I had just finished my 7th murder mystery- “Death by Disco”- and was ramping up to starting my production company, The Lost Boy Presents. It threw all my plans out the window, as it did with so many, especially since the one thing I wanted to do (entertain people live) was impossible. I pivoted and began a brief foray into floristry, but as soon as I was able, I was back on that stage again. “Random Acts of Talent” was the first thing I was a part of creating after we were able to open up. It’s a monthly variety show on a theme, and it has been amazing building a performance community with other artists in Oak Cliff.
It was from “Random Acts” that we got the idea to do CABARET. Avery-Jai Andrews and I had known each other from zoom pilates during the lockdown, but this was very different. In a joint production between Arts Mission Oak Cliff x The Lost Boy Presents, we were able to mount an amazing production of CABARET that dug into deeper themes of the story that included the struggles of people of color in Germany at that time and the deeper queer themes that frequently get glossed over when retelling the story. When we had to cancel, it was truly heartbreaking- but we were able to find strength in our tragedy. When it was announced that we were remounting, we had an amazing response from our community. Through them and the amazing cast and creative team, we get to finish the story we set out to tell.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
The thing I love about theater is that it can be a space where everyone involved- from spectator to performer- have the opportunity to lose themselves in something that takes them out of their everyday life. I like to be a part of work that is fully experiential- from the drinks you have to the ambiance, to the interaction with the performers- I want it to all serve the story we are trying to portray. In my Murder Mystery Parties, I write an original character for each guest, which includes background and clue information to push the story along, and each of these characters could be the murderer- not even I know beforehand who it will be. Once everyone has arrived, I draw a character name and the whole night is geared towards that conclusion. It is absolutely amazing to watch people that aren’t trained actors play into these characters. It turns into an entire evening of improv, and people get so into it! The costumes they come up with, the confessions they have written in case they are the murderer, the interactions they have with the other guests- it’s unbelievable. I’ve had some of the same people come to everyone- and I’ve formed some of my greatest relationships from them. It’s so fun to see how these regulars play the game: some want to always be a different character (the archetypes/names are often the same, though the circumstances and situations are always different); some want to be the same each time.
The thing I’m probably most known for is Lotería at Taco y Vino. You could hear my voice ringing out throughout Bishop Arts every Tuesday. It became a staple in our community, and it was really hard to walk away. It was just one of those times when I knew I needed to change things up or it could lose the joy and light that it still maintains in my memory. Plus, I couldn’t handle having a such a massive hangover every single Wednesday!
All of this is to serve my love of being on the stage. If I could sing and perform most every day for the foreseeable future, I would live a happy life. My band, Bishop Rising, keeps evolving and growing, and one of our main goals in the next year is to write a rock opera. (At least it’s one of my goals, and I’m working really hard to get them on board!) It’s such an amazing experience to grow as artists with the same people and see how that evolution is truly helping each of us to find a fulfillment of our various dreams. I’ve even convinced them to join me in CABARET in various capacities, even though neither are massive fans of musical theater. Luckily, they are in it to serve the art as well and are fantastic storytellers with their instruments and sound engineering skills. It truly is a blessing having such a support system with people that give me a safe space on stage to lose all thoughts and give in to the song.
The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
Doing live events has changed so much since Covid-19 affected our world. There is an undercurrent of uncertainty that accompanies every moment in which an audience is present. There is a need for more spontaneity in every experience as you never know exactly how the journey is going to play out. You try to be as prepared as you can be, but there is always something that seems to slip under the cracks and causes havoc. It can be thrilling as well as terrifying. It has made everyone more conscious of their health- both mentally and physically- and in doing so, it allows a deeper understanding of the work. By having that time in lockdown to be forced to step away, it created a yearning to return to that stage, to be back in the space that grounds me and gives me light.
Pricing:
- CABARET Tables (seats up to 4)- $175
- CABARET Couples Table (2 people)- $75
- CABARET General Admission- $25
- CABARET Table + Donation- $250
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/thelostboypresents
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lalalalostboy/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lalalalostboy
Image Credits
Evan Michael Woods
