New Paradise Laboratories' Online Engagement in Mashable and More

In early 2012 New Paradise Laboratories generated media buzz for the online components of Center-funded productions Fatebook and Extremely Public Displays of Privacy.

In an article for Mashable Joann Pan wrote: "A small Philadelphia-based company called New Paradise Laboratories is re-creating theater for the connected generation. It's incorporating social networks like Facebook, Skype and Chatroulette into the production and presentation of shows, pulling theater into the virtual space. This innovative experience takes audiences through a rabbit hole on a visually stimulating online adventure. Stories evolve on social networks with multimedia components from YouTube and Sound Cloud. It can be hard to decipher what's real and what's fiction." Read more >

Jim McCarthy of Live 2.0 reported: "New Paradise Laboratories in Philadelphia have created a form of theatre that crosses a lot of lines. The best way that I can describe my own experience of it is that you first come to know the characters in the show via material that's posted on a website, literally going so far as to 'friend' them on Facebook if you want. There's a loose narrative arc that you discover through the tumblr pages, short videos, and other online materials. On the other hand, you have a lot of latitude as a 'viewer' to see more or less of it and discover more or less about the characters. And of course, you could interact with the characters through Facebook, etc., too if you wanted. I have to hand it to the New Paradise Laboratories folks...it's pretty deep. It even gets hard to say where the 'pretend' stuff ends sometimes." Read more >

In April 2012, New Paradise Laboratories opened its laboratory doors for Philly Tech Week. Using excerpts from the works mentioned in the above articles as case studies, artistic director Whit MacLaughlin and dramaturg/playwright Larry Loebell explained their work and proposed a possible future for the delivery of theater. Read more >