Red Flags – Good Times on a Very, Very Bad Date

I used to think that between English and German, you could find a word for pretty much anything. But when trying to pick one for Capital W’s Red Flags, I realized I was stuck. “Schadenfreude,” the German word for taking joy in someone else’s misery, wasn’t quite right. But it wasn’t exactly masochism either. During the course of my roughly hour-long “date” with Emma (Heather Ann Gottlieb for my show) I felt like I was playing a game with her, and myself, to see what how much cringe I could take. At what point does Emma confess to a deed or belief so awful that I finally just give in, throw aside my Canadian-bred aversion to conflict and cruelty, and tell her that she’s a terrible person? Is there a word for that?   

You’re Very Attractive

Red Flags is a remount of Capital W’s 2017 Hollywood Fringe entry, which snagged the festival’s the Best Overall Immersive Work award. Writer/director Lauren Ludwig and producer/dramaturge Monika Miklas have created a very intimate, very interactive one-on-one immersive show that will make almost any terrible first date you’ve had look great by comparison. Its concept is deceptively simple: it’s just you and Emma, on a date, at Two Bit Circus in downtown Los Angeles. But the devil’s in the details. You’re warned before you even book your ticket that this first date is going to go terribly, and boy howdy does it ever. 

The experience begins a few days before we’re due to meet up with an exchange of dating profile info over email. Even here a couple of Emma’s answers to the “about me” questions trip a couple warning bells that perhaps my upcoming date Has Issues. Of course, that’s literally what I signed up for. So rather than the trepidation I might feel if this were an authentic first date, I appreciate how they’re sowing the seeds early and excited to see just how grizzly this train wreck gets.

 Two Bit Circus is Surprisingly Apropos

Emma arrives late to our date. Par for the course in L.A., though perhaps a tad hypocritical for a character who was so emphatic in our initial correspondence that I be on time and let her know when I arrive. As we head inside Two Bit Circus I glance around at all the various attractions and games and wonder if we’ll be playing any, but she takes me straight to the bar. We grab a drink and head upstairs, grabbing a couple seats and start getting to know one-another.

The date is catastrophically, abysmally bad. Slow-motion train wreck bad. Now please don’t take this to mean it isn’t fun. Safe in the knowledge that this is just a show, and Emma is just a character, I’m free to just roll with it as Emma’s confessions about her background, dating philosophy, and life choices grow more and more troubling. In the back of my mind I’m constantly wondering what she’ll admit to next, and at what point even my WASP training in civility and non-confrontation will be pushed to their breaking point. I debate just saying to hell with it and yes-anding her, seeing just how outrageous Emma’s life story will become if I start pretending I’m just as awful a person as she is. But I stick to playing mostly myself. 

In the end, she tells me about a deed that even I can’t excuse. I finally have to admit that yes, Emma is a terrible person, and she’s going to have to look elsewhere for her soulmate. Things wind down from there, and after an awkward goodbye on the sidewalk Emma darts off while I start processing what just went down.

It’s Just You and Me, Babe

One of the things I’m left wondering on the drive home is how much of the Red Flags is scripted (or at least outlined) versus how much is just freeform with the participant. Either way, Gottlieb stays in character and never misses a beat from start to finish. 

One of the things I particularly respect is, for lack of a better word, the pacing. The red flags for which the show is named come early and often, but the initial warning bells are minor and perhaps even understandable. I’m sympathetic, at least at first, after being given a bit of her backstory. But like a pot slowly being brought to a boil, the things Emma lets slip grow incrementally, steadily worse.

Given the nature of the show, that careful escalation is essential. Starting things off with the participant immediately writing Emma off could work, but it’s more effective to slowly build toward the dealbreakers and give the participant time to build enough of a rapport with Emma to get engaged. Everyone’s line, the point where Emma goes from having some issues to being beyond hope, is going to be different, and whether by luck or by intent mine didn’t come till the very end.

Should You Go?

In this case it’s not quite as simple as a yes or no. Since it is literally just you and Emma having a conversation, it’s only going to work if you’re an active, fully-engaged participant. After all, this is effectively a roleplay session. There are no props, no activities to use to retreat from the conversation (unless you want to be rude and hop on your phone). But if you’re a fan of one-on-one immersive experiences, then Capital W’s Red Flags should definitely be on your list of shows to see.

Red Flags runs through November 26^th, and you can find tickets for specific showtimes here. You can also contact Capital W for more information or subscribe to their mailing list on their website, or follow them on Instagram or Twitter.