[category]
[title]
For a few weeks this April, the more adventurous theatergoers amongst us have the opportunity to travel back in time to a lavish 1950s cocktail party where the drinks are flowing, the wit is vicious and everyone might be a literal monster. (The period setting is what separates it from the usual WeHo night out.) That’s the premise of Monster Party, a new immersive theater experience from Los Angeles creator Matt Dorado, who’s built a cult following with his theatrical nightlife spectacles.
RECOMMENDED: All of L.A.’s outdoor movies in one calendar
Running April 16–25 at Rita House, the 2.5-hour production drops audiences into the home of a mysterious socialite known as the Baroness. Guests are free to roam the space, interact with a cast of eccentric characters and piece together a sprawling, gruesome narrative that blends supernatural horror with pointed political allegory.
Unlike traditional theater, Monster Party thrives on participation. You can chat up party guests, eavesdrop on whispered conspiracies or simply sip a cocktail while chaos unfolds around you. The show is designed to meet audiences wherever they fall on the introvert–extrovert spectrum—dive headfirst into the drama or hang back and observe as the story reveals itself.
Dorado is no stranger to this kind of experiential storytelling. His long-running Drunken Devil series helped define L.A.’s immersive nightlife scene, while his To Live and Di(n)e in L.A. was a sold-out, true-crime-inspired dining experience.
With Monster Party, Dorado leans even further into narrative ambition. Set in Washington, D.C., during the Lavender Scare of the early 1950s, when queer government workers were outed and fired for their sexuality, the show uses a campy, grotesque lens to explore how systems of power turn people into monsters. Beneath the absurdist humor and theatrical excess lies a pointed fable about fear, conformity and the cost of moral panic.
“Monster Party is very near and dear to my heart. I’ve been working on this fully realized version since the day after we wrapped the proof-of-concept back in October 2024. It’s been incredibly rewarding to develop, fundraise for, and ultimately get to produce a show that is so authentic to my deranged inner-creative," Dorado said in a statement. "Unfortunately, the show’s themes have become strikingly more relevant since then, as we’re mired in a new era of violent political upheaval, unfounded moral panic, and deep division. So although it’s rooted in schlocky melodrama, I’m hopeful that Monster Party will challenge audiences—perhaps in new and unexpected ways—while also allowing them an evening of gonzo entertainment. I’m genuinely thrilled to unleash this lurid, campy immersive piece into the world!”
Dasha Kittredge stars as the Baroness, joined by Sidney Franklin as Charlie, Benjamin Berg as Bernard, Bukola Ogunmola as Patricia, Emily Yetter as Loretta, Misha Reeves as Helena, the Butler, and Darren Herczeg as Stanley, the Maid.
Performances are capped at just 50 guests per night. Tickets run $150 and include drinks throughout the evening; the show is strictly 21+.
For more information and to buy tickets, click here.