Today we’d like to introduce you to Erynn Dalton.
Erynn, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
From the time I was a child, I was drawn to horror- I was consuming Peter Benchley’s “Jaws” and Stephen King books as early as seven years old. Reading horror led to watching horror movies, and as a child of the 80s, all of the classic slasher films were on the menu- Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th, Halloween, as well as Poltergeist and Evil Dead. At the same time, I was very interested in performance art and became an actress in my adult years, which evolved into a love for directing, writing and producing, as well.
The horror genre has absolutely influenced my creative choices, as I now own/operate a horror theater in Wilton Manors, Florida called Infinite Abyss Productions. There, we produce live horror shows/events- some are dark published works like “The Collector,” “Repo! The Genetic Opera” or “Extremities,” while others are Infinite Abyss originals, like “Ghosts of the Grand Guignol,” “50 Shades of Poe,” and “Exorcism.”
This Spring, we will be broadening our horizons and make our first feature film (title TBA) which I will be directing. The goal is to always be pushing myself and the Infinite Abyss team creatively, and this is certainly a big step!
We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
I consider Infinite Abyss the modern Grand Guignol, which was a hugely successful horror theater that existed in Paris in the late 1800’s/early 1900s that produced gory, visceral horror plays for sell-out audiences. I serve as artistic director for Infinite Abyss, and I also direct the shows, as well as act in and write some of them. We specialize in immersive theater, which is an interactive type of theater that pulls the audience into the story and makes them part of the action. This type of theater is done frequently in major theater locales like New York and London, but we see very little of it here in South Florida, so I’m very proud to be able to expose audiences to this type of theater and so happy that the audiences have embraced it! Our most recent immersive show just wrapped and was called “Theatre of Terror”- a Hammer Horror-style show that moved audiences around our venue into different rooms and made them active participants in the lead character’s murder/revenge storyline. It was perfect for the Halloween season!
I feel it is important to point out that I believe audiences have higher expectations of the art they see today- especially live performance art. While older theatergoers are happy to attend live theater on a regular basis, the younger audience is more finicky and is not only looking for a show but also to have an experience. Immersive theater is very attractive to the younger viewer for this reason- from the moment an audience member walks through the door at an immersive Infinite Abyss show, they are drawn into the action. This type of theater really resonates at all ages, but feel it has a special resonance for the younger demographic that theaters often covet.
Artists face many challenges, but what do you feel is the most pressing among them?
There are always going to be financial constraints- the trick is for the artist to be creative and give the audience something special, no matter the budget. While we may have a smaller budget than most theater companies, I feel the talent level, and innovation that our team brings to the table rises above the financial constraints, and I’m incredibly proud of that.
Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
Infinite Abyss is the resident theater company at Wilton Theater Factory in Wilton Manors (I also operate this venue and Island City Stage is a co-resident with us at that location). We have two stages- the Main Stage and the Foundry- both are extremely intimate black box-type spaces, one with 68 fixed seats (Main Stage) and the other with flex seating that allows us to create immersive experiences. We produce shows most of the year at this venue and also partner with other groups and perform for/with them (this past summer we performed the opening number at the Popcorn Frights Film Festival in Fort Lauderdale at Savor Cinema). To see our season schedule, our website is www.infinite-abyss.org.
Contact Info:
- Address: Infinite Abyss Productions
Wilton Theater Factory
2304 N. Dixie Highway
Wilton Manors FL 33304 - Website: www.infinite-abyss.org
- Phone: 9544898440
- Email: erynn@infinite-abyss.org
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/infiniteabyssproductions
Image Credit:
Photography by Fernando Barron II and Chris Bare
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