The Immersive Art Collective Presents Mitchell Pratt’s Haunting One-Man Journey into the Cosmic Dread of Lovecraftian Horror
The Immersive Art Collective has never shied away from the strange and otherworldly, often venturing into realms where the boundaries of reality thin and unspeakable horrors lurk in the shadows.
In fact, before the eldritch energies of IAC coalesced into being, Executive Director Rachel Adams had already been delving into the arcane with the horror-themed escape room, Horror Escapes LA, and the stylishly sepulchral venue known as the Count’s Den.
Even with its community-oriented focus, the Collective occasionally dares to traverse the darker corners of existence, where the veil between the known and the unknowable frays perilously.
And it is into this shadowy abyss that Mitchell Pratt boldly steps.
Having been with IAC in various capacities for the better part of a year, Mitchell has always expressed an affinity for the macabre, as though he had been touched by the dark wisdom of the Great Old Ones. It was only a matter of time before he approached Rachel with a vision—one that could have been conjured from the fevered dreams of the mad Abdul Alhazred himself—a singular reinterpretation of the classic horror tale, "The Outsider," by the legendary H.P. Lovecraft.
This vision manifests as a one-man play, a performance where Mitchell embodies the tortured soul of the nameless protagonist, as he struggles against the creeping dread of self-realization, only to uncover a truth so abominable that it threatens to rend the very fabric of his sanity. Joining in the creation of this otherworldly spectacle is IAC regular Ian Heath, who co-directs this infernal production from a script penned by Mitchell, with Rachel overseeing the eldritch proceedings as producer.
Despite the lingering shadow that Lovecraft casts over the entire horror genre—his influence spreading like the tendrils of some ancient, slumbering god—his name is not as widely known as more contemporary figures like, say, Stephen King. Yet, like many acolytes of Lovecraft’s dark mythos, Mitchell’s journey to discovering the author was indirect, as if guided by unseen forces.
“I’ve been a horror nerd since I was a child, though I didn’t start reading Lovecraft until I was already an adult. I don’t remember a singular incident where I stumbled upon Lovecraft and became interested in him – I sort of absorbed knowledge of Lovecraft through cultural osmosis. Growing up, many of the authors and filmmakers whose work inspired me (Neil Gaiman & Guillermo del Toro, in particular) cited Lovecraft as an influence. So by the time I started actually reading his stories, the ideas he codified felt familiar, like they’d been with me all my life.”
It is no accident that Lovecraft has attained the mythic reputation he holds—his works are steeped in the dread of the unknown, his prose brims with arcane elegance, and his stories delve into philosophical abysses where sanity is but a fragile veil over a yawning chasm of madness.
“Lovecraft’s writing (fiction and nonfiction) is shot through with a feverish anxiety that’s hard to look away from. Terror, dread, revulsion, depression – he felt these things so intensely, and it’s writ large on the page. I’m attracted to the unfiltered, ridiculously sensitive, raw nerve quality of his work.
I also like how Lovecraft combined fun genre conventions with unconventional writing techniques to explore heavy philosophical themes. His stories describe monsters, ghouls, magic, aliens, and it’s all written in this deliciously purple prose, but then he will thrust the reader into a disturbing liminal space where they no longer have a safety net. Suddenly, you’re in a universe that is fundamentally chaotic where human beings don’t matter on a cosmic scale. I like how Lovecraft conveyed this nihilism within a pulpy genre framework.
Finally, what makes Lovecraft stand out among other horror authors is how his work bridges the past, present and future of the genre. He used an archaic 18th-century writing style to describe 20th-century fears that have (unfortunately) carried over into the 21st-century. His influence on modern horror is pervasive. For better or worse, Lovecraft is very much alive.”
Because of their visionary and oftentimes inscrutable nature, Lovecraft’s stories have long been considered unadaptable to other mediums. With few exceptions, filmmakers, playwrights, and other creators have struggled to capture the ineffable sense of cosmic dread that permeates his work.
Yet, Mitchell has dared to challenge this notion, setting his sights on adapting “The Outsider” for the stage—a task as daunting as facing the unspeakable horrors that dwell in the spaces between the stars.
“‘The Outsider’ is a first-person narrative that’s written in a very non-literal, abstract way. The world of the story exists inside the mind of the Narrator, or rather, it’s created by the Narrator as the story progresses. Theatre lends itself to that kind of unreality - the audience is playing pretend with the actor. You get to build this dream experience in real time with everyone in the room.”
“The Outsider” is a relatively short tale, one that defies easy expansion into a 35-minute live performance. Nevertheless, Mitchell confronted the challenge with the same fearless determination as one might approach the forbidden tomes of the Necronomicon, seeking to remain true to the essence of the original work while breathing new life into it.
“This play is, in some ways, an ‘annotated’ adaptation of The Outsider. Not only am I performing the short story verbatim, but I’m incorporating material from Lovecraft’s private letters, some of his poems, and passages from his wife Sonia H. Davis’ memoir. In this way, not only am I expanding the story to a longer one-act length, I’m taking what I believe to be the autobiographical subtext of 'The Outsider' and making it an explicit part of the story.”
Portraying such a unique and otherworldly tale requires an equally unique venue, which is why Mitchell turned to IAC’s Immersive Arts Center in Downtown Los Angeles. Devoid of the gaudy trappings of conventional performance spaces, the Center’s stark, almost monolithic interior lends itself perfectly to the creation of a nightmare-fueled spectacle unlike any other.
“I love the atmosphere of the Immersive Arts Center. Even when there’s no lighting or sets, the space is haunting, rustic, lived-in. It’s also not a conventional black box theatre space – it’s more like a banquet hall. The floor is somewhat narrow, but the space is deep with high ceilings. This is accurate to the text, and it’s also perfect for traverse staging, which I always saw for this play. With themes of reflection and seeing ‘the other’ in society, I thought it was important for audience members to face one another in this intimate setting. Their presence, their reactions, and their relationship to each other is part of the story. They’re my co-stars.”
Of course, it’s not just IAC’s eldritch venue that Mitchell and Electric Blanket are utilizing for “H.P. Lovecraft: The Outsider”—it’s the collective of like-minded creators who are helping to manifest his dark vision into reality.
“IAC has been one of the most supportive and encouraging companies I have ever worked with. In a city/industry with a lot of gatekeeping, it’s refreshing to find a place where the door is wide open. They are a community-focused non-profit that brings art and tools for making art to people who otherwise wouldn’t have access. I also love how, when you step into an IAC experience, it doesn’t matter if you’re a performer or a patron - you’re actively creating something with others. We’re in it together. If creativity is a tool for liberation (and I think it can be), then the IAC ethos is ‘We get free together.’ Right up my alley.”
The unique mélange of atmosphere, style, and content of “H.P. Lovecraft: The Outsider” makes it the perfect dark ritual to inaugurate Mitchell’s production company.
“This is the first official production of Electric Blanket, LLC, and I think it sets the tone for what’s to come. Our motto comes from Mexican poet Cesar A. Cruz: ‘Art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable.’ We want to produce media that is both accessible and challenging. It can be fun to step out of one’s comfort zone and see what lives on the fringes. I think ‘H.P. Lovecraft: The Outsider’ does just that.”
ABOUT MITCHELL PRATT
Mitchell Pratt (he/him) is an actor & filmmaker based in Los Angeles.
Born and raised in Portland, OR, Mitch has been obsessed with movies and theatre from an early age. He grew up making short films with his friends and acting in plays at the Arts and Communication Magnet Academy. An anxious boy who was often terrified of the world around him, Mitch found himself drawn to stories about monsters. Gothic literature and classic horror movies helped him navigate humanity’s dark, strange subconscious, allowing him to understand his fears and start on a path toward healing. To this day, tales of misunderstood misfits inspire Mitch to look at himself and the world with love.
Since moving to Southern California, he earned a B.A. in Film Production at Chapman University, Dodge College of Film & Media Arts. While there, he directed a short film about a suicidal toaster, and he co-wrote a stage adaptation of Pink Floyd: The Wall. After graduation, he worked as a PA on TV and film sets. He also directed and edited music videos, most notably for LA-based art rock group The Toxhards. In 2022, Mitch decided to commit to a career in the performing arts, and has gone on to appear in many stage productions. Highlights include The Baker in Into The Woods, Walt Disney in Dis-Topia, and Giuseppe Artolini in Something Stupid.
When he’s not acting, Mitch continues to write and direct short films. He’s also a freelance video editor and graphic designer.
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