Immersive experiences are all the rage in Las Vegas, and each one brings a unique blend of art to viewers’ senses. The use of projection, virtual reality and augmented reality are often shown in new ways designed to wow audiences.

“Particle Ink: Speed of Dark” creates a spectacular immersion that blends real-life props, special lighting, art and live actors to create an individual presentation unlike any that Vegas has ever seen. We got a sneak peek during a press day and talked to Executive Producer Cesar Hawas about the show, its inspiration and its creation.

Inside “Particle Ink: Speed of Dark” in Las Vegas

What inspired “Particle Ink: Speed of Dark”?
Hawas: Speed of Dark was born out of the brilliant minds of the LightPoets. They’re a small collective of artists, theatre-makers and technicians who wanted to tell the story of how we can find light within ourselves that can guide us through the darkest of times.

Can you tell us about the story behind the experience?
Hawas: The story follows a grieving artist and his wife, Lilith, who, when we find them, are mourning the loss of their only child. I won’t reveal any of the details of the story as it’s best discovered in-person, but it’s nonetheless a fantastic journey that sprawls the 2.5th dimension- that weird place between waking and sleeping, where the rabbit waits before being pulled out of the hat.

How did the concept of digital immersion and live performance come about?
Hawas: The LightPoets really wanted to tell their story using projection and technology mixed with live performance. The mixture of the elements creates an endless menagerie of experiences for the audience to discover the story we’re telling and the world we’re building. And it’s only the beginning…

What is your favorite aspect of immersion?
Hawas: My favorite part of the immersive experience here is that we as adults so rarely get the opportunity to suspend our disbelief and lose ourselves in an all-enveloping and truly transportive physical space while experiencing the story. The magic here is that all the technology disappears, and what we’re left with are actual magickal storytelling and world exploration.

What message do you hope viewers take from the experience?
Hawas: I hope most of all that audiences take away their own personal attachment to the work. So often, in live experiences, we’re spoonfed the narrative, the characters, the experience. We are putting the audience in the center of a living graphic novel, and like life outside our experience, it is not linear or straightforward. We want them to walk away feeling like they’ve either found light themselves or at the very least, are inspired to seek it out on their own.