“Come in with an open mind,” says Draven, the creative force behind a new immersive cocktail theater experience with a chill-inducing theme that’s headed to downtown Phoenix this week. The Serial Killer Speakeasy will lead audience members through stories based on the lives of four of America’s most infamous serial killers — Ed Gein, Jeffrey Dahmer, John Wayne Gacy and Ted Bundy — with interactive live performances and themed cocktails.
“Be prepared to hear stories you know from perspectives you don’t,” he adds.
There’s a fine line between edgy entertainment and glorification of violence, which Draven acknowledges was an initial concern. The team carefully navigates the gap by intentionally shifting focus away from the killers themselves in the experience. “The killers themselves are secondary,” he says…