When we were young, we were allowed to have make-believe. To pretend like we were someone else for a little while. To play and explore and imagine. To try on identities for a while to see how they felt.
As we become adults, society asks us to put away make-believe. Fiction and story-telling is something to be passively consumed, a task best left to professional creators. The identity you have as an adult is treated as immutable, set in stone, with no room for exploration.
Larp is a little like improv theater, or writing a novel on the fly. Except instead of performing to entertain an audience, each of us is both the author and the audience. We all work together to create an experience that everyone involved can enjoy.
Originally an acronym for “live-action role-playing,” larp has developed over several decades to become a form of participatory art and entertainment in its own right. Just like any other art form, larp can range from light and escapist, to emotionally intense and dealing with the heaviest of issues. There is a style of larp for every taste.
By stepping into another person’s shoes, we have the opportunity to form a deeper understanding of the situations of others and the possibility of learning something about ourselves.
Also, it’s super fun. Try it, you might get hooked on this!
Read more about larp in our larp library.