Minnesota roleplay collective
The waiting room is bland and antiseptic. You have made unimaginable sacrifices to get here. Through that door is a chance at a better life—one away from war, death, and horror. But between you and the door are a dozen fellow refugees with their own agendas, and an immigration officer eager to send you straight back to hell.
Documentation for ATHENA’S CHOSEN, a live-action game about women in ancient Greece seeking empowerment through the favor of Greek goddesses.
Organized by TLS and Kathy Shane
Photography by TLS and Jon Cole
Twelve players, Minneapolis, Minnesota in May 2018
Documentation for WINTERHORN, a live action game about how governments degrade and destroy activist groups
Organized by Larry Lade and Katherine Shane
Photography by l.p.lade
Seven players, Minneapolis, Minnesota in April 2018
The novices are locked in the holiest of holy in Athena’s temple. This final night you will be tested and tempted by the gods themselves. Will you have the faith to turn your back forever on family, love, and desire to become an Exalted Virgin Priestess and finally have true power in the world of men? Or will you listen to the sweet temptations of wild Dionysus, the god of ritual madness and fertility, and leave with his free but shunned cultists. Maybe you will reject the gods and return to your beloved but intensely patriarchal Ancient Arcadian Greece outside the temple walls. Your virginity, your soul, the patronymic name that your father branded into your very skin – you might lose them all tonight.
This larp uses physical space to direct players rather than time-bound act structures – as you walk into the different gods’ areas, their essence will influence your character.
All characters identify as female, players of all genders (or none) are equally welcome.
WHAT: ATHENA’S CHOSEN, a parlor larp for 8 – 16 players (the more the merrier!).
Designed by Susanne Vejdemo and Anna-Karin Linder.
Organized by TLS, Katherine Shane.
WHEN: Saturday, May 12th from 2pm to 6pm
WINTERHORN: the code name of a small but passionate group of “peace and justice” activists. On the surface they project innocent, if misguided, zeal, but
you know better. You’ve dealt with groups like this before, and there’s always a dangerous core. Gun-runners. Bomb-makers. People who deserve to be thrown in a dark hole somewhere.
As government agents, your goal is to nudge them into destroying
themselves, using every trick in the book – black bag jobs,
disinformation, spinning up rival front groups, and even escalating to
vandalism and violence when necessary. Your mission, with the full force
of the government behind you and time running out, is to get
WINTERHORN’s members fighting like rats in a bucket. They need to fall
apart before they can hurt anyone, and the state’s hands need to stay
clean.
They won’t know what hit them.
WHAT:
WINTERHORN is a live action game for 5-8 players about how governments degrade and destroy activist groups. By playing law enforcement and intelligence operatives working diligently to demoralize and derail, you’ll learn about the techniques used in the real world in pursuit of these goals. By playing WINTERHORN you’ll have a chance to reflect on weak points in your own activism, and think about ways to harden organizations you care about against government intrusion. Continue reading “Larp House presents: WINTERHORN”
Larp House Presents: DERANGED
Deranged is a historical, musical drama about the boundaries between genius and madness. The aging, deranged Robert Schumann who on his deathbed, ill with Syphilis and Mercury poisoning, revisits the memories of the people that had an important impact on his life. Schumann has decided that he will create one last, great masterpiece before his death. A piece built on the memories of his life with Clara Wieck, Robert Schumann, Felix Mendelssohn, and Johannes Brahms, who drifted in and out of his life and gave it nerve and excitement. But the memories are collapsing and merging with the madness, so it is difficult for Schumann to distinguish between reality and fantasy. And like one’s memories can be revisited so can the scenes of this scenario. Because perhaps the memories would be better if things had happened in a slightly different way?
Larp House Presents: QUILTBAG LARP
The University would like to invite all queer, questioning, intersex, lesbian, transgender, bisexual, asexual and gay students, faculty and community members to join the University Queer Life support group. This will be a safe, affirming and confidential peer led monthly support group for all local members of the queer community.
A parlor larp about the lives and identities of 8 regular people through the lens of their monthly support group.
WHAT: QUILTBAG, a playtest of a parlor larp for 6-8 players Continue reading “Larp House Presents: QUILTBAG”
Larp House Presents: Potluck Larp
Everyone loves a potluck!
This winter, we are hosting a larp that is more than the sum of it’s parts. Using the framework Play With Intent we will build a larp and then play it in one evening. Let’s design the game in order to play it, including while we are playing it! And yes, we’ll also share food in a potluck fashion.
WHAT:
Play With Intent, a freeform larp for 4-6 players + casual social potluck
Designed by Matthijs Holter and Emily Care Boss
Organized by Kathy Shane and Jon Cole
WHEN:Friday, January 19th from 6:00 pm to 10:30 pm
Documentation for Deep Love by Jason Morningstar, a larp about love between friends and scientists on a bathysphere expedition.
Organized by Arnold Cassell for Larp House, with assistance from Jon Cole.
Photos by Arnold Cassell.
4 players, Richfield MN in June 2017.
Documentation for Strange Gravity by Jay Treat, a sci-fi larp about about one starship and the vibrant personalities on board.
Organized by Jon Cole for Larp House.
Photos by Kelley Vanda, Jon Cole, and Emily M.
Played in Saint Paul in March 2017 for 7 players.