MONSTER PARTY Brings Immersive Queer Horror to L.A.
A new immersive theatre experience tackles the Lavender Scare, McCarthyism, and the monsters that power creates, one cocktail party at a time.
If you’ve ever wanted to crash a supernatural cocktail party hosted by an enigmatic socialite, gossip with ghosts of the past, and confront the systems that have always sought to destroy queer lives, Matt Dorado has the show for you.
MONSTER PARTY, the highly anticipated immersive theatre experience from LA-based creator and producer Matt Dorado, runs April 16–25 at Rita House, with tickets available now at monsterpartyshow.com.
What Is MONSTER PARTY?
Equal parts cocktail party, immersive theatre, and queer fable, MONSTER PARTY drops guests into the home of The Baroness, a mysterious, larger-than-life socialite at the center of a surreal, supernatural melodrama. Over the course of 2.5 hours, attendees piece together a lurid narrative by engaging with a cast of vivid characters, participating in party games, and perhaps most importantly, gossiping with fellow guests.
Set against the backdrop of Washington D.C. during the early 1950s, the show draws directly from one of the most chilling chapters in LGBTQ+ American history: the Lavender Scare. During this period, queer government employees were systematically outed and fired, branded as national security risks in what was, in reality, state-sanctioned homophobia on a mass scale. MONSTER PARTY uses this history as its beating heart, weaving it into a campy, schlocky melodrama that is as entertaining as it is provocative.
Thematically, the show is a sharp fable about how the systems we live within, Western Christianity, capitalism, patriarchy, and moral panic, manufacture monsters out of ordinary people, while those in power escape unscathed. Sound familiar?
A Creator With Serious Immersive Credentials
Dorado is no newcomer to this world. Over more than a decade in Los Angeles, he built a devoted following through DRUNKEN DEVIL, his theatrical nightlife series that No Proscenium dubbed “a legend on the LA haunt scene,” and TO LIVE AND DI(N)E IN L.A., a sold-out true-crime dining experience praised by TimeOut LA as “the most morbid, but entertaining, meal you can find in Los Angeles.” He has also created experiences for Cirque du Soleil, LA Opera, and a host of major brands.
MONSTER PARTY is his most personal work yet. “I’ve been working on this fully realized version since the day after we wrapped the proof-of-concept back in October 2024,” Dorado says. “Unfortunately, the show’s themes have become strikingly more relevant since then, as we’re mired in a new era of violent political upheaval, unfounded moral panic, and deep division. So although it’s rooted in schlocky melodrama, I’m hopeful that MONSTER PARTY will challenge audiences — perhaps in new and unexpected ways — while also allowing them an evening of gonzo entertainment.”
The Cast
The ensemble bringing this twisted world to life includes Dasha Kittredge as The Baroness, Sidney Franklin as Charlie, Benjamin Berg as Bernard, Bukola Ogunmola as Patricia, Emily Yetter as Loretta, Misha Reeves as Helena the Butler, and Darren Herczeg as Stanley the Maid.
Tickets & Details
MONSTER PARTY runs April 16–25 at Rita House. Tickets are $150 per person and include the full 2.5-hour show plus libations throughout the evening. Group pricing is available — $145 per person for groups of four to seven, and $140 per person for groups of eight or more. With only 50 tickets available per showing and a strictly 21+ door policy, this one will sell fast.
Tickets are available at monsterpartyshow.com.
