Interview: Kuperman Brothers discuss their immersive live show ‘Life & Trust’

Jeff and Rick Kuperman. Photo Courtesy of Jeff and Rick Kuperman.

Jeff and Rick Kuperman (Kuperman Brothers) chatted about co-directing and choreographing their immersive show “Life & Trust.” Teddy Bergman also served as a director.

Kuperman Brothers on bringing ‘Life & Trust’ to life

On “Life & Trust,” Rick remarked, “It has been many years in the making. It was a really amazing process in many ways, and it was unlike anything we had worked on in the past.”

“It took over five years from the very first workshop of the show to opening night on August 1st,” Rick said.

“It was a really epic journey. It survived a pandemic and many delays. We are so thrilled that the show is here, and we are so proud of the work that went into it, especially since it was a huge group of artists that made it happen,” Rick elaborated.

“We are really indebted to some of the pioneers of immersive theatre, and so many amazing companies,” Rick said.

“This show appeals to a broad range of people because there are so many different characters in the world… there are over 30 characters on stage each night in over 100,000 square feet of space to explore,” he explained.

“The audiences can get pulled in to what calls them or attracts them and veer away from the storylines and characters that don’t speak to them. We hope the audiences will have an amazing time there,” Rick said.

Daily motivations as directors, choreographers and storytellers

Regarding their daily motivations as choreographers, directors, and storytellers, Jeff said, “For us, story is a paramount ingredient to what we do. So, finding story and teasing story out and making it specific is a huge part of our practice.”

“There are many challenges with it primarily in nonverbal form. In ‘Life & Trust,’ choreography does a lot of that storytelling,” Rick said. “We also have the aid of all the technical elements of music, sound design and lighting design to help communicate the narrative.”

Jeff continued, “We are being very specific with the stories that we are telling. We did a lot of work behind our desks, especially in plotting out where the characters were going to be in time and space.”

“So, we would write scripts essentially for every scene, and there are over 250 scenes in the show,” Jeff explained. “We would break those scenes down into smaller chunks, and essentially score the scenes in time, and work with the composers to make sure that the music was also riding the story, informing, and guiding the choreography.”

“Sometimes there are 10 or 12 scenes happening at the same time throughout the building, so making sure each character could get to their next position was a huge challenge but a very gratifying one,” Jeff said.

“It’s a really interesting format because so much of theatre is about the live experience,” Rick said.

“We were also really inspired by the world of Houdini, and his ability to shapeshift and release himself from all constraints. To be able to see the fabric of the reality that he built for all of those characters. That was a really big inspiration for us as well,” Rick recalled.

“Once the train has left the station, we are all along for the ride,” Jeff added.

Kuperman Brothers on what makes ‘Life & Trust’ unique

Jeff stated, “What is unique about this experience is that there is so much to see, you can come back to the show so many times, and literally, see a completely different show.

“So, it’s worth investing in the world to discover the world and all the characters that inhabit it, and see how they all thread through each other lives and work on each other to get a single narrative and see the themes that continue to permeate throughout the show,” Jeff elaborated.

“Those themes are about what each of us put our faith into, and what elements give our lives meaning so that we are willing to sell our souls in exchange of those elements,” Rick added.

Stage of their lives

On the title of the current chapter of their lives, they concurred, “Refilling the Well.”

“It has been a very busy and very full two years. Now, we have two shows that we are proud of and we are maintaining,” Jeff acknowledged.

‘Rumble’ choreography in ‘The Outsiders’

For their choreography work in “The Outsiders,” the Kuperman Brothers scored Tony, Chita Rivera and Drama Desk Award nominations. “We are thrilled that the audiences are coming back and spending time with ‘The Outsiders.’ We are excited for the tour coming up; it has been a blast,” Rick exclaimed.

“We are so happy that folks are responding to it. Francis Ford Coppola was at the show recently, and he came backstage,” Jeff added.

Success

On his definition of the word success, Jeff said, “To me, success means balance and balancing the passion and drive that you need to have to make a successful show, which means something deeply to you, and also the balance to have the time to spend with your loved ones and not be a ghost in our own home.”

Closing thoughts on ‘Life & Trust’

“We want to have fans of immersive theatre to come and check it out. We would also love for people who never heard of immersive theatre to come and check it out and experience the sense of wonder that is possible when you forget about the outside world.”

“I think in a modern context it is really hard to feel true awe, and that’s something that Houdini was able to exude to his audiences at the height of his success during the Gilded Age and beyond.

“We are hopeful that if audiences lean into ‘Life & Trust,’ there will be many moments of serendipity and awe that they themselves feel,” Rick said.

“I hope that they are able to let themselves loose and explore this world fully,” Jeff added. “To enter a state of follow where they are able to follow their instincts and things that interest them,” Jeff concluded.

To learn more about the Kuperman Brothers, follow them on Instagram and visit their website.