News: "Social Alchemix (Live!)" Returns in 2022

 

Social Alchemix (Live!), an intoxicating hybrid of intimate game night, storytelling, and aligned serendipity, conceived, designed, and hosted by cocktail guru and performer Wil Petre, returns to live performances in 2022. Originally called A Cocktail Party Social Experiment (you can read our review here), the show inspires audiences to join conversations prompted by a deck of alchemical cards and enjoy tasty libations while going deeper into meaningful exchange of thoughts. In 2022, Social Alchemix (Live!) resurfaces after the pandemic isolation and brings more interactive fun, plus a deck of cards the viewers can purchase at the show or online. The upcoming presentations (with more dates to be announced) will take place on Monday nights at two intimate venues: Threes Franklin (113 Franklin Street, Brooklyn, NY – February 14 and March 14, 2022) and Caveat (21 A Clinton Street, Manhattan – February 21, 2022). Times vary; visit the website for details. Tickets are $18 online/$22 at the door and can be purchased at www.socialalchemix.com/live.

Social Alchemix (Live!) is the brainchild of the theatre artist and storyteller Wil Petre, who, together with his partner, graphic designer Chiaki Murata, created a deck of unique, alchemy-inspired cards and book of instructions that provide prompts for meaningful conversation. The set was a centerpiece of Petre’s participatory live performance series A Cocktail Party Social Experiment, which debuted in 2019 and enjoyed a successful run in NYC before going digital with the onset of COVID pandemic in 2020. Now, redefined and improved, the show returns to live performances. At an intimate club setting, everybody is asked to turn off their cell phones for the duration of the event; to enter the shared space, skip the small talk, and get into the good stuff. The host invites the participants to draw from an alchemical deck of tarot-like cards which in turn generate conversation prompts – questions such as: “What rules are meant to be broken?” or “How would you like to be remembered?” The evening evolves into an afterparty, at which the cards and game are no longer necessary.

“This game and show certainly had weight pre-pandemic. Feelings of isolation due to this hyper-connected hustle-culture. The past two years only seemed to underline these issues. As a country we’re as divided as ever, and after months of lockdown, we’re incredibly rusty when meeting new people. If ever there was a need for an evening of permission, not only to share our stories, but to deeply listen, listen longer than we are used to, that time is now. To feel reconnected to the human tapestry,” says Petre, whose first-hand knowledge of how meaningful and healing a conversation comes from years of experience as an NYC bartender.

In 2022, Petre and Murata’s longstanding dream of making SOCIAL ALCHEMIX available for participants to own finally came true. SOCIAL ALCHEMIX is a party game designed to facilitate deep interpersonal connection. The alchemy of an amazing party begins and ends with incredible conversation, and SOCIAL ALCHEMIX provides the tools to skip the small talk and get into the good stuff. The set consists of two beautiful decks of alchemical cards, a book of questions and a mini-hourglass for clocking the response time. Perfect for cocktail lovers, burgeoning alchemists, conversationalists, and people whose love language is quality time. This unique set of cards and book of questions are $28 and can be purchased at the show or online at www.socialalchemix.com.

For all live events, proof of vaccination against Covid-19 and ID (21+) will be required at the door. All staff are fully vaccinated. Masks are welcomed but not required. The audience will be drinking and conversing in close quarters where social distancing may not always be possible.