Imagine you walk into a room dressed in a white full-body jumpsuit. You put on a mask that covers your face, white gloves, and at that moment, you immerse yourself in an experience in which no one knows who you are. More than 60 other participants are also dressed in the same way, creating an atmosphere of complete anonymity. Once inside, you can interact with whoever you want freely, without prejudice. What would you be able to do if no one could recognize you? What would others let you do?
Real Self, the first immersive human experience in total anonymity, lands in Barcelona after its success in Buenos Aires. Although the masks are somewhat terrifying at first glance, it is worth clarifying that this show has nothing to do with fear. Under the premise Do you dare to be real? The show invites those who dare to abandon their identity for 75 minutes to try to rediscover what their true self is.
Everything that happens within that time is confidential. There are no actors. Nobody sits down here to contemplate anything. The ‘public’ is the only protagonist. No one can speak, except for a voice-over that serves as a guide through instructions that you can choose to follow or ignore. “Whatever you feel is going to be fine,” they tell the public before entering. Elements such as smoke, original music and a 360º light projection over the dimensions of the space are combined so that participants experience a variety of sensations, from euphoria, happiness, embarrassment or even sadness.
“My intention with Real Self is to give people that feeling of total anonymity and freedom,” explains Jabo Drucaroff, the creator of the experience. Drucaroff spent much of his life traveling alone around the world and it was then that, by completely divesting himself of his surroundings and finding himself in unknown places, he managed to reveal many things that he did not know about himself. “That no one recognizes you, that no one is judging you and even me judging myself much less, allowed me to have very magical moments.” This feeling is what inspired him to create Real Self.
For some, the experience may just be entertainment, but for those who dare and allow it “it can be something very healing and revealing.” Many even choose to return several times, since the sensations generated are never the same.
The show premiered in Argentina last year and was a resounding success, with more than 50,000 people in attendance. Given the unknown of how it was going to be received by the public in Barcelona, ??the surprise is being very positive. “We get the feeling that we are liking it even more than we did in Buenos Aires.” The show has performances every day and will remain in the Catalan capital, in principle, until November 30 at the new Espacio Inmersa in Poblenou.
For Jabo Drucaroff it was special that Barcelona was the first European city to which he brought his proposal. “It was a city that transformed me strongly, it invited me to leave the career I was studying and lean towards the artistic.” The proposal plans to continue expanding to other European cities such as Madrid, London, Oslo, Paris or Berlin
