On a night when the veil between worlds grew thin, Yonder held its first grand interactive performance, summoning Krampus himself to weave a tale of fate, mischief, and shadowy revelry. Inspired long ago by the traveling spectacle of Michael Sommers’ A Hole, this vision of immersive storytelling simmered for years—until at last, in 2019, the muses whispered their secrets, and the tale was set in motion.
Through the flickering glow of lanterns and candlelight, guests embarked on a journey through a living fable—a three-act shadow puppet play where the narrative was no mere performance, but a game of fate itself. Between each act, the audience was drawn into the story, moving through a series of strange and wondrous encounters.
At the Threshold of Fate – The Keeper of the List
Shrouded in the crisp night air, The Keeper of the List (played by Yonder favorite, Chris Rand) stood beyond the shop, an enigmatic figure poised before the flames. Guests, clutching mysterious invitations riddled with cryptic inscriptions, approached. One by one, the Keeper lifted the parchment to the candlelight, watching as hidden messages were revealed—a decree from the shadows: Were you good, or had your deeds doomed you? With their judgment sealed, revelers then warmed themselves by the fire afterward, sipping mulled wine and nibbling on sweet confections, laughter mingling with whispers of fate.
Descent into the Icy Abyss – The Krampus Lair
Through a hidden passage, a mischievous nymph—her eyes alight with knowing mischief—beckoned guests downward into a frozen cavern beneath the building. Within, a looming, spectral Krampus (voiced and animated by co-collaborator Joel Zwicky) hovered behind a veil, a phantom visage brought to life through clever trickery and shadowed sorcery. His guttural voice and twitching snout searched the air, sniffing out each guest’s true nature. If one was deemed virtuous, a henchman branded their cheeks with rosy warmth—a mark of purity and elfish grace. But should a soul be found wicked, a sooty mark of coal was pressed upon their brow, sealing their shadowy misdeeds for all to see. Guests emerged, eyeing one another’s markings in gleeful confusion—what did it all mean?
Feasting & Riddles – The Puzzle of Destiny
Between acts, feasting commenced—mushroom wellington pastries shaped like Krampus himself, and later, shots of peppermint schnapps (or gentler, child-friendly brews for the small and pure of heart). But all was not idle revelry. Something stirred beneath the surface.
A puzzle lay hidden upon the walls, marked in strange glyphs—a cipher only those who dared to study their invitations closely might decipher. It was then that realization crept in—the guests had been divided into teams, unknowingly set on a path to determine the fate of Krampus himself. The pieces fit together, the phrases forming like prophecies whispered by the ancients: one side sought to empower the beast, the other to banish him for yet another year. Which force would triumph?
The Final Act – The Unveiling of the Beast
As the final act unfolded, a trick of sorcery played upon the walls—a camera cast the audience’s own silhouettes upon the grand screen, revealing them as more than mere spectators. They were now part of the legend itself. The story surged forward—Krampus, his plan near completion, arose in terrible grandeur.
From behind the stage, an eight-foot-tall, monstrous Krampus emerged, towering over the revelers, his clawed fingers reaching for the innocent. The audience gasped as he dragged a child behind the curtain, sealing their fate—for each day of the year, another soul would be taken. Unless. Unless someone could stop him.
The moment of reckoning arrived. The puzzle was nearly complete—whispered phrases turned to shouts, shouts to a single, unified declaration of power. One by one, guests stepped forward, each revealing a letter printed upon their invitation, a cryptic mark they had carried all along. As the final letters were placed into the puzzle, the hidden phrase emerged, its meaning at last unveiled—a spell of binding or a chant of ruin. In the final breath of suspense, the good side triumphed! The ancient bindings held strong, their combined voices sealing the decree. Krampus—cursed once more—let out a bellow of frustration as the forces of light held firm, banishing him to his shadowed realm, unable to claim another for a full turn of the sun.
Defeated, yet ever mischievous, Krampus conceded to his fate, retreating not in rage, but in begrudging amusement. He bestowed sweets upon the children—a final act of resignation, a token of the truce. And thus, the revelers gathered for final moments of merriment, posing for portraits with the subdued beast, basking in the strange, magical triumph they had helped weave into legend.
And so the tale was told. A night of shadows and riddles, of fortunes revealed and fates unwound.
But the question lingers:
Will Krampus return next year? Or will a new story be written?
Only time—and the turning of the wheel—will tell.