Through American Apparitions, its latest Psychogeographies Project, Rorschach Theatre invites DC-area audiences to delve into the ghosts, divinations, and delusions of a country on its milestone anniversary and revive long dead Americans whose presence continues to vibrate through our Capital City.
Psychogeographies projects harness the power of both the built and natural world to create a visceral piece of immersive storytelling. Each month participants receive a map and instructions to travel to a new curated location in the DC area. Along with the map, they receive a box of artifacts to engage all five senses while exploring each site with story elements such as letters, music, souvenirs, or photos. From now through September, each monthly box reveals a new location and a new chapter in the ongoing story.
Subscriptions to AMERICAN APPARITIONS include the multi-chapter experience as well as a ticket to a summer party and live performance, GHOST PARTY, on July 11, 2026.
PSYCHOGEOGRAPHIES PROJECTS
Psychogeographies Projects were pioneered by Rorschach during the pandemic to create community, manifest hope, and offer context in a time of crisis. The projects harness the power of both the built and natural world to create a visceral piece of immersive storytelling. Hundreds of DC-area residents have joined in the project over the past several years.
“Psychogeography” is a term coined by philosopher Guy Debord in the 1950s and refers to the intersection of psychology and geography. Our own psychological experiences of a city reveal hidden places – forgotten, discarded, or marginalized aspects of an urban environment. Locations have a history, a soul, a meaning beyond the dirt and bricks that surround it. These meanings range from the historical to the aesthetic to the personal, but all of these things give the space its resonance.
CREATIVE TEAM
The creative team includes four of Psychogeographies Project’s original creators: Dr. Jonelle Walker Benazzouz – a playwright, director, and professor based in Houston, Texas; Kylos Brannon – a filmmaker, theatrical video designer, and professor at American University; Randy Baker – a playwright, director, and co-Artistic Director of Rorschach Theatre; and Jenny McConnell Frederick – a director, writer, and the co-Artistic Director of Rorschach Theatre.
PSYCHOGEOGRAPHIES PROJECTS FAQ
Can I Share a Psychogeographies subscription with someone else?
Yes, you can share a subscription with friends or family. Sometimes boxes include consumables that can be difficult to share, so that’s up to individual preference. Each PSYCHOGEOGRAPHIES subscription includes a ticket to the party in July 2026. If you wish to share your subscription with someone, you’ll need to purchase additional single tickets for the event.
When will the chapters be sent? What’s my deadline to sign up?
New chapters will ship every few weeks between now and September 2026. You may sign up at any time and typically new orders are mailed weekly. If you sign up any time after the project has begun, you’ll receive all previous chapters in your first shipment.
Is this okay for kids?
Yes! It generally falls in the PG / PG-13 range and is great for young participants and adults alike. Whether or not kids are invested in the story itself will, of course, depend on the child and their age, but we’ve found most young participants really enjoy exploring new locations throughout their city.
How far will I have to travel to reach each month’s location?
All locations are in DC and metro accessible.
Do I need a car to participate in this?
Nope.
When are these events happening?
Whenever you want! Certain locations have specific open/closed hours to be aware of, but generally you can launch your own experience whenever it’s convenient for you. The only specific date is Saturday, July 11th for the in-person event.
How long does each experience take?
While your travel time will vary based on your starting location and mode of transportation, each experience includes approximately 15-40 minutes of content. Additionally, each expedition will come with further suggestions of optional ways to enhance your trip.
Do I have to subscribe to enjoy the Ghost Party?
Nope! Anyone should be able to enjoy the event.
What if I am a subscriber and I miss or am not available for the Ghost Party?
No problem! Rorschach will fill you in on any story details you missed.
I prefer not to leave my home at this time. Can I still participate?
Yes! Each chapter will provide alternative instructions for experiencing the contents in your own home including a video that walks through the location.
The “at home” version of each chapter can also serve as a way to experience each chapter if you live in another city or as a recap of your adventure after you have already experienced it.
GHOST PARTY – Saturday, July 11, 2026
This one-of-a-kind event features live performances, cocktails, delicious bites and a multi-stop exploration of Downtown DC. AMERICAN APPARITIONS subscriptions include one ticket to the event. Additional tickets will be available for purchase. Subscribers get a deeper dive into the ongoing stories and newcomers get a taste of the Psychogeographies experience. The event kicks off at 777 I Street NW at 2:00 PM on Saturday, July 11. Learn more.
Subscriptions to American Apparitions, typically $175, are on sale for $119 through June 24. Each subscription includes a ticket to Ghost Party on July 11. Standalone tickets to Ghost Party are $99 ($149 VIP), with discounts available to American Apparitions subscribers who wish to purchase additional Ghost Party tickets for guests.
Through uncommon uses of environment and intimate passionate performances, Rorschach Theatre seeks to lure its audiences beyond the limits of ordinary theatrical experience so that they may discover new elements of their own humanity.
ABOUT RORSCHACH THEATRE
Founded by Jenny McConnell Frederick and Randy Baker, Rorschach believes DC needs more than just great theater — it needs theater that responds to the city’s layers of history, geography, and human complexity. In a city often perceived as transitory or defined by its political identity, Rorschach creates immersive, location-based work that helps audiences and artists forge deeper emotional and cultural connections to the city in which they live.
The company’s work centers on the intersection of magic or impossible moments and everyday human experiences. Without proselytizing, it provides a complex, intellectual catalyst for self-exploration of challenging subjects. The company intentionally produces in unconventional spaces — activating vacant retail or community locations and contributing to neighborhood foot traffic and economic impact.
Rorschach is also a vital launching pad for emerging artists. By trusting early-career actors, directors, playwrights, and designers with substantive artistic responsibilities, and surrounding them with established professionals and resources, the company has become an essential showcase for new talent. In addition to its regular season, Rorschach produces “Magic in Rough Spaces,” an annual new play development series; “Klecksography,” an annual new artist development event (for actors, local playwrights, and directors); and KLEX-ED, a week-long educational intensive for student playwrights, directors, and actors.
Rorschach’s newest program – “Psychogeographies” – tells season-long immersive narratives that take participants to lesser-known spots around their city as a story unfolds through letters, artifacts, and objects mailed in monthly chapters.
The Helen Hayes Award-winning Rorschach Theatre has produced more than fifty plays seen by tens of thousands of people in the Washington area. The company has been recognized more than a dozen times by the Helen Hayes Awards; won a Mary Goldwater Award; been a finalist for the Mayor’s Arts Award; and has been the recipient of multiple grants and awards from the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities. The company’s work has garnered the attention of The New York Times, The Washington Post, American Theatre magazine and National Public Radio, as well as countless local publications.
