Juggerknot Theatre Company brought immersive theater to Miami last year with the inaugural Miami Motel Stories: Little Havana, which took over the historic Tower Hotel. Now the interactive production is back for round two, with its sights set on the MiMo District. In collaboration with the Vagabond Group, Juggerknot is reimagining the Gold Dust Motel (formerly Motel Blu) at 7700 Biscayne Blvd.
As with the first iteration, Miami Motel Stories: MiMo will feature original narratives by resident Juggerknot playwright Juan C. Sanchez.
Like something straight out of The Twilight Zone, attendees will travel back in time to the motel’s grand opening in 1957 for a tiki party on the boulevard. Guests can also delve further into the story line by purchasing one of three hotel keys, each unlocking a unique experience. Open the door and you might meet a creative entrepreneur from the mid-'90s. Perhaps you’ll see a couple from the '50s stopping in Miami while on a road trip. Or you might even walk in on a Playboy Bunny taking a well-deserved break from her gig at the Playboy Club across the street in 1964.
To keep things intimate, only four guests at a time will be allowed in the motel rooms. Want to experience all three story lines? Well, then, you'll need to purchase three tickets.
“It’s great to be able to partner with Avra Jain and the Vagabond Group and bring Miami Motel Stories to the MiMo District,” says Tanya Bravo, executive artistic director of Juggerknot Theatre Company. “They’ve been so great in providing us with a space to tell this unique Miami story and allowing us to tell the rich history of this building and neighborhood, from the time it was built to the present day.”
A 2016 Knight Arts Challenge winner, the Miami Motel Stories series aims to tell the forgotten histories of local emerging neighborhoods. Up next, the producers will relate the stories of North Miami Beach and Overtown in 2019.
Miami Motel Stories: MiMo. November 30 through December 23 at the Gold Dust Motel, 7700 Biscayne Blvd., Miami. Tickets, which go on sale Monday, October 15, cost $45 to $75 via miamimotelstories.com.