Castro Catastrophe

An ad for free tickets to the Castro Theater
A captioned map of the castro.
Blackmail photos!
The instruction sheet
Annotated clue map
Me announcing instructions at the start of the game
Teams getting ready to go!
An ad for free tickets to the Castro TheaterA captioned map of the castro.Blackmail photos!The instruction sheetAnnotated clue mapMe announcing instructions at the start of the gameTeams getting ready to go!

While I was working at The Go Game I wrote a historical narrative game — a cross between participatory theater, role-playing, and an adventure game — inspired by the history of Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man elected to public office in California. I ran the three-hour game twice, with about 25 players each time. Players played as supporters, and walked around the game zone centered on Castro Street, earning the endorsements of several actors playing the roles of Harvey’s friends and competitors. Local bookstores, drugstores, and the Castro Theater were all in on the game and helped provide clues.