When it comes to Halloween, nothing compares to The Willows in Los Angeles — a hauntingly intimate immersive theater experience by JFI Productions.
This isn’t a haunted house. It’s a living, breathing psychodrama that invites you to dinner inside a mansion pulsing with grief, secrets, and suspense.
“It’s cinema for the stage. It’s kind of like stepping into a movie—and it’s up to you to uncover the story.”
Director Justin Fix
Today Joe Winger speaks with Director Justin Fix on zoom. See the edited conversation below or the FlavRReport YouTube channel.
A Dark and Sophisticated Return
After captivating audiences for years, The Willows has returned in what Fix calls the production’s most ambitious evolution yet.
“One of my dear friends came last week and said it’s the 4K version,”
“It’s so different.”
This time, JFI Productions transformed an empty mansion into a labyrinth of emotion and fear.
“The home in which we occupy now was an empty space,”
“So everything we have,
we filled that whole home with so much life.”
Storytelling For the Spooky Season
While The Willows thrives during Halloween, Fix says it was never meant to be confined to the season.
“We originated as creators and storytellers in the haunted house space,”
“But we wanted to extend that. The Willows was this hybrid of dinner theater, escape-room adventure, and heavy drama with a great ghost story under it all.”
Fear as a Form of Connection
The Willows experience is emotional as much as it is unsettling. It’s about confronting grief, secrets, and intimacy with strangers.
“FOMO is a real human emotion…”
“…It’s a feeling of intrigue and investment from your audience.”
Inside the mansion, 25 guests sit down for a “celebration of life.” But as the evening unravels, it becomes clear that something deeply wrong lurks beneath the surface.
“This immersive, interactive theater—it’s theater redefined. You’re not just watching.”
“You are your own self uncovering the mystery and the secrets. The more you give, the more you get.”
It’s a concept that’s resonated with audiences. “We’re expanding theater in the round to 360,” Fix adds. “It’s got this VR component, but without the headset.”
The Cast: Grief, Ghosts, and Greatness
Few immersive shows sustain a cast for nearly a decade. The Willows has. Many original performers remain, bringing years of shared understanding to the roles.
“We were grieving and working through that grief and putting it on the stage,” Fix says. “Along the way, it was healing us.”
“These people have been around since 2017. They’re my friends, they’re my family.”
The ensemble features characters who could have stepped out of a gothic novel—the grieving widow, the manic maid, the brutal butler, and the angelic relative whose calm hides chaos.
“You’ve got every sort of character that you would want at a dinner party,” Fix says with a smile.
“It’s what I would want for a full night out—
dinner, a show, some drinks, and new connections.”
Guests are drawn into a family setting that quickly unravels into something surreal. One moment you’re sipping wine; the next, you’re alone in a shadowed hallway or dancing with a stranger who may—or may not—be real.
“It asks a lot of you…”
“…It puts people in situations that maybe they’ve not been confronted with before.”
In Los Angeles, where audiences are spoiled by entertainment options, The Willows stands out by asking guests not just to observe—but to feel. It’s theater as catharsis, a chance to “learn to play again as an adult,” as Fix describes.
7 Storylines, Endless Possibilities
One reason The Willows commands such devotion is its branching narrative. Each night plays out differently depending on where you sit, what choices you make, and which family members you follow.
“We tracked every single guest journey,” Fix reveals.
“One woman came back 22 times because she wanted to see it all.”
A Communal Haunting
What makes The Willows linger long after you leave isn’t just the scares—it’s the bond formed among guests.
“People literally stand on the front lawn afterward.”
“They just don’t want to leave. They’re comparing what they saw, what they felt. They went through something together.”
That shared trauma, or perhaps shared humanity, is what Fix believes defines the experience. “It’s a thrill ride,” he says, “but it’s also a lesson in being present. It asks you to show up and learn to play again as an adult.”
Crafting a World That Changes Every Night
Unlike traditional performances, The Willows unfolds differently for every guest. The branching narrative means no two experiences are the same—something Fix learned after tracking more than 1,200 performances.
“We had one woman come back 22 times,”
justin fix reveals
“Each time, she still found a new scene she hadn’t seen before.”
Seating determines which storyline you’ll encounter. A different dinner table might lead to a different set of secrets, conversations, or even moral choices. It’s theater that rewards curiosity.
Indeed, The Willows rewards curiosity — not always tangible, but emotional moments that linger long after the night ends.
Ensemble Behind the Madness
Justin Fix credits his cast and crew as the heart of the production. Many have been with JFI since 2017, making The Willows not just a show, but a shared creative journey through grief, art, and healing.
“We were grieving and working through that grief and putting it on the stage,”
director justin fix
“And… along the way,
it was healing us.”
From the grieving widow to the manic maid, each performer sustains the illusion with unnerving authenticity. Guests often linger on the front lawn afterward, trading stories about what they saw—or thought they saw.
It’s that shared reflection, that blurred line between audience and actor, that elevates The Willows into a living, breathing work of art.
FAQ: About The Willows
Q: What is The Willows?
A: The Willows is an immersive theater experience by JFI Productions in Los Angeles.
Guests attend a dinner party that spirals into a dark, emotional mystery inside a mansion.
Q: Can guests attend more than once?
A: Yes—and many do. With “a maze of 7 narratives” and branching storylines, no two experiences are ever the same.
Q: How long does the experience last?
A: The show typically runs two hours, blending performance, interaction, and light dinner (wine and snacks) in a private mansion setting.
Q: Is The Willows appropriate for all audiences?
A: The experience is designed for adults (18+) and may include intense emotional themes and suspenseful moments.
A Night You’ll Never Forget
Los Angeles thrives on reinvention—and The Willows proves that immersive storytelling can be both chilling and profound. Whether you’re a local Angeleno or flying in from Austin, Phoenix, or New York, it’s an unforgettable night of fear, beauty, and connection.
For show dates and tickets, visit https://www.jfiproductions.com/
