I love theatre (surprise, surprise) and I’m a huge nerd, so when the opportunity presented itself to see Twenty-Sided Tavern, a show based on Dungeons & Dragons, I was there.
Dungeons and Dragons is a fantasy tapletop role-playing game first published in 1974. Since then, D&D, as it’s familiarly called, has grown to more than just a tabletop game to a life of its own. In May 2024, the the officially licensed Dungeons and Dragons live experience “Twenty-Sided Tavern” opened in Studio 42 in New York City, according the Playbill.com.
“Twenty-Sided Tavern” is an improvised and interactive theatre experience. Whether you’re a DM (dungeon master) with your friends or this is your first D&D experience, everyone is included. You don’t need to know anything about the game or its backstory to understand the show (but, if you need a bit of a backstory, they have a rundown on their website).
When you arrive, you’re given a Playbill with a certain colored sticker, that sticker is the character that represents you performed by one of the actors. If you’ve never played, imagine this like a live-action choose your own adventure. Based on decisions you make on your cell phone as a group with others who got the same sticker color/role as you, your character sheets are designed. You also participate in games on your phone to help your character fight in various battles along the way based on your classes and dice rolls.
The story is completely designed on the spot so no show night is the same. In between different road blocks, there are opportunities for crowd interaction on and off stage- including a giant D20 to roll.
Learn about D&D and have fun while doing it! I had the best time immersing myself in the story and character. I felt myself rooting for my character’s storyline through the castle even though it was a pretty basic set. I hope to see this show on tour and in the Capital Region. I had the most fun and would go see it over and over again.
For those hesitant to embrace their nerdy sides, I will leave you with the note that my friend that I went with, who knows nothing of the D&D lore, had a great time. So, if you’re looking to see theatre in New York City but want a different kind of theatre experience, you need to see “Twenty-Sided Tavern.”
