Stranger Things: The First Shadow

Following its genre-defying opening at The Phoenix Theatre in London’s West End, Netflix’s “Stranger Things: The First Shadow,” the Olivier award-winning theatrical experience, is now turning Broadway upside down at The Marquis Theatre, New York.

The world of Stranger Things was brought to the stage by a multi-award-winning creative team, including 59, a Journey studio, responsible for Video and Visual Effects Design.

Directed by Stephen Daldry and co-directed by Justin Martin, “Stranger Things: The First Shadow” is a play written by Kate Trefry from an original story by the Duffer Brothers, Jack Thorne and Trefry. The story serves as a prequel to the events of the television series, “Stranger Things.”

The development of video content began with a series of workshops in which scale model box projection, full-scale mockups, previsualization and extensive iterations were employed to take concepts through to production, all in close cooperation with illusions, sound and lighting.

To create convincing digital “doubles” for key moments of the show, we employed motion capture techniques more commonly associated with CGI for films and television. All the actors for these moments were scanned and modeled in software, and performances were captured in multiple takes before being stitched together into coherent, carefully choreographed sequences.

Though the design of the production was undoubtedly cutting edge, our focus was on ensuring the visual components of the show helped support the storytelling. Our design brings together digital and traditional theatrical techniques to create a rich, absorbing, surprising world — and in the process, pushes the outer boundaries of theater craft.

‘Stranger Things: The First Shadow’ succeeds by fusing high culture idioms with pop storytelling. This potent mix creates fan-first experiences that propel IPs beyond the living room into shared cultural spaces.

In doing so, broader audiences are given an entry point to theater, opera, and dance through stories they recognize and in terms they can easily relate to.

The effect is twofold: it creates awe-inspiring and, crucially, shared memories that solidify real-world fan communities while elevating the brand experience beyond merch and streaming services.