Interactive theater is making a swift return to Maricopa — this time in a tighter, faster-paced format designed to pull festivalgoers straight into the action. 

After debuting last month, Broadway Maricopa is bringing back its immersive storytelling concept this weekend at Wild West Music Fest, transforming a corner near the main stage into a fully interactive Old West jailhouse. 

Director Marcus Ellsworth describes the attraction as a “mini escape room,” but with a theatrical twist. 

“Guests will step into the story as one member of their group is ‘arrested,’ and the rest must solve clues and complete challenges to break them out,” Ellsworth said. “They’ll interact with the prisoner, the deputy — really fish for clues inside the jail. It’s part theater, part puzzle.” 

Ellsworth and set designer Tom Hlebasko spent hours assembling the detailed jail facade earlier this week, offering a preview of what’s to come. 

“There will be four or five cells in the back,” Ellsworth said. “Three of them will actually hold participants, so multiple groups can go through at once.” 

For Hlebasko, the project is a natural extension of a longtime passion. Known locally for his elaborate Halloween displays at his Cobblestone Farms home, he traces his love of immersive builds back to his time in the Air Force.

“I had some extra wood and a new nail gun and thought, ‘Let’s see what I can build,’” he said. “It started with a small bayou scene and a garage maze and just kept growing from there.” 

That hobby has since evolved into set design for Broadway Maricopa, where realism and immersion are key. 

“It’s about transporting people,” Hlebasko said. “Not just throwing something together but creating an environment that feels real. This looks like an Old West jail, and once you’re inside, it takes you somewhere else.” 

For Ellsworth, the jailhouse experience is an introduction as much as it is a festival attraction. 

“It’s exciting to be part of such a big community event and give people a taste of what we do,” he said. “It’s fun, it’s immersive and it really shows what Broadway Maricopa is all about.” 

The group’s full season kicks off in August with a musical production of The Wizard of Oz. But for now, they’re inviting Maricopa residents to test their wits and break someone out of jail before Soulja Boy takes the stage.

Schedule

Friday: 4-6 p.m.

Saturday: 12-8 p.m.

Sunday: 12-4 p.m.