Would You Go To A Fyre Fest Party?

A queue has just started forming outside a nondescript building on the Lower East Side when two girls approach me with the age-old question: “What are you in line for?”

I explain that I’m here to see a preview of a Fyre Fest-inspired play from the new theatrical production company Girlpox, created by actors Francesca Keller and Violet Savage. The night is slated to be an immersive, mini-festival experience, “and there’s going to be a party afterward,” according to the invite. Satisfied, the girls continue on their way, freeing up the space for a trio of attendees behind me.

“How did you find this?” one asks. “I don’t even know, I just have so much faith in my algorithm at this point,” the presumed ticket-holder responds, which is pretty much the highest compliment an up-and-coming theater company could hope for.

The bouncer pulls out a wristband from an old Bon Bon bag and sends me up a spiral staircase, where I’m greeted by a picnic table covered in takeout boxes, each adorned with a cheeky phrase like “BDE Baby!” and “Send Nudes;” without looking, I grab one with “Anal” written on it and make my way up another spiral staircase to where the production is set to take place.

Surrounding the perimeter of the second floor are a couple dozen white folding chairs and the thinnest couches I’ve ever seen — all outfitted with a flyer for the show and a few rouge glow sticks — and in the center lay two risers that will later serve as a stage. Seated, I open my box, and inside sits a sad sandwich and some loose lettuce, along with a photo of the meals at Fyre Fest (in case you didn’t get the reference). It was just as gross as it sounds, though it did save me later in the night when I was in desperate need of a pick-me-up.

Around 9:30 p.m., Keller and Savage took to the stage to perform a 20-minute abridged version of the play, written by Catherine Weingarten and directed by Meg Maccary. The comedy — which centers around influencers Clarabelle and Jenna’s obsession with the festival’s promise of hooking up with hot guys — was just the sampling I needed to whet my appetite for Girlpox’s next move. It was a fun, lighthearted night at the theater, and you can catch the show for yourself when it premieres in the fall.

The actors take their bows, and the audience is shepherded up yet another spiral staircase to allow the team to prepare the performance space for dancing. On the roof, I make my way to the bar where they’re serving Fyre Fest-themed drinks like The Evacuation Shot, Billy McFargarita, Fraudka Lemonade, and Ja Rule’s Promise. I grab The FEMA Fizz and enjoy an acoustic set from Diva Smith before heading back downstairs.

A stark vibe shift from the chill gathering on the roof, the disruptive music of surprise guests The Telescreens radiates through two speakers suspended from the ceiling. Unless you took to the risers or a nearby stool, you couldn’t see the band from the crowd, which might explain why the guy in front of me kept lifting a girl onto his shoulder for a better view throughout the performance.

Next up was Marc Rebillet and his, shall we say, deconstructed DJ set. He opened with a simple directive: “No more f*cking around!”, a rule he repeatedly broke by faking out drops and cutting the song mid-beat to speak to the audience. Those who couldn’t get a spot around the booth lined up on the roof stairs to catch the set, and we all watched in awe as Rebillet improvised in a thick haze of vape smoke.

DJs Blu Detiger and Harmony Tividad took the booth next, and after three “one more song!” songs (“212” by Azealia Banks, “Hold It Against Me” by Britney Spears, and “Fame Is A Gun” by Addison Rae), I was ready to call it a night — but not before posing for a photo with my “Anal” box.

For an event inspired by disaster, the night turned out to be a huge success.