Dustin Staggs
NWA Democrat-Gazette
There’s still time to be haunted by the immersive experience that is “I Haunt You,” with two more shows at The Melonlight Ballroom in Eureka Springs.
Emily and Raymond Ulibarri, a husband and wife duo who own the ballroom/theatre above Brews, have created a theatrical experience like no other. Their original show, “I Haunt You,” is currently in its fourth season. According to reviews on their website, it has captivated audiences with its uncanny elegance and compelling story.
The two-hour show premiered first in October 2021 and transports viewers through time and emotion, presenting the eerie stories of three couples haunted by love that lasts beyond death.
The Ulibarris have always had an affinity for eerie stories. When they made the choice to do a two-person show, Emily said it felt right to go into that realm of the supernatural because the genre is able to raise deeper concerns about love, life and what comes after.
“I think ghost stories just do that,” Emily Ulibarri said. They “are questioning the afterlife and things we don’t know, things we don’t have certain answers for. I think that uncertainty is what makes [the genre] a really fun, creative space. Because this is my interpretation of a ghost.”
Raymond Ulibarri said that part of his draw to the genre stems from being a dancer.
“We can go, ‘Well, now we get to move a little differently, because it is the spooky genre, there’s always that mystery element,’” he said.
At its core, “I Haunt You” is a romance. The story incorporates ballroom dancing, the cornerstone of the couple’s own love story and collaboration.
The Ulibarris’ narrative began when they were 13. In middle school, they hung out in the same circle of friends. By age 16, they were in a dance class together in high school, went to prom and began dating their senior year.
They worked at a ballroom dance studio in their early 20s. Although their experience was in jazz, ballet, hip-hop, and world dance, they were hired and learned a whole new world of dance with ballroom.
After years of professional ballroom dancing, they established Melonlight Ballroom in 2010, first in Denver, Colo., where they taught dance and fostered their love of performing together.
“We really did fall in love through dance,” Emily Ulibarri said. “But then we went into partnership dance, which is really all about connection and communication.”
When they relocated to Eureka Springs, they made the shift from a dance-focused organization to a full-fledged theatre company. In 2016, they moved into their current space above Brews on Pine Street, and it proved to be the ideal setting for creating the immersive, dramatic presentations they had always desired.
They had done plenty of productions with 20 or more people when they got the itch to do a two-person show.
The idea for the two-person show first lived in a notebook simply titled “Duets.”
Timing seemed to be in their favor when the two were trying to decide between whether or not to do this small production.
At the top of 2020, the two went to New York City for inspiration, where they saw a few spooky immersive shows and were feeling like they were ready to flesh out their “Duets” idea. When the covid-19 pandemic hit, they were able to rehearse and put together the show in time for it’s premiere since it was just the two of them making up the cast.
In their collaborations, Emily writes the script, and Raymond creates the soundtrack. They are seemingly separate, but still go hand-in-hand and rely on each other — just like ballroom dancing.
The soundtrack created by Raymond is one complete track. It gives “I Haunt You” more of a cinematic experience because even the audience doesn’t know when to clap, Ulibarri said.
After each performance, the couple hosts meet-and-greets, allowing them to engage with their audience and receive immediate feedback. Because it is an intimate experience, Emily said, it’s fun getting the feedback of what was or wasn’t effective for people. It gives the audience the chance to feel connected in a way they don’t always get at the theater.
The interactions with people through their performances are what Raymond finds most rewarding about creating original works like “I Haunt You.”
“I love sharing our art with everyone and hearing the feedback,” Raymond said. “It’s really nice to engage with the people.”
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FAQ
“I Haunt You”
WHEN — 7-9:30 p.m. Nov. 9 and 16
WHERE — The Melonlight Ballroom, 2 Pine St., Eureka Springs
COST — Youth admission is $30. General admission is $47. VIP rows are both $65.
INFO — melonlight.com/i-haunt-you
