The Willy Wonka of San Francisco: Barron Scott Levkoff
If you’ve gone to an incredibly artful, immersive party in San Francisco in the last 3 decades there’s a good chance you’ve witnessed the handy work of Barron Scott Levkoff, or perhaps seen the wizard himself dressed as a psychedelic Sgt. Pepper, a Lewis Caroll Rabbit, or simply as San Francisco’s Willy Wonka in the flesh.
Levkoff has collaborated with countless artists, performers, and builders over the years and has produced, designed and/or performed in some of the most legendary art parties in the Bay and beyond.
His latest event was a Candy Land-themed Wonka-esque spectacle that I attended on a Spring night in San Francisco. Outside The Midway, I saw that Burning Man Co-Founder John Law had parked the Doggie Diner Dogs, which is a key indication that Cacophonists, clowns, culture jammers, and performance artists lay ahead. Then we noticed that Abraham was manning the door, another indication that people were getting weird beyond the precipice.
And a Willy Wonka quote came to mind, “The suspense is terrible… I hope it’ll last.”
The author and two co-conspirators upon entering the Wonkyverse.
Video from our night in the Wonkyverse:
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So meet Barron Scott Levkoff, an artist you should know…
Artist Name: Barron Scott Levkoff
Web site: linktr.ee/scottlevkoff
Artist IG: @barronscottlevkoff, @mysticmidway, @goldfirerising
What was your first job in the Bay Area?
My first job was as a Street Sweeper/ Attendant at UNION SQUARE Maiden Lane. I had seen street performers in Europe during my college years and thought, “hmmm, I could prob do that here.”
I studied the area during my lunch breaks, found a great alcove near Macy’s Square, befriended the local security guards, built my first Punch & Judy Puppet stage and puppets, and started busking. I met Entertainment Agents my first weekend out who hired me soon thereafter for professional gigs as a Puppeteer and Clown. I’ve since performed my Punch & Judy Puppet Show over 1000 times!
The Ensemble, along with a compliment of custom decor sets and prop pieces transformed the Rotunda of SF CITY hall into a living scene straight out of THE YELLOW SUBMARINE, celebrating the 50th Anniversary of THE SUMMER OF LOVE and the colorful diversity of SF PRIDE 2017.
You started your art/performance career doing…
I worked the Renaissance Pleasure Faire as a puppeteer and Jester Fool ( an old-timey clown named Sir Bumble of Bee), making modest pay as a performer on the weekends. Those first years playing with guests in the dusty streets of Faire ignited my passion for strolling improv character work which i’ve continued to do professionally for 35 years now.
You’ve been creating somewhat legendary events in the Bay Area for how long now?
I threw my first event, a masked Fairytale Absinthe party in 1990, soon after I arrived in SF from South Beach, Miami where I had a studio gallery in the Artists District on Espanola Way.
My first big SF event was around 1995: CLUB RITUAL, a theatrical Fetish event I co-produced with Sherri The Rubbermaid at the old Trocadero that Bjork, Trent Reznor, Love & Rockets, Marilyn Manson and other celebs guests attended. I loved the theatricality of the Fetish world and was involved with Dark Garden Fashion Events, SLICK, THE SKIN TWO RUBBER BALL, JAMES STONE FETISH BALL, EXOTIC EROTIC BALL, and went on to co-found MASQUEROTICA with Joegh Bullock and Mark Petrakis.
We started throwing ‘sexy arty parties’ with my KINKY SALON co-founder Polly Superstar in the early 2000s until I stepped out around 2012 to pursue producing Immersive events under the MYSTIC MIDWAY brand with my CoFounder Marty Caplan, taking the prosocial techniques I had honed producing those experiences into new offerings.
‘All the world’ truly is a stage for participatory play.
Mondo Wonky performers at SF Midway.
I continued to explore and experiment in the event space with CARNIMUNDI a ‘Theaterotica Funhouse’, MASTER MONDO’S BIZARRE-O-TRONIC event series (MONDO WONKY being the latest MONDO event), and a SPOOKEASY: Mr.Nobody’s Adventures in the Cartoon Underworld’. I helped co-produce talent for the first SEA OF DREAMS, LAGUNITAS BEER CIRCUS as well as book acts for BURNING MAN’s Center Stage. Throughout all these events, I continued to weave my passion for interactive performance into the guests experience, a passion ignited years back in the magical dusty streets of Ren Faire where ‘all the world’ truly is a stage for participatory play.
More recently I’ve brought my interactive theatrics and techniques to the Winchester Mystery House as co-producer & co-director of Mr.NOBODY’s Mystic Midway (2019)’ UNHINGED: Madame Nightshades Spirit Carnival (2022 and UNHINGED: HOUSEWARMING (2023)
But you recently have done some big things in Vegas too right?
During the pandemic I pivoted to designing venues THRILLER SOCIAL CLUB SF, POESIA RISTORANTE SF, consulted on various projects: EVERLAND Mythic Art Park, BLOOM, AMBER GAME STUDIOS, and worked on Guy Laliberte’s (CIRQUE DU SOLEIL Co-Founder) HANAI WORLD metaverse project.
In 2023 I was the lead Designer on Cantina Tequila in Henderson, Nevada working with talented artists along with’ Chad Majer and Sean Cooley of MAJER IMAGINEERING who helped build animatronic shows, animated Lowrider car dioramas, a Walter Mercado -themed sound & light show and more, all within a short 4-month turnaround.
I also led decor upgrades and designed animated show sequences for the already fantastic GOLDEN TIKI in Vegas’ Chinatown District, helping them earn BEST OVERALL BAR by Vegas Magazine
What was your favorite installation/performance that you were involved in at Burning Man?
Hmmmm. This is a hard one, My two runners up:
1 Chasing bewildered guests through a dust storm in my Giant Plaid Puppet Pants costume, swinging a huge foam sausage and yodeling from a megaphone until stopped by a clown cop who stopped me to ask if I had ‘ a license to sell hot dogs?’. TRUE STORY
2. I was hugely inspired by my MM cast’s commitment to bringing our MYSTIC MIDWAY/ CARNIVAL OF MIRRORS Mythic Funhouse Labyrinth to life in the midst of a 5 day white out storm back in 2015
Mystic Midways Theatrical Funhouse at Burning Man Carnival of Mirrors, 2015, poster by Casey Castille, midwayville.com/#/carnival-of-mirrors-1/
The Winning memory though, definetely has to be the night of the ETERNAL RETURN, a large-scale immersive theatrical ritual I designed and directed as part of THE COMMUNITY DANCE with Michael Gosney and Joegh Bullock. A truly weird apocalyptic Medicine Show combining crop circles, a mandala-shaped stage, a laser pyramid, and performers enacting ‘An Alchemical Marriage of The Sun, Moon and Stars’ meant to signify ‘Rebirth’ after The Man burned.
We even had Terrance McKenna standing by on satellite phone ready to give a rap on Death & Resurrection. Needless to say, our 40ft high mechanical Lotus sculpture (signifying rebirth) didn’t open but out of the Chaos of that night my commitment to the ‘creative social process’ was born and set me on my path as a prosocial designer.
(Footnote: we later opened that d*mn Lotus at 50 Oak at the first Sea of Dreams event!)
SPOOKEASY, Immersive at the GREAT STAR, www.midwayville.com/#/spookeasy-1/
Your most recent party ‘MondoWonky’ at SF Midway, was a massive interactive theater experience played on a large Candyland game board, where performers in incredible costumes created a bit of a magical environment with interactive art installations, stage performances and of course dance music. Any particular performances that stood out to you that night? And do you plan to collaborate with this troop of artists and installations again?
MONDO WONKY was an ambitious collaboration brought to life by a whole circus of Creatives, many whom I’ve known and worked with for years, all with whom I’d work with again. Many of us were out of work and I wanted to make something happen and put artists & performers in the spotlight. I’m grateful to Mystic Midway’s existing supporters behind the scenes, Victoria Lane, Ed Dahl of www.afterscience.com / https://
The quality of PLAY and CONNECTION that sparked between guests and performers was definitely my favorite aspect of the event. In those moments MONDO WONKY became more the sum of its parts: Performers, guests, art installations, music, and game mechanics. With guests as welcome collaborators, we stepped into WONKYS FACTORY and together built something weird and wonderful for the night
Members of Raining Chainsaws enjoying Mondo Wonky at SF Midway
So what’s next for you and Mystic Midway?
I’ve experienced the value Immersive Art and Theater can bring to our city, as have many probably reading this interview.
I celebrate the rousing efforts orgs like CIVIC JOY FUND and INTO THE STREETS towards revitalizing Civic Pride and inspiring engagement.
We definitely need more support, funding, venues, and platforms for unleashing the potential The Immersive Arts Community holds.
My question right now, as someone deeply in love with SF Bay Area Creative Culture and as an experienced designer- is how might we engage Immersive Art and Experience to uplift the SF Bay Area Commons and public spaces? How can we bring people together in meaningful ways that ignite connections between strangers, nurture Civic Pride, and empower EVERYONE as ‘Heros and Stewards of The Goldfire’?
Scott presents an early version of GOLDFIRE RISING at the WXO Experience Summit in London, England 2023
My answer: SAN FRANTOPIA- an alternate reality game show that celebrates SF History, Culture, Community Spirit, and a world that CAN be a love letter to San Francisco written together by audiences and performers.
Guests and audiences explore a giant pop-up game board, meet iconic SF characters, work together to solve challenges, and spend GOLDFIRE currency earned through play to uplevel each other’s experience by unlocking parades, dance happenings, pollinator flowers, and even donations for real-world charities and causes.
Marty Caplan, CoFounder of Mystic Midway awarding Goldfire Story Currency for guests TERRIBLE stories, https://www.midwayville.com/#/edwardian-ball-stories-of-gold/
In this regard, MONDO WONKY was a successful exploration of the prosocial game mechanics I plan on embedding into SAN FRANTOPIA.
Through immersive PLAY, SAN FRANTOPIA nurtures cooperative, prosocial intelligence and potentially helps us tackle the tough challenges we currently face as a City.
San Frantopia integrates what I’ve learned from many of our previous offerings: MIDWAYVILLE SF, MIDWAYVILLE: Life is Beautiful/ Vegas and STORIES OF GOLD/ Edwardian Ball: all part of my ongoing exploration into immersive experiences using cooperative gameplay mechanics
Mystic Midway’s STORIES OF GOLD Story Currency came in ‘MAGICAL, TERRIBLE and WHIMSICAL’ denominations
(We’ve deployed Goldfire Story Currency at corp. rentals of Midwayville that featured women-owned non-profits as recipients for donations ‘unlocked’ through play by teams of Project Managers )
I’m also excited about recently finishing ‘GOLDFIRE RISING – The Meaningful Conversation Card Game’, my latest offering developed over many years working with Marty Caplan, Ramsay Wood and local artists Nick Sirotich and Ted Naifeh. Refined over many hundreds of conversations during the pandemic, Goldfire Rising supports meaningful conversation and connection through consensual social dynamics, inquiries and activities.
Goldfire Rising – The Meaningful Conversation Card Game, @goldfirerising
How has the process/cost of creating events and promoting them changed over time in the Bay Area?
I appreciate this question. EVERYTHING is harder, more expensive and many creatives have left the Bay Area due to lack of support and high prices.
Social aptitudes are down, people are overwhelmed, many of the creatives that remain are pretty burnt out and countless venues have thrown in the towel as they simply can’t afford to operate. Attendance at shows is also down probably because audiences don’t have the money to go out, tastes changed during the pandemic and people now tend to hang out in smaller groups and engage in more DIY small-scale social fun.
Promoting has also become enormously expensive. People are connecting with their friends and peer groups in more insular ways, modeled after their pandemic ‘pods’. All this can eat away at the Social Commons, which benefits from ‘third space’ connections fueled, in part, by connections sparked between strangers. When we stop engaging with one another, Community Spirit dwindles and Civic Pride suffers.
Robot Heart Residency programing at the Loom in Oakland.
Look at the recent ROBOT HEART RESIDENCY, a creative community dedicated to keeping the heart of the community warm and beating through shared, participatory experience. Some folks might just see ‘Rave’ but I see Social Artistry in service of COMMUNITAS. (Communitas definitely: ‘an unstructured or minimally structured group of individuals in a state of equality, solidarity, and togetherness’.)
This is why I’m doubling down on finding collaborators and support for MYSTIC MIDWAY’S style of Immersive Art & Theater: purpose-driven, artful experiences that bring people together to connect in meaningful ways and ‘Raise The Goldfire’. ‘Goldfire’ being a term I’ve coined to describe the ‘collective effervescence’ generated through participatory experiences, meaningful connection, and virtuous interaction.
Awarding donations to non-profits at Mystic Midway’s MIDWAYVILLE corp. team building offering, midwayville.com/#/genentech/
I applaud folks like Tom Radulovich, ROBOT HEART, THE CIVIC JOY FUND, GOOD PEOPLE, INTO THE STREETS, Jenn Stokes, Peaches Christ, ELECTROLUXX, IT ALL STARTS HERE, RAINING CHAINSAWS, and the many individuals and organizations working hard to nurture Community Vitality and RAISE THE GOLDFIRE!
Any artists you think are particularly outstanding right now in the Bay Area?
Anyone contributing to keeping the ‘Goldfire Lantern’ of Creative Community burning bright inspires me these days: Gregangelo, Fierce Femcee Ifn Whendy, Stefan Gosieski/ PSYCHEDELICIOUS, Stephanie Mufson/ THE PARADE GUYS, Edna Mira Raia/ PALACE OF TRASH, Peaches Christ/ TERROR VAULT, D’arcy Drollinger/ OASIS, Elliot Nathan/ ELECTROLUXX/ SAN FRANCISCO GALLERY, Dan Griffiths/ CHURCH OF CLOWN Crew, RAINING CHAINSAWS COLLECTIVE, SECRET PARTY, Jamie DeWolf/ RUCKUS AND RUMPUS, Maddie & Mathew of TAKE3, Jenn Stokes/ MOONLIGHTING and many others!
Allison Jones aka IFNWHENDY, fierce FEMCEE, Burlesque Superstar and Art Craft teacher
If people want to donate or volunteer to help make future amazing art projects in San Francisco, how can they do that?
MYSTIC MIDWAY’S SAN FRANTOPIA seeks collaborators, ally orgs and funding.
Deck available upon request, please feel to reach out to Scott at profviolet@gmail.com
MYSTIC MIDWAY STORE is now up at www.mysticmidwaystore.com and filled with groovy fashions and accessories made with art created over the past 20+ years by various artists and assembled by IfnWhendy
Join the GOLDFIRE RISING community in meaningful conversation with the new card game developed by Mystic Midway’s Creative Director Scott Levkoff
Follow @goldfirerising on Instagram for details on meetups and Goldfire Conversation Salons, www.thisisgoldfire.com website up shortly
Join the Mystic Midway mailing list to find out about future events and offerings!
Mystic Midway, a 501(c)3 affiliate of Independent Arts and Media is a Social Theater of The Marvelous dedicated to teaching prosocial behaviors through immersive art, technology and deeply interactive performance and gratefully accepts tax-deductible donations to continue its programming: https://www.artsandmedia.net/mystic-midway
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