HBO created a 'Westworld' experience at SXSW that's like Disney World with gunslingers, women, and booze - take an exclusive look inside
The location of the experience is a secret. Fans who successfully booked one of the super exclusive appointments to visit Westworld gathered at a bar in Austin to catch a shuttle.
Before we boarded, guests climbed the stairs to a rooftop bar that served as an office for Delos, the mysterious corporation behind theme-park destinations like Westworld.
A Delos "employee" dressed in all white asked my name, gave me a once-over, and said, "You're a black hat." Apparently she saw more rebellious rogue than do-gooder in me.
Another employee led us to the shuttle, and we were on our way. A host aboard the bus told us there were two rules: Don't break anything, and don't hurt another guest, or visitor.
We each received two tokens to buy alcohol from one of the town's three saloons, including — yes — the famed Mariposa bar and brothel, where Sweetwater's prostitutes do business.
The bus pulled off onto a dusty road. "Welcome to Westworld," a host greeted us.
We walked through the Delos office and into a train car, like the one from the show that transports guests to Westworld. We didn't find Teddy (James Marden), but met a friendly bartender instead.
When I stepped off the train, I could hardly believe my eyes. It was Sweetwater.
Production on the Westworld park began in November. A crew of 40 people worked for the last five weeks assembling the set, from scenic design and construction to landscaping.
HBO hired a cast of 60 actors, six stunt people, five bands, and six local horses to bring "Westworld" to life. A script for the 90-minute experience runs over 440 pages long.
But the experience is really what you make of it. I approached a pair of women who asked me if I was interested in attending a meeting of women's suffragists tomorrow night.
I told them I was "mighty delighted" to join their cause. When they said a monetary donation would be appreciated, I offered one of my drink tokens in lieu of cash.
My years of playing Dungeons and Dragons kicked into gear, and I took up a Southern accent for the rest of the experience. I only wish I had thought up a character name.
Guests were free to explore Sweetwater at their own pace. At the Mariposa Saloon, women dressed in corsets fawned over the guests, while cowboys played a heated card game.
An unmanned piano played a song from the show. The sheet music was splattered with blood, just like in the "Westworld" season two trailer. The hosts didn't notice.
Guests collected personalized letters from the post office.
I received an anonymous letter from a fellow guest in Sweetwater, who warned me that Westworld is not what it seems. "Tell the others. This world is a lie," the letter said.
At the cemetery, the preacher turned a blind eye to guests digging up a grave marked for Dolores (played by Evan Rachel Wood in the show). They looked for clues to unlock one of the park's mysteries.
There's a series of numbers hidden throughout the park that, when combined, unlock a secret laboratory where Delos employees are working on a new type of host.
I never found the room, but images on Instagram reveal the employees were manufacturing a "drone host," an artificial being that assaults Bernard (Jeffrey Wright) in the trailer.
We don't know much else about the drone hosts, but such an elaborate staging of one in the "Westworld" park experience suggests they could become key players in season two.
The drone host wasn't the only new character we spotted. See someone familiar?
A samurai patrolled the town, mostly keeping out of sight, without ever saying a word.
In the season one finale, we learn that Westworld isn't the only Delos Destinations park.
Maeve (Thandie Newton) comes across a lab where Asian men wearing traditional samurai costume fight in battle. A sign marked "SW" hints at the possibility of a samurai world.
HBO pulled out all the stops to make this elaborate and playful experience at SXSW.
Here's me (black hat) reacting during a shootout in the town square.
The most magical part of the experience was the commitment of its actors. No one broke character during my two-hour visit, and they improvised interactions gracefully.
When it was all over, a Delos crew came to remove the bodies of the hosts "killed in action."
In the aftermath of the shootout, the hosts shuddered as they were "rebooted."
I asked a host what the commotion was about. "What commotion?" she said, just like a host from "Westworld" would say.
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