Jessica Karels has over 15 years of experience in developing and supporting live-action gaming communities. She held a number of global administrative positions in One World By Night before founding The Hidden Parlor in late 2015. She uses her code-geek skills to make web applications to streamline the administrative side of networked games. Currently, Jessica is in the process of developing SideReal Sanctuaries, a larp that utilizes modern urban fantasy tropes in order to explore social issues.

 

Previous Larp Leadership Roles

  • One World by Night: Network of World of Darkness parlor LARPs
    • Admissions Coordinator: 2004-2009
      Supported incoming games, which included the merge with Brazil by Night
    • Assistant Web Coordinator: 2011-2016
      Developed and maintained club IT infrastructure, which included voting tools and a club-wide database for participant records (disciplinary actions) and character records (custom content and unusual character tracking)
    • Marketing Coordinator: 2013-2014
      Developed initiatives for local-level and event marketing and to foster mentor-ship of new participants
    • Head Coordinator: 2014-2015
      Fostered relationships with World of Darkness IP-holders and publishers on behalf of the club, built awareness of demographic trends within the community through membership surveys, and increased top-down communication within the organization
  • The Hidden Parlor: Network of World of Darkness parlor LARPs
    • Club President & Web Application Developer: 2015-2018
      Fostered relationships with World of Darkness IP-holders and publishers on behalf of the club, developed a Code of Conduct and Volunteer Incentive Point systems that have been adopted (with some modifications) by other World of Darkness fan clubs.

 

Current Projects

  • SideReal Sanctuaries: A larp that uses modern urban fantasy tropes to explore social issues
  • Larp Chat Live: An interactive, live broadcast focused on  emerging and provocative discussions in the live action role playing and immersive theatre communities

 

Essays

  • What Women Want in Gaming: Addressing Issues of Sexual Violence Within Our Community (Part 1) (Part 2) – Blog post on Keep on the Heathlands
  • Strategies for Improving Communication Between Players and Game Staff – Published as part of the Mind’s Eye Theatre: Immersion Secrets anthology

 

Podcast Appearances