Electric Playhouse, an Albuquerque entertainment company embattled by the Covid-19 pandemic, is preparing for a refresh with an executive shakeup and new interactive exhibits.
The 'immersive' entertainment company announced on Friday that cofounder Brandon Garrett will move into the role of CEO. He will replace cofounder John-Mark Collins, who will move into the position of chief experience officer. In addition, Electric Playhouse chief technology officer Eric Yakley will take on "a significantly more refined process and oversight," according to a news release from the company.
"This change allows for clear leadership on our content and product strategy, as well as a definitive leader on the growth, real estate, and scalability side of the business," Garrett said in a statement. "We're not successful unless both of these key pieces are handled with incredible attention to detail and energy."
Whereas the company has been acting as a "traditional startup," according to the news release, that structure is "neither sustainable for the long term nor good for the focus and clarity of the staff and stakeholders."
The new model will allow for more efficiency and growth, according to the company.
Electric Playhouse, which was founded in 2018 as an outgrowth of Storylab, also plans to expand its platform to other markets including Dallas and Denver within the ensuing year. It also plans to boost its offerings, including games and game studios, according to the company.
The announcement comes after more than one year since Covid-19 pandemic restrictions were implemented on business, which caused the company to suffer serious setbacks.
The company opened to the public just weeks before it was forced to furlough dozens of workers in response to the pandemic-related restrictions. Collins told Business First last year that he was "obviously dismayed" at the situation but was also worried that preemptive easing of restrictions could lead to a spike in cases, resulting in another wave of forced closures.
Other interactive entertainment companies also laid workers off during the Covid-19 pandemic, including Santa Fe Arts firm Meow Wolf, which confirmed that it cut 201 positions in April of last year.
