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Togas over tech: An SF co-living house throws a Greek tragedy party (no AI talk allowed)

People in a green-lit room seem distraught, one lying on the floor as others attend to them.
NoPa co-living house the Muse hosted an immersive play and party experience in March inspired by the mythical and tragic love story of Orpheus and Eurydice. | Source: Misha Gurevich for The Standard

I had two choices as I stood at the foot of a four-story NoPa Edwardian wearing a last-minute attempt at a Grecian gown and heels way too high for San Francisco’s hills: 

Take a short hike into Hades’ underworld on the first floor? Or scale three steep flights into a heavenly Elysium?

I chose to take my chances in hell—and emerged into a black-lit dance floor bumping with bodies swathed in flowy garments and Greco-Roman-style breastplates. Stark-white masquerade face masks were strewn about the house, like the remnants of some secret ritual (had I just missed a sex party?).

Three people in festive attire are sitting on a bed; two women and one man playing guitar, all seemingly in a joyful mood.
The Muse's Spring Bacchanalia party and immersive play "Lyra" invited guests to dress up in Greek-inspired attire. | Source: Misha Gurevich for The Standard

But, this wasn’t any Eyes Wide Shut affair—in fact, the online invitation explicitly said “not a play party.” Rather, the elevated toga party, Spring Bacchanalia, hosted by “intentional living community” the Muse earlier this month featured interactive activity rooms alongside the usual San Francisco house party fare (beer, wine, virgin gin and tonics). You could introspectively paint a reflection of your soul while crouched on the floor, or sip hot tea in a dim and intimate lounge, or have your worldly cares worked out of your back in a red-lit massage room. 

The bash was thrown by a collection of “deep thinkers, deep feelers and deep empaths”—a loose assortment of young techies, aspiring thespians and others “focused on action and making change”—who reside at the Muse, or just use the house as a, well, muse for their intellectual wanderings and creative endeavors. 

Couples dance in a room with green lighting, decorations and string lights.
A dance party breaks out in the Elysian common room. | Source: Misha Gurevich for The Standard
Two images depict themed parties: one with toga-wearing guests in green light, the other with dancers in neon blue light.
On March 9, residents and friends of the creative co-living community the Muse put on a Greek-themed immersive play and Spring Bacchanalia party, which took over two stories of the group house in NoPa | Source: Misha Gurevich for The Standard

Instead of the usual San Francisco party tricks du jour—Vision Pros, generative AI demos—the night began with an immersive play, called Lyra, that mashed together the great Greek love myths of Orpheus and Eurydice and Hades and Persephone, tossing in some Dante’s Inferno in for good measure. 

Muse co-founder Thibault Duchemin wanted the play to set the scene for the party, which celebrated the arrival of spring, and for the party to extend the shelf life of the play. 

A couple lounges in bed, one looking at a smartphone, in a warmly lit, intimate setting.
The Muse's Spring Bacchanalia invited guests to party and kick back in an Edwardian mansion in Greek-themed costumes. | Source: Misha Gurevich for The Standard

“Something that I’ve always been frustrated with is that you have such beautiful decor in theater,” said Duchemin. “Then 9 p.m. you’re done.” Here “you want to fall asleep still in this universe,” he continued. “You’ve just watched an Orphic journey about love and about overcoming heartbreak. … Now, like, walk through the spaces.” 

The party was also an invitation for friends—and friends of friends—to connect on a deeper level, away from San Francisco’s ever-present technological advancements. “This would never be created by an AI,” Duchemin said. “Like, we never talked about AI at all during the whole play.” 

See 7 more images from Spring Bacchanalia

Invites to the Muse’s themed and seasonal parties are by word of mouth, but you can follow the collective @themusesf for updates.