The Audiostalgia Room of The Boundary, designed and created by Josh Aterovis.

The Underworld set of The Boundary showing a chamber lit by bioluminescence, designed by Josh Aterovis and created by Josh Aterovis and Jacob Marrero.

The Underworld set of The Boundary showing a cave with cave paintings and an opening leading to second chamber lit by bioluminescence, designed by Josh Aterovis and created by Josh Aterovis and Jacob Marrero.

Bar Do set in The Boundary, designed by Josh Aterovis.

Audience and performer Tina Canady interact in the set of the Office in the Boundary.

Audience and performers Alexander Scally, Jenna Rossman and Betty O'Hellno interact in The Waiting Room Set of The Boundary.

Performers Josh Aterovis and Tara Caraiso interact with audience members in the Bar Dō set of The Boundary. Josh Aterovis played Bartender in The Boundary. The Bartender was a timeless being who welcomed audience members into the afterlife, made them a drink and engaged them in conversation until The Doctor could come help gently guide them back to life.

Performers Marissa Dahl and Dessie Delaplaine perform in the Rift set of The Boundary.

The Core Team who created The Boundary in the Bar Do set. L-R: Josh Aterovis, Megan Livingston, Glenn Ricci, Kim Le, Ursula Marcum

An audience member explores the Lab in The Boundary.

Cav Crawford has a lot going on. He’s a college student. He has a side gig as a PI. Oh yeah—and he sees ghosts. When four teenage boys disappear while ghost hunting but only one reappears days later (covered in blood and with no memory of what happened), the police point the finger at the boy.

The boy’s parents hire Cav to prove his innocence, and it doesn’t take him long to realize he’s in over his head. To complicate matters, Cav unintentionally summons the ghost of his dead boyfriend, who can’t seem to move on.

As the investigation deepens, Cav unearths disturbing similarities between his current case and a decades-old murder-suicide. By the time he realizes the power of the dark forces at work, it’s too late—he’s caught the attention of the killer, and he’ll soon learn there’s more than one kind of death….

Cav Crawford has a lot going on. He’s a college student. He has a side gig as a PI. Oh yeah—and he sees ghosts.

When four teenage boys disappear while ghost hunting but only one reappears days later (covered in blood and with no memory of what happened), the police point the finger at the boy. The boy’s parents hire Cav to prove his innocence, and it doesn’t take him long to realize he’s in over his head. To complicate matters, Cav unintentionally summons the ghost of his dead boyfriend, who can’t seem to move on.

As the investigation deepens, Cav unearths disturbing similarities between his current case and a decades-old murder-suicide. By the time he realizes the power of the dark forces at work, it’s too late—he’s caught the attention of the killer, and he’ll soon learn there’s more than one kind of death…. 

Published 2023, Dreamspinner Press

Once the audience is settled in the space, the lights click off one level at a time to reveal each of the Character Composites. Yellow threads traveled upwards around the space to connect them with the ideas, history, and people below. The Composites descend to join the Seekers (those using the library) and the rest of the audience.

Photo: Photos by Kintz

In the opening sequence, the house lights dimmed to reveal the "Character Composites" each in their own illuminated nook in the upper floors. Moments throughout the experience were designed to encourage the audience to gaze upwards and engage with the wondrous height of the room. The Cartographer (performed and devised by Hannah Fenster) was inspired by Shanawdithit and Judith Tyner.

Photo: Photos by Kintz

Josh Aterovis searching the card catalog in See Also

Each artist in See Also created their own space. I designed the look and feel and made all of the crafted accessories.

Josh Aterovis played The Writer in See Also. The Writer symbolized the systemic appropriation of marginalized voices in creative and intellectual spaces. He embodied the collective identity of white male creatives who historically expropriated the work of women and people of color, erasing their contributions and claiming credit for their ideas. As a representation of those silenced by an oppressive culture, The Writer served as a critique of the structures that perpetuate inequality, privileging some voices while suppressing others. His presence highlighted the cultural amnesia surrounding these forgotten creators and the ongoing struggle for recognition and equity in the arts and beyond.

The Seekers in See Also represented those who go to libraries in search of something. They were played by (l-r) Caitlin Weaver, Lisi Stoessel, Josh Aterovis, Emily Hall, Liz Ung, David Brasington, Trustina Sabah and Tara Caraiso.

In "See Also," Josh played The Writer. The Writer in See Also symbolized the systemic appropriation of marginalized voices in creative and intellectual spaces. He embodied the collective identity of white male creatives who historically expropriated the work of women and people of color, erasing their contributions and claiming credit for their ideas. As a representation of those silenced by an oppressive culture, The Writer served as a critique of the structures that perpetuate inequality, privileging some voices while suppressing others. His presence highlighted the cultural amnesia surrounding these forgotten creators and the ongoing struggle for recognition and equity in the arts and beyond.

"See Also" was a devised, site-specific, immersive experience that was run as a part of the "In the Stacks" series held at the George Peabody Library, in Baltimore, in February of 2020. Following threads (both figurative and literal) around the Peabody Library in a choose-your-own-adventure style, participants encountered visual art, soundscapes, and performers portraying character composites based on historical women and non-binary individuals from the collections of the Johns Hopkins Sheridan Libraries and University Museums. The performance culminated in the world premiere of a work by contemporary female composer Briay Conditt. The show was created by a collaborative team that included Josh Aterovis, Bella Lucero, Ursula Marcum, Mika Nakano, Glenn Ricci, Trustina Sabah, Dani Turner, Jess Rassp.

Excerpt from HT Darling's Incredible Musaeum (Submersive Productions, 2017) Role: Performer. "The Mastodon Scene" is the culminating scene of the two-hour devised, immersive production of HT DARLING'S INCREDIBLE MUSAEUM. This scene was the first time all the characters and audience were in the same space, where all the narrative threads came together for the end of the narrative of the two protagonists (Trustina Sabah's Aku Maxilla/The Humanoid Specimen & Sarah Olmsted Thomas' HT Darling). Although the show did not end here, the largely wordless movement sequence was very much felt as the "climax" of the show. This scene was also the culmination of months of collaborative ensemble work; it was collaboratively choreographed, using content and research from many different parts of our process.

A moment of chaos in the museum, featuring Josh Aterovis as Clayton, Fransisco Benevides as GK, Emily Hall as Birdie, Martha Robichaud as Bertie and a guest.

2017
Immersive theater
Photo by Glenn Ricci

Josh Aterovis as Clayton interacts with a guest.

2017
Immersive theater
Photo by Glenn Ricci

Set design for HT Darling

2017
Immersive theater
Photo by Glenn Ricci

Trustina Sabah as the alien Aku and Sarah Olmsted Thomas as HT Darling

2017
Immersive theater
Photo by Glenn Ricci

Sarah Olmsted Thomas as HT Darling

2017
Immersive theater
Photo by Glenn Ricci

Emily Hall as Birdie and Josh Aterovis as Clayton

2017
Immersive theater
Photo by Glenn Ricci

Josh Aterovis as Clayton and Emily Hall as Birdie

2017
Immersive theater
Photo by Glenn Ricci

Josh Aterovis as Clayton

2017
Immersive theater
Photo by Glenn Ricci

2017
Immersive theater
Photo by Glenn Ricci

“Let him be just and deal kindly with my people, for the dead are not powerless. Dead, did I say? There is no death, only a change of worlds."

When Killian takes on an investigation into a series of thefts from a Native American archaeological site as a favor for an old friend, he never dreamed it would escalate into violence and murder. What started out as a seemingly simple case suddenly has much higher stakes than missing artifacts. One person is dead, one injured, and more lives are on the line...including Killian’s.

Things aren’t exactly smooth sailing in Killian’s private life either. His boyfriend Micah has given him a huge choice, but his ex-boyfriend Asher’s unexpected reappearance has only clouded Killian’s decision. He must decide who he wants to be with, and quickly, before time runs out for all of them.

Cover art by Aaron Barlow

Published in 2018, currently out of print.

"We like to think of life as a story - complete with a nice, neat beginning, middle, and end. Real life is seldom that orderly. We often forget just how powerful the past can be. After all, it's over and done with, so how can the past affect the present? The truth is, while it may be over, it is seldom done. The past has a way of twisting our perception, our feelings, and even our reality. Things we thought long behind us can suddenly be very much before us."

Killian is thrilled when his first real case takes him on a surveillance trip to Washington D.C. - and with his boyfriend Micah, no less. When Micah takes him out to celebrate the successful resolution of his case, Micah's past comes back to haunt them in a big way. Killian is stunned by what he learns, and even more shocked to hear about the murder of Micah's former lover, Paul. The truth threatens to tear them apart, but at the same time, Killian finds himself drawn to find Paul's killer. Meanwhile, Judy has asked him to investigate an old friend, Jake, whose behavior has changed radically over the last few months. She is worried he may be involved in something dangerous...and she has no idea how right she is. Entering into the perilous and often grim world of male escorts, Killian discovers that things are seldom what they seem and everyone has a past. The truth of yesterday becomes a lie tomorrow.

Cover art by Aaron Barlow

Originally published in 2011, republished in 2018, currently out of print.

Killian Kendall's life is changing faster than he can keep up. He's graduating from high school, breaking up with his boyfriend, and starting a new job with a private investigator. He's barely settled at his new desk when his ex-boyfriend calls with a desperate plea for help. He wants Killian to prove his new boyfriend is innocent in the shockingly violent murder of his abusive father. Killian reluctantly agrees to take the case, little knowing how complicated - and dangerous - things will become before it's over. On the home front, Killian's surrogate parents decide to buy a historic mansion and turn it into a bed and breakfast. The house comes with a rich history... and maybe a ghost or two. Killian doesn't want to believe in such things, but he's quickly becoming convinced that something terrible happened to the home's original owners. The century-old mystery both terrifies and tantalizes Killian. In the end, he may be the only one who can uncover the truth.

Cover art by Aaron Barlow

Originally published in 2009, republished in 2018, currently out of print.

"Nothing can stay the same forever. We get in trouble in life when we think it can and will. Everything changes, or as King Solomon said in the Bible and The Byrds sang in the 60's, to everything there is a season and a time for every purpose under heaven. It's not a particularly easy lesson to learn, or a fun one for that matter. I learned it the summer between high school and college, and my life would never be the same."

Will's life is changing so quickly he can't keep up. He's moving out of his parents' home for the first time, changing careers, making new friends, and falling in love with the person he least expected. In the process, he's also learning a lot about himself. As if he doesn't have enough going on, his life-long best friend dies in what appears to be a drunken accident. But when Will receives a note hinting that it may not have been an accident after all, he finds that he can't rest until he knows the truth. With the help of Killian Kendall and his friends, Will begins an amateur investigation that will result in even more death. Will thought the biggest changes were behind him, but they had only just begun.

Cover art by Aaron Barlow

Originally published in 2003, republished in 2007 and 2018, currently out of print.

Killian Kendall is used to being overlooked, even in his own family. That's about to change. With the arrival of a new kid at school, Killian's whole world is about to be turned upside down. The new guy is openly gay and, for reasons he can't really understand, Killian finds himself drawn to him. When the boy is killed in a brutal attack, and Killian is injured in the process, Killian begins to questions everything around him. The police seem eager to write the attack off as a random mugging, but Killian was there and he knows better. With the help of the murdered boy's father and his friends, Killian starts his own investigation. His search turns up hatred in small town America, and before it's over, more people will be dead, and Killian's life will be on the line again.

Cover art by Aaron Barlow

Originally published in 2001, republished in 2007 and 2017, currently out of print.