Brxstol interactive adventure debuts at BHS

C.T. O'Brien captivates an engaged audience with a story of a wagon maker who makes his way to Bristol from Torrington many years ago. | David Fortier

Posted By: David Fortier November 27, 2023

By David Fortier

An interactive adventure mystery involving early Bristol history now has characters and an object for participants to begin their search.

“I didn’t know about a secret clock. I am intrigued,” said Bristol Historical Society president Maya Bringe at the end of the presentation by C.T. O’Brien Friday evening at the BHS building on Summer Street.

As for characters, one is clockmaker Joseph Ives, who at the end of the talk introducing the mystery is in debtor’s prison in Brooklyn, N.Y., about to be bailed out by his future business partner, John Birge.

“I always love a good portrait of Ives, an indigent and truculent individual,” Bringe said.

O’Brien, who kicked off Brxstol Nov. 24, revealed the trailer for the mystery and spent an hour providing background for the audience of 35.

C.T. O’Brien presents the clock made by Bristol clockmaker Chauncey Boardman. | David Fortier

The talk, a story really, was peppered with historical context and character-building scenarios and interesting turns. A natural storyteller, O’Brien provided a narrative beginning with the birth of a child in Torrington. The child in the story eventually makes his way to Bristol where he encounters an opportunity with Ives.

O’Brien used a variety of visuals to add to the storyline.

At one point, he pulled a white sheet off a table by the podium to reveal a 200-year-old clock built just down the street from the historical society building by Bristol clockmaker Chauncey Boardman.

O’Brien proceeded to dismantle the clock to produce its interchangeable interior clockworks–Bristol’s contribution to the world, putting Bristol’s clockmakers and manufacturing base on the map.

Interchangeable parts, right, and clock, left. | David Fortier

Another reveal involved O’Brien’s father, Tom, who makes a cameo appearance in the trailer. From his seat in the audience, Tom donned the same white hat as in the cameo–an indication of membership in a secret society active in the city, perhaps?–and grabbed the same mysterious yellow briefcase from the trailer and brought it to the front of the room.

The suitcase was opened and inside was an item critical to solving the mystery. The reveal will be included in the first in a series of podcasts — the podcast is in a video format. Each podcast will provide more information guiding participants to the secret object.

A cameo appearance by O’Brien’s father, Tom, with his white hat and carrying the yellow suitcase, right, and O’Brien revealing a mystery item critical to the solution, left. | David Fortier

O’Brien began his presentation typing question for A.I. to answer into a laptop whose display was projected for the audience to follow on the big screen.

“What is Brxstol?” O’Brien typed and A.I. answered with the description provided on the website–“BRXSTOL is an immersive history project that chronicles the transformation of the West Woods into the City of Bristol.”

The answer also provided more information from the website about the project being a multi-media experience with a podcast series, theatrical trailer and the search — an engaging way to learn about Bristol’s history.

The adventure will end sometime in the spring with a gathering of participants at a location in Bristol, where they will learn the final clues to solve the mystery.

The website has the teaser, trailer and eventually the podcast, as well as primary sources for all of the research O’Brien uses to develop his storyline. The storyline is a combination of O’Brien’s research and some speculation that adds fictional elements.

For the website, click here. There are also links to Instagram and Facebook.

All TBE readers, supporters and donors                

The Bristol Edition will be limiting the number of stories non-members and free readers may access each week. This decision is based on our financial projections and, most certainly, to remind people that TBE is serious about providing accurate, timely and thorough reporting for Bristol. To do this we have devised a financial support structure that makes unlimited access extremely affordable, beginning with a $6 monthly donation.                

  • Non-members will be able to access four (4) articles per week.                
  • Free readers and people who have subscribed by email will be able to access four (4) articles per week.                
  • Donors and financial supporters will have unlimited access as long as they log in.                

Note: Donors may have to contact TBE if they find they are being limited, since we will need to set up a membership account for you. Email editor@bristoledition.org for instructions. Sorry for any inconvenience. People with financial difficulties may write editor@bristoledition.org to be considered for free access.