Joey Marsocci: Curioporium Creative Director

Artist Joey Marsocci is a story teller who uses the mediums of theme park and haunt design, creature fabrication, illustration, writing, acting, cosplay, and more to tell his stories. He’s passionate about building immersive experiences for those who enjoy his strange worlds. He is the Creative Director and Co-Creator at the Curioporium, New England’s Premier Haunted Shopping Experience in Hartford, CT.  

The Curioporium is an immersive, 5 senses experience (some say 6) brought to fruition by Joey and owner/co-creator Nathan Nunez. Guests leave the normal world behind and become part of the story. The experience blends the stories of Nathan’s Havisham Society (a family of collectors of the strange and unusual) and Joey’s Dr. Grymm steampunk character. Guests can shop oddities and spooky goods and participate in everchanging theatrical experiences. In this episode, Joey gives us a behind-the-scenes look at what goes into running this experience and how light and sound drives the tone and timing of the shows.  

As history buffs, it’s Joey and Nathan’s mission to entertain as well as educate. When you pull in from history and other cultures, it’s important to be respectful and accurate. Throughout the Curioporium are QR codes guests can use to look up stories behind the objects – or ask any staff member. 

To make darkness more palatable, the Curio team mixes in humor. Their Grim Reaper is from New Jersey and part of a union. He’s merely a hard worker with a job to do, and at the Curioporium he adds in a little song and dance. In all his years of haunting, Joey hasn’t lost a guest.  

Joey was originally on the October 31, 2020 release of this podcast. Check out that episode to learn more about his steampunk, theme park, and other haunt work.  

 You can find the Curioporium at https://www.curioporium.com. 

Check out Joey and his work at http://www.grymmstudios.com.