Truth is not only stranger than fiction, but often far more compelling. There are few privileges I hold dearer than being trusted to translate historical narratives and cultural traditions into destination experiences that welcome guests from far-and-wide. My expertise in cultural storytelling has taken me across the globe, molding me into an absorbent collaborator with a dedication to detail. NOTE: Project overviews are written respective of ongoing NDAs.
Korala Adventure Parks – Mandal, Norway & Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic
Role: Director of Story Development and Lead Show Writer
Client: Park Adventures Group
Project Concept: Many millennia ago, at the dawn of Midgard, the Aegirsung Clan emerged as the mightiest, wisest, and most daring of the ancient Norse. Over centuries, these descendants of the sea god Aegir built a thriving trade empire that spread from their humble village in the forests of Norway to the shores of North Africa. Alas, the tumult of the Viking Age and subsequent rise of medieval kingdoms toppled the Aegirsung’s great civilization, forcing them to abandon their ancestral home in search of a new refuge for their traditional ways of life. These castoff Norsemen befriended the native peoples of the lands they visited and fused their traditions to build new villages dedicated to discovery on the high-seas. Frozen in time and lost to modernity, these long-lost civilizations have become secret havens for explorers eager to set sail for seafaring adventures, undertake ancient quests, discover lost secrets, and write their own names into legend. This is Korala Adventure Park.
Responsibilities:
- Led the development of overarching backstory for two sister cultural theme park locations in Norway and the Dominican Republic
- Wrote concept narratives and scripts for more than two dozen rides, stage shows, atmospheric entertainments, immersive dining experiences, and performance retail opportunities tailored to each park’s respective audience and cultural setting
- Authored and maintained a story bible to manage consistency of worldbuilding
- Created a robust IP of 50 original characters with intersecting story arcs
- Developed rich entertainment program leveraging the park’s IP in meet-and-greets, streetmosphere, performance retail experiences, and stage show spectaculars
- Collaborated with artists and architects to define both parks’ architectural styles
- Participated in initial blue sky sessions to define the creative conceit and attraction mix
- Conducted thorough historical and cultural research into Norse, Taino, and colonial civilizations
- Assisted in adjusting and refining experience mixed based on physical topography of planned park site
- Defined park and attraction nomenclature
Read more about this project HERE.
Bahia Urbana Park – San Juan, Puerto Rico
Role: Director of Story Development and Lead Show Writer
Client: Las Brisas Property Development
Project Concept: Nestled along the storied wharves of San Juan Harbor, Bahia Urbana Park collects the best of Puerto Rican cuisine, culture, music, and wares in a vibrant waterfront district. Just steps away from arriving cruise ships, this new entertainment epicenter welcomes travelers with adventures curated from around the island. Whether encountering indigenous fauna inside a teeming aviary, partying poolside on sand-bottomed floating “islands”, or soaring over majestic locales in a flying theater experience, guests get a tantalizing taste of the historical romance, natural wonder, and transformative journeys just waiting be discovered across the Enchanted Isle.
Responsibilities:
- Led development of overall project narrative and thematic backstory
- Served as “vision-keeper”, ensuring program alignment with the project narrative
- Developed and wrote treatments for attractions and entertainment
- Spearheaded land development, defining the thematic treatment and nomenclature of all programmed guest spaces
- Collaborated with local cultural SMEs to integrate authentic Puerto Rican storytelling and cultural traditions into the project narrative and guest experience
- Conducted on-site cultural research and documentation
- Identified storytelling efficiencies and championed the guest experience through value engineering
- Created and stewarded original, culturally-aligned character IP to activate through entertainment as well as ride and show
- Worked with zoological experts to design interactive, story-driven animal exhibits and experiences respective of federal care standards
- Scripted a flying theater attraction
Read more about this project HERE.
Havensight, St. Thomas – The U.S. Virgin Islands
Role: Director of Story Development and Show Writer
Client: Government Employees Retirement System of The Virgin Islands
Project Concept: For centuries, the island of St. Thomas has been a vital waypoint for intrepid seafarers bound for the New World – a gateway to the Caribbean. An exciting new vision reimagines a bayside mall in the port of Havensight as the U.S. Virgin Islands’ premiere cultural destination. Here, legends of the mythic past come to life in ebullient entertainment and powerful pageantry capturing the spirit of Carnival; local culinarians share family recipes at food trucks and five-star restaurants; and skilled artisans continue the handicraft traditions dating back to time immemorial. Embodying the hospitality tradition inherent in St. Thomas’ Arawaken roots, Havenisight is a gathering place for islander and itinerant alike to embrace the Virgin Islands’ stories and customs in a shared spirit of celebration.
Responsibilities:
- Developed core guest experience narrative and thematic backstory, defining overarching creative direction
- Facilitated initial client blue sky and ideation
- Conducted on-site cultural research and documentation
- Led culture mapping sessions, interviewing local historians, artists, and other SMEs
- Wrote initial concepts for immersive retail, dining, and entertainment experiences
- Audited and wrote a report-out for comparable destinations to identify underserved market needs
- Advised new property nomenclature and brand identity
Port Orangestad – Aruba
Role: Show Writer & Art Director
Client: Aruba Ports Authority
Project Concept: While just a stone’s throw away from the Venezuelan Coast, Aruba boasts a singular cultural identity all its own. As this “one happy island” ascends to one of the Caribbean’s most popular cruise destinations, Aruba Ports Authority looks to its epic past to define the future of its arrival experience, beginning in its capital city of Oranjestad. An ambitious new master plan for the port looks to welcome guests with the architecture, flavors, song, dance, stories, and Papiamento salutations unique to this small, but dynamically diverse island.
Responsibilities:
- Wrote high-level conceptual narratives to define creative direction
- Collaborated with illustrator to establish the visual language and look of the reimagined port
- Facilitated initial blue sky ideation sessions with the client
- Conducted on-site cultural research and documentation
- Interviewed local cultural experts
- Audited comparable and competitive destinations to define the port’s unique selling proposition as an experience
jared d. wells 