A writer, director, producer, and designer, AJ Powell has been crafting originals for more than 40 years. His portfolio includes plays, performance pieces, novels, tabletop games, and original audiovisual illusions, crafted for himself and others.
It's a Broadway-themed cabaret show. It's a one-night-only variety show. It's a mystery you get to solve, in real time, during the night's performances. It's a chance to see an amazing, once-in-a-lifetime performance
from some of Broadway's biggest names. Its all of the above. HIDDEN HEADLINER is a new-concept variety show with magic, circus acts, songs, and a Broadway leading talent HIDDEN HEADLINER each night, making a
musical appearance at the end of each show, singing a song for our audience of 100. And those in attendance that night will be the only ones to see that performance. Ever. Taking place this summer at
the historic SLIPPER ROOM on Manhattan's Lower East Side. Be there. Or miss your chance FOREVER.
What would it be like if you and 10-15 of your closest friends spent a weekend in a house somewhere and played The Traitors? That's exactly what we launched in 2025, and in-home (or in-AirBNB) version of The Traitors where we
send a professional actor to your home to host you through every moment of a weekend-long Traitors experience. Games. Props. Interactions. Round Tables. Murders. We do it all, and it's bloody good fun. Plus, you get a supercut video
highlighting all the best moments.
AJ Powell has signed an exclusive European manufacturing agreement
with Vestoland Games, to private-label and produce AJ's portfolio of tabletop games for sale and distribution across
Europe. We'll be working on refreshing the designs (and translating the instructions) for our full portfolio in the coming days, weeks, and months;
look for more details on this homepage (and find links to purchase them here).
I'm excited to be working again with my friends in the Midwest; if you find yourself in Grand Rapids, Michigan on June 14 or 15 be sure to head to The Pyramid Scheme and see The Lavender Vault, a PRIDE Cabaret being produced by my friends at Betka-Pope Productions. (Of course I'm talking about it because I'm involved. More details coming soon.) You can find details and ticket information on their website, or using the handy link I provided below.
What if there was a new show on Broadway, and what if it starred the incomparable Patti LuPone alongside the legendary Mia Farrow? That'd be pretty big news. It's called The Roommate, and it's the most-exciting project I've had the chance to (co)produce in a long, long time. It's funny. It's surprising. It's beautiful. Book by Jen Silverman. See it if you can.
An examination of truth in a post-truth era, The Connector stares deeply into the intersection between ambition and talent, and between objective and absolute truth. It's got some honestly 'magical' audio-visuals tricks, too. New music and lyrics by the incomparable Jason Robert Brown. Book by Jonathan Marc Sherman. This is why I produce live theatre.
One part lecture, one part magic show - Software is Magic examines how designers and engineers can apply the skills of magicians to make unforgettable user experiences. Delivered as a keynote at WebDevCon 2023.
A high-energy secret role game set in the not-too-distant future and focussed squarely on defining what makes a human a human. Designed by me. (Absolutely NO robots involved).
A staged examination of the human experience, told through the lens of monsters (both real and fictional). Performed to sold-out audiences at The Comedy Project in Grand Rapids, MI.
A staged adaptation of my award-winning Unsettled lecture, expands the conceit to include elements of illusion, comedy, and audiovisual trickery to help to illustrate and illuminate our fascination with the unsettling. Featuring an amazing, international cast of performers to multi-night standing room only crowds.
A coming-of-age novel about a young girl who discovers the world is more magical than she'd ever have imagined, Grayson Rising is an action-packed adventure exploring what defines us, what control we have in who we are, and what it looks like to own the decisions that determine what happens next.
