Distortion creates immersive entertainment through films, themed experiences, live events, and destination attractions that blur the line between fiction and reality.
Our Story
In 2011, Distortion's story began with a live streaming experience founded on a simple idea: What if guests didn't just solve puzzles?What if they stepped inside a story? Over the next decade, that idea evolved into award-winning escape rooms, immersive theater experiences, themed events, and a growing collection of original worlds and characters. Along the way came expansion, setbacks, rebuilds, fires, closures, reinventions, and lessons learned. Each challenge pushed the vision further. Today, Distortion is building something much larger: A collection of films, attractions, festivals, and themed destinations where every experience begins with a story.
2011 | FIND ME
Interactive Storytelling & Live Broadcast
A live-streamed survival experience where viewers helped a stranded actor solve puzzles aboard a boat and coordinate a rescue.
What We Learned:
Interactive storytelling
Audience participation
Live production
Real-time engagement
2013 | WINDWARD HOTEL
Immersive Hospitality
Guests checked into a haunted hotel where overnight stays, meals, drinks, puzzles, and live actors combined into a single narrative experience.
What We Learned:
Overnight experiences
Hospitality integration
Live character interactions
Multi-day storytelling
2015 | TRAP DOOR ESCAPE ROOM
Interactive Attractions
Opened one of the region's largest escape experiences at a time when competitors believed the footprint was unsustainable. Demand proved otherwise.
What We Learned:
Attraction operations
Guest throughput
Revenue optimization
Scalable interactive design
2017-2020 | EXPANSION & CORPORATE EVENTS
Large-Scale Experiences
Expanded into larger facilities and mobile experiences serving major organizations including Pfizer, Bayer, Sanofi, Datto, Johnson & Johnson, Home Depot, and the New York Jets.
What We Learned:
Large group operations
Event logistics
Corporate partnerships
High-capacity entertainment
2018 | HARRY PACKER MANSION
Destination Experiences
Created immersive weekend adventures combining lodging, dining, puzzles, and live performers inside one of Pennsylvania's most iconic historic properties.
What We Learned:
Resort-style experiences
Guest retention
Extended stay programming
Hospitality storytelling
2021 | FILM SET RECLAMATION
The Birth of the Distortion Model
While constructing larger attractions, we acquired and repurposed a professionally built film cave set originally destined for demolition. It revealed a simple truth: Millions of dollars in film assets are destroyed every year despite having long-term entertainment value. This discovery became the foundation of Distortion.
2022 | MADNESS DISTILLERY
Food & Beverage Integration
As guests spent more time inside our worlds, demand for themed food and beverage experiences grew. Madness Distillery allowed us to integrate cocktails, themed bars, and hospitality directly into our entertainment ecosystem.
What We Learned:
Alcohol sales
Food & beverage operations
Guest spending behavior
Extended dwell time
2025 | IMMERSIVE FESTIVALS
Theme Park Scale Operations
Large-scale festivals combined entertainment, shopping, dining, live performers, and immersive environments. Events such as Magical Moonlight Market attracted over 10,000 guests.
What We Learned:
Festival operations
Vendor management
Large crowd logistics
Multi-revenue experiences
TODAY- | DISTORTION
Film Production
Interactive Attractions
Themed Hospitality
Food & Beverage
FestivalsRetail
Immersive Storytelling
Distortion is not a new idea. It is the result of 15 years of testing every component independently before bringing them together into a single destination.
The Team
Tone Purzycki
Chief Creative Officer
Anthony “Tone” Purzycki is an entrepreneur, producer, and creator of immersive entertainment experiences, best known as the founder of Trap Door Escape Room and a pioneer in story-driven, large-scale escape room design in the United States. Born and raised in New Jersey, Purzycki began his career in media production, co-founding Mikrotone Entertainment with the original goal of developing feature films. Following the passing of his business partner, he shifted his focus toward interactive and audience-driven experiences, producing early projects that blended storytelling, technology, and live participation. In 2011, he created the “Find Me Event,” a live-streamed interactive experience where audiences guided a performer through a real-time narrative by solving puzzles remotely. This concept became the foundation for his approach to immersive entertainment, emphasizing audience agency, narrative depth, and real-world environments.In 2015, Purzycki founded Trap Door Escape Room in Red Bank, New Jersey, helping to define a more cinematic and expansive version of the escape room format. Under his leadership, the company expanded to multiple locations across New Jersey and Pennsylvania, with experiences recognized for their scale, production quality, and storytelling innovation. He later founded Madness Distillery to extend the guest experience beyond attractions, integrating themed cocktails, social environments, and live entertainment into a unified hospitality model. As Chief Creative Officer of Distortion Immersive Theme Park & Resort, Purzycki leads the overall creative vision of the property, overseeing the development of immersive lands, attractions, narrative systems, and guest experiences. His work focuses on blending cinematic storytelling, live performance, and interactive design to create a fully realized, multi-day destination where guests are active participants rather than passive observers.
Kevin Gwinn
Director of Experiential Engineering
Kevin Gwinn serves as Director of Experiential Engineering at Distortion Immersive Theme Park & Resort, where he leads the design and execution of all technical systems behind the guest experience. Since joining Trap Door in 2021, Kevin has been responsible for engineering the full range of puzzle sequences and interactive systems across multiple locations and themes, translating creative concepts into reliable, real-world functionality. Kevin holds a Master’s degree in Engineering and brings professional experience working on engineering projects supporting the U.S. military. His background spans both electrical and mechanical engineering, allowing him to design complex, integrated systems that combine durability, safety, and precision under demanding conditions. At Distortion, Kevin oversees the development of interactive infrastructure across attractions, ensuring that puzzles, effects, and guest-driven mechanics operate seamlessly at scale. He plays a critical role in breaking down large creative concepts into executable systems, bridging the gap between vision and implementation. In addition to his engineering expertise, Kevin contributes to the resort’s beverage innovation, applying a methodical, experimental approach to the development of themed cocktail programs. His ability to combine technical discipline with creative problem-solving makes him a key driver in delivering immersive experiences that are both innovative and operationally sound.
Jeff Rossi
Director of Business Development
Jeff Rossi is a seasoned business development professional with extensive experience in hospitality, logistics, distribution, and strategic partnerships. Throughout his career, he has developed strong relationships across the resort, tourism, and entertainment industries, helping businesses identify growth opportunities, strengthen operations, and expand their market reach. His background includes large-scale warehousing, distribution logistics, event support services, vendor management, and marketing production, providing him with a unique understanding of the infrastructure required to support growing businesses and destination-based attractions. Known for his ability to build lasting relationships and connect organizations with valuable resources, Jeff has established a reputation as a trusted partner throughout the region. As Director of Business Development for Distortion Immersive Theme Park & Resort, Jeff focuses on investor relations, strategic partnerships, sponsorship opportunities, vendor development, and long-term growth initiatives. His ability to connect people, resources, and opportunities plays a vital role in helping transform Distortion from an ambitious vision into a premier immersive entertainment destination.
Jessica Purzycki
Director of Vendor Experiences
Jessica Purzycki brings over a decade of operational leadership and hands-on management experience to Distortion Immersive Theme Park & Resort. Prior to joining the entertainment and hospitality industry, Jessica owned and operated a senior home care company, where she led and managed a team of caregivers, ensuring consistent service delivery, scheduling coordination, and client satisfaction across a complex and highly regulated environment. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, Jessica transitioned into the events and hospitality space with Madness Distillery, where she quickly established herself as a key force behind the execution of themed festivals, markets, and large-scale events. Her expertise lies in vendor curation, coordination, and full-cycle event logistics. At Distortion, Jessica oversees all vendor-driven experiences across the property. She is responsible for sourcing and selecting vendors that align with each immersive land’s theme, designing vendor layouts for optimal guest flow and engagement, and managing all operational logistics from initial onboarding through event execution. This includes space planning, setup and breakdown coordination, and maintaining consistent communication with vendors to ensure a seamless and high-quality guest experience. Jessica’s ability to blend operational precision with creative thematic execution makes her an essential part of delivering the dynamic, festival-style environments that define the Distortion experience.
Rachel Rossi
Director of Guest Relations
Rachel Rossi brings extensive experience in guest experience management, hospitality operations, and attraction-based entertainment. Her career began with The Walt Disney Company in Orlando, where she worked across attractions, merchandise, and media operations, developing a deep understanding of guest satisfaction, operational excellence, and creating memorable experiences for visitors from around the world. Throughout her career, Rachel has continued to build expertise in customer service, logistics coordination, and business operations. Her ability to balance guest needs with operational efficiency has made her a valuable leader in hospitality-focused organizations, where delivering exceptional experiences remains the highest priority. As Director of Guest Relations for Distortion Immersive Theme Park & Resort, Rachel oversees the guest experience across the property, helping ensure every visitor encounter reflects the quality, immersion, and service standards that define the Distortion brand. Her background in world-class themed entertainment and hospitality helps shape an environment where guests feel welcomed, engaged, and eager to return.
Jessica Gwinn
Director of Thematic Design
Jessica Gwinn has been creating immersive environments and themed experiences since joining the Trap Door team in 2020. Throughout her career, she has contributed to the development of numerous attractions, events, and interactive experiences, helping transform creative concepts into fully realized environments that engage and captivate guests. Jessica's strengths lie in environmental storytelling, themed design, and creating memorable guest spaces. Her work focuses on the visual identity, atmosphere, and emotional impact of an experience, ensuring that every environment feels authentic and immersive. Her designs have been featured in several successful projects, including the highly acclaimed Mad Hatter's Tea Party experience and the Witch Hut featured at the Magical Moonlight Market, both of which became standout guest favorites. As Director of Thematic Design for Distortion Immersive Theme Park & Resort, Jessica leads the creative development of themed environments, guest spaces, retail experiences, and immersive settings throughout the property. Her ability to translate stories into memorable physical spaces helps bring the worlds of Distortion to life and creates the sense of wonder and discovery that defines the guest experience.
Kevin Russo
Director of Culinary Experiences
Kevin Russo serves as Director of Culinary Experiences at Distortion Immersive Theme Park & Resort, where he leads the development and execution of all food and beverage concepts across the property. Russo brings over a decade of operational leadership experience as Head of Operations for Log Cabin Grill, a high-volume restaurant and bar located in a major retail destination. Throughout his tenure, he has overseen daily operations, staff management, menu execution, and guest service, consistently delivering strong performance in a fast-paced environment. In 2024, Russo partnered with the Trap Door and Madness Distillery teams to develop a fully integrated culinary program for the Wonderland location. He crafted a menu that aligned with immersive themes while incorporating house-made vodka and rum into food and cocktail offerings, demonstrating a unique ability to merge culinary design with storytelling. At Distortion, Russo is responsible for directing all food service operations, from quick-service outlets to full-service dining experiences. He leads menu development across multiple concepts, ensuring quality, consistency, and thematic cohesion throughout the resort. He is also the creator of “The Cauldron,” a signature dining experience within the Spellbound land that blends interactive cooking with immersive storytelling. Russo’s strength lies in balancing creativity with operational efficiency, delivering food experiences that are both engaging for guests and scalable for large-volume service environments.