Community: The Dreamatorium Explained

The Dreamatorium was a special room located in Troy and Abed’s apartment, but the Community set piece held a deeper meaning. Troy and Abed, played by Donald Glover and Danny Pudi, respectively, starred as two of the core characters in Dan Harmon’s comedy. The pair quickly became best friends after they realized they had so much in common, including their wild imaginations. As a way to expand their imaginative journeys, Troy and Abed built a special playroom, known as the Dreamatorium, in their spare bedroom.

The magical playroom was first introduced in the Community season 3 episode titled “Studies in Modern Movement.” Annie (Alison Brie) was set to move into Troy and Abed’s new apartment before learning that she would be staying in a blanket fort located in the apartment’s living room. She eventually gave in, leading her to search for more blankets in what she thought was a linen closet. Instead, Annie entered the apartment’s second bedroom, which her roommates constructed into a Dreamatorium.

As explained by Abed, the Dreamatorium was a playroom for virtual adventures that took place purely in Troy and Abed’s mind. Not only did the pair use it to live out their crazy fantasies, but it allowed them to play out certain situations involving members of the Greendale study group. Community‘s Dreamatorium was inspired by the Star Trek‘s Holodeck, a stage that gave visitors access to virtual reality experiences. In fact, Troy and Abed’s playroom was designed to look identical to the Holodeck all the way down to the black paint and bright patterned lines encompassing the room. Like the case with the Holodeck, the introduction of the Dreamatorium allowed the comedy series to dive deeper into the psyche of certain characters, especially Abed.

The Deeper Meaning Of The Dreamatorium In Community

The Dreamatorium returned in season 3 when Troy and Abed decided to “de-whimsify” themselves ahead of Shirley’s (Yvette Nicole Brown) wedding. For Abed, however, the playroom was more than just an area to live out imaginative simulations. Pudi’s character showcased the Dreamatorium’s significance during the season 3 episode, “Virtual Systems Analysis.” Annie accompanied Abed in a series of adventures based on real events, giving her a chance to realize that the room allowed her roommates to eject themselves from reality. Whereas Annie was trying to teach Abed a lesson about empathy, she learned that the Dreamatorium’s was a way for her friend to work through his social anxieties.

The inclusion of the Dreamatorium also allowed Community to incorporate future memorable, yet bizarre, storylines. Through the imaginative playroom, Evil Abed from the “Darkest Timeline” was able to contact Abed before manipulating him. This allowed for further threats from the study group’s evil doppelgangers later in the series. Abed eventually disassembled the Dreamatorium when Troy returned from Air Conditioning school. Unable to fully let go of the special space, Abed built a mini Dreamatorium in his blanket fort.

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Kara Hedash
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Kara Hedash is a features editor and writer for Screen Rant. From time to time, she dives into the world’s most popular franchises but Kara primarily focuses on evergreen topics. The fact that she gets to write about The Office regularly is like a dream come true. Before joining Screen Rant, Kara served as a contributor for Movie Pilot and had work published on The Mary Sue and Reel Honey. After graduating college, writing began as a part-time hobby for Kara but it quickly turned into a career. She loves binging a new series and watching movies ranging from Hollywood blockbusters to hidden indie gems. She also has a soft spot for horror ever since she started watching it at too young of an age. Her favorite Avenger is Thor and her favorite Disney princess is Leia Organa. When Kara’s not busy writing, you can find her doing yoga or hanging out with Gritty.

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