![]() Often times there are two shows per night – start times ranging from 4pm for the early birds to 10:30pm for the night owls. You will have two more chances to watch the “beginning” of the show as it loops back around later in the evening. That being said, the show consists of three one-hour-long loops, so if the first entry time is sold out, don’t panic. If you decide to purchase a ticket to anything other than the earliest time slot, know that you will be missing out on the very beginning of the story. SLEEP NO MORE is an immersive adaptation of Macbeth with a run time of about three hours. I want to share it with others, and more importantly, I want to pass on the respect and gratitude that I feel toward the show. ![]() All of this is to say that I care deeply about this show. The memory of that very first visit led me to seek out the immersive theater community in L.A. Particular songs, smells, or even the décor in some hip speakeasy will immediately snap me back to 2011 and the first time that I experienced the show. One might even say my wedding had a subtle SLEEP NO MORE theme. I spent a summer working front of house on the show and sneaking into the space on my breaks. I’ve shelled out money that I didn’t really have in order to return to the McKittrick Hotel a dozen times since the show opened. Now, I don’t claim to be the end-all-be-all expert, but for the better part of a decade, this show has been a constant influence in my life. Still just as obsessed as ever, my friend had volunteered on the show by “fireproofing the apothecary,” a phrase that sounded completely ridiculous at the time, but is wholly impressive in retrospect. A few years later, in March of 2011, SLEEP NO MORE opened its doors in New York. I can only remember tiny details something about Shakespeare, something about the show being staged in an old elementary school, and something about… dancing? I didn’t get it. I had never seen someone talk about a show with such fervor. © 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc.In 2007, a friend of mine at NYU told me about an immersive theater show that they had seen in Boston. Make sure you look behind curtains and peek around dark corners.Īctually, there are exceptions to the leisurely rule: Many of the fleet-footed actors move very fast along the hallways and up and down the staircases - it’s worth trying to keep up with them.Īnd pay no attention to lessons learned in horror movies: If you see a disheveled man covered in gore head toward a dimly lit room while scary music plays in the background, by all means, follow him! What’s amazing about this immersive show is the combination of large scale (about 100 rooms on six floors) and minute details (each room is meticulously designed and furnished). It happened to me three times - and since all the audience members wear identical masks, these actors had no way of knowing who I was - and every time I felt my knees go weak with tension.įinally, take your time. Third, play along if an actor interacts with you in one way or another. It’s only during the final scene - where somehow the audience congregates, as if pulled by dark forces - that you realize just how many people had been spread out all over the McKittrick. It completely takes you out of the mood, and mood is everything to “Sleep No More.” So leave your safety blanket behind for a change, and let someone else dictate the agenda.īecause make no mistake, there’s a higher power at work in “Sleep No More”: You may think you’re roaming freely, but directors Felix Barrett and Maxine Doyle have made sure that you end up exactly where they want you to be. The last thing you want is for a text to break the spell, or to walk into someone hunched over a bright screen. Better to travel light - and to leave your phone behind. Second, use the coat check: It gets toasty in there, and bags are a hindrance. Being familiar with the plot heightens the experience. ![]() To make the most of your trip, and since “Sleep No More” can be overwhelming, here are a few tips based on my experience navigating the maze that is the McKittrick Hotel.įirst of all, brush up your Shakespeare: “Sleep No More” isn’t a traditional staging of “Macbeth,” but it does use a lot of its lines, characters and imagery. Word of mouth ensured that the show was close to sold out before the reviews even came out, and since they’ve been positive - including my own rave - tickets have now become even hotter commodities. Along with “The Book of Mormon” and “War Horse” (reviewed in tomorrow’s paper), “Sleep No More” is one of this spring’s must-see events. ![]()
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