Sleepless Nights After “Sleep No More”
(COURTESY OF YANIV SCHULMAN )
Readers are cordially invited to a unique theatre-going experience.
You’re Invited to “Sleep No More”
Who: Theatergoers, thrill-seekers, Shakespeare-lovers, horror-enthusiasts and film noir-fans alike are invited to spend a night with the mysterious guests of The McKittrick Hotel
What: “Sleep No More” is an immersive, theatrical experience of Shakespeare’s “Macbeth.” It does not tell, so much as plunge you into the story of the Scottish play through a film-noir lens. The story is a 3-hour, psychological experience that will leave you with sleepless nights.
When: 1930s jazz-age. The McKittrick Hotel is booking reservations from now until April 7, 2019.
Where: Your journey begins as soon as you “check-in” to The McKittrick Hotel at 530 W 27th St. You are lead through a maze and end up at the Manderley Hotel Bar where you are greeted by jazz singers and concierges. From there, you are free to explore any and all of the 5 floors, but beware, once you step out of the elevator, you may no longer be in New York City.
Why: Curiosity overcame my fear when I attended “Sleep No More.” The show is not intended to be scary, but guests are advised upon booking their reservations that they may experience “intense psychological situations.” The show puts even the bravest out of their comfort zone, and turns the most fearful into persevering detectives trying to piece together the lives of the characters. “Sleep No More” is the closest thing I have experienced to living out a dream (or nightmare) or being in a movie in real life. The immersive nature of the show makes one’s experience completely different from one person to the next, and the complexity and details of the storylines and setting ensures that visit 1 through visit 10 will be a unique and equally exciting experience.
Join Maria Phlem (left) and Gabriel Forestieri (right) for an immersive theatre-going experience.
Warnings
- Everyone who enters “Sleep No More” is given a white mask that must be worn the whole time to hide your identity from the guests as well as distinguish you from the characters. Hotel staff members wear black masks, while the actors are the only ones whose faces are revealed.
- The show is interactive as well as immersive so avoid eye contact with the characters if you wish not to be pulled (literally) into the story as well as intoxicated, danced with or kissed.
- When you enter “Sleep No More,” you consent to entering the private quarters of the guests which includes nudity, violence, and gore. Due to this, no one under 18 is allowed inside the building without a parent or guardian present, and those 13 and under are not allowed onto the premises at all. IDs are checked before entering.
- Before being released from the elevator out into one of the 5 floors of the McKittrick, guests are advised to go alone and “adventure favors the bold.” You may arrive at “Sleep No More” with a friend, significant other or a group, but the mysteries of the rooms and their own curiosity might pull them away from you, and becoming separated from the people you came with is highly likely. Be prepared to go alone.
Marielle Sarmiento, FCLC ’21, is the managing editor of The Observer. On staff since her freshman year, she has previously held the positions of arts & culture editor and features editor. She studies new media and digital design with a concentration in commerce and marketing. Her favorite article that she has written is "Making a Musical: 'The Shakespeare Company.'"
