Not for the Faint of Heart…

Have you seen  “Sleep No More”  yet?  If not, you are missing a seriously intense and interesting theatrical experience.  Generally speaking, theatrical “experiences” are less appealing to me than sitting down and enjoying a good play or musical, and had the circumstances been different, I probably would have chosen to pass on this one.

Fortunately, I had little choice in the matter.  It was part of an organized evening spent reconnecting with an old college friend, whose entire purpose for visiting NYC was to see “Sleep No More” and “How to Build a Forest.”  Given the option of spending three hours walking around an abandoned hotel with a group of mask-wearing college friends, or watching an eight-hour visual art installation, I easily chose the former.

Everyone I spoke to strongly encouraged us to go to “Sleep No More” with little prior knowledge of what to expect.  This was certainly the right approach, since everyone’s experience differs considerably, and it’s much more fun to explore and discover the secrets of the McKittrick Hotel this way.  Therefore I shall say no more about “Sleep No More” other than this: wear comfortable shoes and keep the fancy threads at home.  Even if you don’t enjoy it as much as I did, you will at least appreciate how interesting and original it is.  And you can always exit and drink in the bar while listening to some great vocal jazz as the rest of your party continues to explore.

If, however, you are the need-to-know type, you should check out the  NY Times review  (complete with photos) and this detailed and fun  synopsis  of one person’s experience.