Returning to an Incredible Nightmare

In the course of one month in 2009, I posted twice about the same piece of theater, ART & Punchdrunk's Sleep No More. I actually had a third piece almost ready to go, but after re-reading it, I realized I didn't really have anything new to say, outside of "people who come here to disrupt the performance suck," and never posted it. If you've had any real world contact with me in the past year and change, there's a good chance we've spoken about it. I admit, I was somewhat obsessed. Those two posts can tell you the long story of why, but the short version is that the show got me more involved and excited about a theatrical performance than anything else I'd ever seen or experienced. It was just. That. Good. And like many people, I was disappointed to think that I might never get to experience Sleep No More again - it was a limited run, good things come and go. I get that. It's also part of what makes it so special.

Well, to hell with that. I'm doing it again: Sleep No More NYC

Running for just 6 weeks (March 7th - April 16th) in NYC's Chelsea neighborhood, this time Punchdrunk is taking over... I'm not really sure exactly. It looks like it's a fairly general retail/warehouse space. From what I can tell, part of the building has been used to host a seasonal haunted house called Blood Manor New York for the last couple years; another piece of it used to be an upscale nightclub; still another was recently a Sprint retail location. I have no way of knowing how much of the building they'll be using until the show opens, but after my experience in Brookline, I have complete faith in Punchdrunk to make the absolute most of whatever space they have.

The website is branded for "The McKittrick Hotel," which to save people the Google search (cause I already did it!) is the name of a hotel in Hitchcock's Vertigo, where one of the main characters "vanishes" and loses the detective tailing her. From what I can tell (having never seen Vertigo... gonna take care of that shortly), it's not a major scene in the film, but Punchdrunk is using that element of disappearance to set the stage for their incredibly unique telling of Macbeth. Here's hoping they're able to make it as atmospheric and incredible as the transformed Lincoln School in Brookline. That's actually one of the reasons I'm so excited - the territory is familiar, but the setting isn't. With the design and atmosphere being such an integral part of the show, I can't wait to see what new spin Punchdrunk can put on the show I loved so much.

I've already got my tickets booked - for a 11 PM entry, no less - MIDNIGHT MACBETH NIGHTMARE! - and will be there with full anticipation with my wife and a pair of cousins. If you are in or can get to the NYC area anytime during the run, I highly recommend it. It's one of the most remarkable experiences I've ever had, and while it's certainly not for everyone, if you let yourself buy into their premise and presentation, it will push you, challenge you and thrill you in a way not many other forms of entertainment can. Highly, HIGHLY recommended.