By Annalynn on Wed, Nov 18, 2009 3:22 pm
Get in on the action and up close and personal with some sexy British actors as you chase them around set of “Sleep No More” – a captivating theatrical adventure, a sensual feast, a beautiful, mysterious culmination of dance, art, music, theatre and stagecraft.
This experience is a dramatic journey through all four floors of the abandoned Lawrence School in Brookline. It was so satisfying it made me hungry for more. After two attendances, which were each quite different, I am eager for a third round of wonder. Though I spent six hours on the set, I think there’s still more for me to see.
This meaty chunk of immersive theater is roughly based on the plot of Macbeth, however, it’s an extremely abstract interpretation set in the 1930s with a Hitchcock soundtrack and elements of his movie sets.
Punchdrunk is currently smack in the middle of their three-month run of “Sleep No More,” which is their first U.S. production and a collaboration with the Cambridge-based American Repertory Theater.
Anyone hoping to catch this before the group heads back across the pond has a chance to do so any night of the week except Mondays until Jan. 3, 2010.
The actors begin running scenes in continuous loops around 7pm, but you can come late as you want and still see the show. At any one time, there are probably ten or more scenes going on, which is why staying until it ends at 10pm or going back multiple times is a good idea, if you want a fuller experience.
I must be honest, I never had to read Shakespeare’s story about the Scottish villain back in high school, I had no clue what was going on the first time I was there. Before my second viewing, I took a peep at the Sparknotes version so I was later able to recognize a few of the plot’s elements. It’s completely unnecessary to know anything about Macbeth in order to enjoy the show.
I was in awe the first time I entered the school. I’m not too sure how much the performance even follows the plot. This version seems to include much more homosexuality and nakedness than the original, however I could be wrong since Sparknotes isn’t very detailed.
A very unusual aspect to “Sleep No More” is the set’s silence, aside from the amazing music. Audience members are instructed not to speak and get shushed by actors and volunteer staff if they are caught talking. The actors don’t speak lines out loud, they only mumble beneath their breath.
The show relies on intense visuals and other senses – even smells. An auditorium filled with real fir trees bombards your nasal passages with the sweet smells of Christmas when you first enter. Another room with a gravel floor and live shrubs reeks of cat piss. Other areas were scented with mothballs. The foul smelly rooms were the worst part of the event.
The actors do a great job of captivating the audience without the crutch of spoken lines. They creepily entrance the viewers with uncomfortable eye contact. They also occasionally pull people into the action whether they’re ready for it or not.
In one scene where the witches celebrate the prophesy of Macbeth becoming king, a fully naked actor wiggled his junk in the faces of an older couple, close enough so they could see his Prince Albert piercing. Awesome.
The other great aspect to this show is that audience members basically get to decide what their experience is. I spent a lot of time chasing actors, but sometimes I slowed down and closely examined the antique props or went to chill at the bar.
That’s right, there’s a bar too. Up until 8:30, they only serve rum punch and water, but after that, there are real bartenders who can make any drink you ask for. They even accept credit cards. And, it’s in a jazz club, where a live band entertains, along with supremely talented singers at the end of the night.
My favorite part of the show was when the witches celebrated and we got to see a big pierced wang- but that’s not why. I don’t even want give it away, but if you follow the witches into the dark and creepy basement, you will be in for something really sweet.
If “Sleep No More” doesn’t sound awesome to you, then you’re fucking lame. I said there’s a bar, and plenty of naked people. Even if you’ve never been to a play in your life or failed Shakespearian literature in 10th grade, I guarantee this show will blow your mind.
