Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Dance Viewed This Week

"Sleep No More"

Last week, I was fortunate enough to score three tickets to "Sleep No More" by the group Punchdrunk.  The piece was unlike anything I have ever experienced before.  It is a telling of Shakespeare's "MacBeth" through dance.  The setting is the fictional McKittrick Hotel, which is in reality, a completely refurbished warehouse (there are over 100 rooms created for this performance, including an enchanted forest, a graveyard, a banquet hall, a hospital, etc.).  The audience is required to wear masks, which is what separates them from the performers.  Each performer has his or her own path that they follow from the beginning of the piece until the end.  During their performances, they seemingly seamlessly intersect with other performers for duets, trios, and group sections.  Part of the excitement of the piece as an audience member is chasing after the characters to see where he or she will go and what he or she will do.  I do not want to give too much away here, because I really do believe that this piece absolutely needs to be seen.  I went with my fiancé and one of my best friends and all three of us had completely different experiences, but all of us found it to be one of the most incredible theatrical experiences of our lives.  This show is worth a trip to New York.  Book your tickets now, because they will sell out.

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