www.timeout.com/newyork: Few places are as dramatic or revealing (or, unfortunately, filthy) as a New York City hotel room. But this fall, you can rest assured that the filthy part won't be part of a new immersive play that will unfold in very close confines behind a hotel room door.
This article is absolutely thrilling, this is what the industry needs, and I am so excited to watch an actual example having commercial success. Immersive art, and performance that is atypical often isn’t appreciated or given the proper attention (trust me as a person who has put on two shows of this nature, I would know). Honestly though I am absolutely obsessed with every element of this. Not only is it an immersive theater project, but it’s an all female led theater project? Literally perfect for me but that's besides the point. I think something that is also really working for this production is the sheer exclusivity of it all. I mean they are only seating 10 people a night to get to see this production. That really has to add to the mystery, and how ‘in it’ you feel. On one hand, this would make me so incredibly anxious, but on the other hand, that would be incredibly entertaining to go and see.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoy the concept of immersive theater for the ways that it can the design of an immersive show can truly bring an audience into the world of the story. Though I do acknowledge that immersive theater can be a nightmare for tech. Now how that nightmare changes for doing a show in what looks like a small King bed hotel room. This idea is ridiculous and I can barley fathom how it would work with an audience in the room with the performers. This is something that I would very much like to see in person. Though I most likely will not, but regardless it is an exciting concept that is breaking the boundaries of theater in many ways. I don't think an audience can be more inside of a world than in this show. Especially since the show is already meant to take place in a small hotel room. I do wonder though is the audience going to be a character in this show due to how small the stage space is. Or will the performers operate as if the the audience is not present or some inanimate object.
ReplyDeleteThe idea of ROOM 204 is so wild to me because I’ve never heard of immersive theater done this way. I’ve only ever seen it in big warehouse-type spaces where you can move around, so the thought of being crammed into a hotel room with just nine other people sounds so different and probably a little uncomfortable, but in a good way. Since the story is about a messy love affair, that closeness might make it feel even more intense, like you’re right there in the middle of it. I also think the exclusivity of only 10 seats per night is super cool, because it feels like you’re part of some secret experience, almost like you’re eavesdropping on real people. And the fact that it’s a female-led theater collective trying out unconventional spaces makes me really excited. It shows how theater can keep changing and surprising audiences.
ReplyDeleteThis article immediately caught my attention because I have heard of Sleep No More, but the idea of creating an immersive theater experience inside a single hotel room is very interesting and unique to me. The production being in Greenwich Village is also fitting, since the neighborhood has long been associated with artistic experimentation and unconventional performances, I visited NYC and Greenwich village and it seems like the perfect place to make something like this, you could feel the art within all the people there. What interests me most is how the designers will use the room itself, giving the option for the audience to be active participants in the show or as observers more like typical theater watching a show. Either way, this feels like a creative reimagining of theater, offering a modern experience that pushes against the expectations of traditional stage productions.
ReplyDeleteRoom 204 seems genuinely so interesting, and I think I’m actually going to buy tickets to go during fall break. It seems like such an interesting production, having a literal hotel room as an auditorium. The story also sounds super interesting! I love both writing and consuming work about turbulent or tragic love, so this immediately drew me in. There are so many interesting aspects at play here, and having such a close-up perspective of the scenes for sure brings a lot more possibilities to the table. It allows for more subtlety and intricacy in detail and for smaller things to be done, and yet noticed as the audience is close enough to see. Not only that, but you can really emotionally connect and carry the audience with you in this form, as they are in the room and immersed in the setting. Genuinely, I am super curious about this production and I want to go see it. It seems like a lot of interesting things could be at play and used in this setting.
ReplyDeleteAt first I thought this was an escape room, which would have been cool but probably not feasible. The truth, however, was that immersive theater is continuing to find a way to connect to audiences. Even thinking about being one of the ten audience members in the hotel room during a night of Room 204 is both intimidating and inspiring. I also really appreciate the different ways that creatives are finding ways to make theater more affordable, and therefore more accessible for the everyday audience. This is an aspect of venue theater I had never thought of. I found the idea that theater could be shaped by its surroundings and push audiences into new areas very exciting. The idea, however, that this practice could make tickets cheaper by avoiding the rental costs for a theater is revolutionary. I hope to continue seeing artists making waves in how theater, but moreover art in general, connects with the public.
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