123 - Sleep No More (feat. Dara Swisher)

The Worst of All Possible Worlds

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Dara Swisher (Here I Am) and the lads grab their masks and book a stay at the McKittrick Hotel as they dive into the deep secrets and complicated legacy of the industry-defining immersive theater piece: Punchdrunk’s Sleep No More. Topics include the history of immersive theater, the seductive appeal of tracksuits, and the eternal battle between the production of theater and the monolith of real estate.

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Dara Swisher: Twitter // Instagram

HERE I AM: Website // Tickets // Instagram

Media Referenced in this Episode:

• Sleep No More. Punchdrunk. Dir. Felix Barrett and Maxine Doyle. 2011.
• The Tragedie of Macbeth by William Shakespeare
• Rebecca. Dir. Alfred Hitchcock. United Artists, 1940.
• On the History of Immersive Theater:

• Dionysis in ‘69: Full Film by Brian de Palma. 1970.
• “Drag, Disco, and the Donkey” by James Montaño. Howlround Theatre Commons. October 23rd, 2019.
• “El Teatro Campesino: Our History”
• Hell House. Dir. Alex Timbers. 2006.
• F I N D H I M
• “In 1901, you could pay 50 cents to ride an airship to the Moon” by Ron Miller. Gizmodo, May 31st, 2012.
• “So Long Ago, I Can’t Remember” Review by Neil Genzlinger. NYTimes, April 20th, 2001.

• Sleep No More Resources/Articles:
• Sleep No More Synopsis
• Sleep No More Story Chart
• Felix Barrett on Sleep No More by BUILD Series.
• “Meet Emursive, The Company Behind 'Sleep No More,' The Off-Broadway Production That's Been Sold Out For Three Years” by Hollie Slade. Forbes. March 19th, 2014.
• “Performers and Staffers at ‘Sleep No More’ Say Audience Members Have Sexually Assaulted Them” by Amber Jamieson. Buzzfeed News. Feb 6th, 2018.
• “Sleep No More: From Avant Garde Theatre To Commercial Blockbuster” by Alexis Soloski. The Guardian. March 31st, 2015.
• “Sleep No More to Close in January” by Alexis Soloski. NYTimes. November 8th, 2023.
• “‘Sleep No More’ Venue Gets $27M Refi From Signature” by Matt Grossman. Commercial Observer. May 8th, 2018.

TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com

Commercial: “An Evening at The McKittrick Hotel with Detective Rupert Cadell”