The blog isn't the only place for comments on our website: you can also comment on the show pages themselves, and we've been getting some great dialogue in the comments on the Donkey Show and Sleep No More pages. We're always so thrilled to hear what our audiences think of their experiences and we welcome you to share your thoughts and impressions!
Commenters on Sleep No More are saying:
"Christ on ice - if you live in Massachusetts, buy a ticket for this NOW. Punchdrunk gave me two of the wildest nights of my life."
"Fantastic show! I will certainly see it again. Word to the wise: Do NOT dress up for this!..."
"We came home and immediately bought 4 more tickets. This is such an amazing experience and truly the best of interactive theatre."
And commenters on The Donkey Show are saying:
"However, with no expectations on you but to dance to oldies for the first half hour, most of the audience was down on the floor and into the action. It was just plain fun. When the story began around us, and kept moving, it was easy to be drawn in on a different level than sitting and watching promotes."
"If you have a chance GO SEE THE SHOW. See for yourself the great performance and have the night of your life."
"I am a longtime subscriber and faithful to the ART. I loved the Donkey Show..."
Comments
Comments
There should be a disclaimer on your directions page not to park in the 1 brookline place garage. It does not validate and is directly next door to the 10 brookline place garage that does.
Thanks for this feedback! We've added a clarification to the directions on the Old Lincoln School page.
Amanda Gutowski
Communications Manager, A.R.T.
Clarification? Really? Quite interesting. The word "garage" simply doesn't appear on your "Old Lincoln School" page. And Google Maps cannot locate a street named Brookline Place in Brookline, MA. The only parking information on your page is the repeated warning, "There is no legal street parking on Boylston Street in Brookline." This serves mainly to discourage patrons, especially those with walking limitations or anyone during inclement weather. Information about real parking alternatives would be welcome.
The information on the Old Lincoln School page of our site evolves over time to reflect the most current parking information available. The garage at 10 Brookline Place is no longer open late enough to be a parking option for Sleep No More, but we have arranged other parking options which are detailed on that page. At the time you checked, it must have been in the window during which we had not yet confirmed these other options. I apologize for any confusion and appreciate your feedback.
Amanda Gutowski
Communications Manager, A.R.T.
I attended Tuesday, October 27. My Friend Leslie Powell made the reservations. You kept us waiting in the rain for twenty minutes at The Main Entrance. No signs saying the entrance was in the rear. The banquet scene was stunning. From that point on the evening was a dreadfully frustrating disappointment. I saw people dancing, I saw two women kissing on a bed. I saw a strobe enhanced dance scene, and I saw the king get suffocated. Then the actor's hands were covered with blood instantly destroying the veracity of the murder. Most of the night I spent wandering the hall alone looking for something that was happening. I would have appreciated a program, I would have liked to know who directed it,, and what you would call it. Director's notes are very helpful especially in a different sort of presentation like this one.. The many ushers who were monitoring our mask wearing could have been much more of a help ushering us to where the was something happening. The number of people checking their text messages in the halls ways certainly help break any spell that have had a chance to be established. I found the whole thing self indulgent and alienating. the performers seemed to be performing for their own entertainment. Marc Clopton
My tip: if you just let the performance art happen to you, you will have a much richer experience. Anxiety about director's notes or linear story lines will only get in the way of allowing the material to get under your skin and into your head. Non-linear, interactive, embodied storytelling isn't for everyone, but I personally LOVED this experience: it opened up a whole new dimension for the role of the audience in performance. I know as I left the performance, I was able to pick up a program with production information; maybe you missed this table?
I left the Sunday November 1st performance of Sleep No More feeling numb and dissatisfied. The best way I can describe it is feeling like I scratched at the surface of an intoxicating dream til my fingers bled and I never broke through. Sleep No More is like a cocktail you've never tried before: the thought sexy and enticing, the first sip shocking, and once it's in your system, disorienting. My evening was spent either wandering empty hallways desperately searching for action or being stuck behind a throng of people all trying to follow one character. I had a few lovely moments (a kiss on the hand by a gentle witch; playing voyeur with Macbeth on a party below; walking side by side with an actor with incredible, incredible presence, though I never figured out who he was supposed to be), but ultimately feel a little cheated. Maybe I got lost too many times; maybe I followed the wrong person; maybe there were too many people in the "audience" for me to really get intimate with the show. In any event, the show left me feeling frustrated and in withdrawal of a beautiful, haunting world I could not fully immerse myself in despite my most intense efforts.
I blog theatre reviews, but I don't feel that I can honestly review this show unless I see it again. I just don't feel like I got the full experience; I feel like I missed something. So...I guess we'll have to see.
-Lindsay Eagle, www.theatrigalboston.wordpress.com
The experience was fascinating. It was like being in a parallel dimension, ghosts viewing and even bumping into things going on in the other dimension without being a part of it. Tableaus would appear in no particular order and one had no choice but to experience them on a sensory level because of the lack of linearity. The smell of balsam was primal. We became aware that certain audience members would attach themselves to a character and pursue that character throughout the performance. That might be an interesting option for another time. The experience for us was more free-form and I'm glad that I didn't "understand" too much because it prevented me from intellectualizing the feelings away. There were a couple instances when I became frustrated and almost "toyed with" but those moments were brief and always between scenes while we were wondering what to do next.
The experience was fascinating. It was like being in a parallel dimension, ghosts viewing and even bumping into things going on in the other dimension without being a part of it. Tableaus would appear in no particular order and one had no choice but to experience them on a sensory level because of the lack of linearity. The smell of balsam was primal. We became aware that certain audience members would attach themselves to a character and pursue that character throughout the performance. That might be an interesting option for another time. The experience for us was more free-form and I'm glad that I didn't "understand" too much because it prevented me from intellectualizing the feelings away. There were a couple instances when I became frustrated and almost "toyed with" but those moments were brief and always between scenes while we were wondering what to do next.
This show simple blew me away. Bravo! Annuities
I recently attended Best of Both Worlds. It was an entertaining and very professional production filled with performers with Broadway experience. However, it's hardly reperatory theater any more. I miss the old Am Rep company (Remo Airoldi, Thomas Derrah, Jeremy Geidt, Will LeBow). These performers have a history with this theater and with the audience. Admittedly, the last few seasons at ART have been rough, but these performers delivered many, many high quality performances over the years. I hope we will see them back at some point in the future.
Find a review of the entire Shakespeare Exploded Series at http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/arts/theater/2009/12/review-shakes...
It is always good to know that people’s opinions and suggestions are considered and appreciated and this site, American Repertory Theater is doing that. The most interesting thing I find is that we can also comment on the show pages besides the blog. That is really a smart move from them. You know why? Because such strategies not only help them build up but also makes us more enthusiastic in surfing here by expressing our view points. Really a smart way to go! Family Leisure Canopy
Once again I just revisited to see the show "Sleep No More" last month, it was still amazing as it used to be and it still confused me like anything.The dancing is just exceptional as being a professional trained dancer myself i still doubt if i could do the steps that they perform.The theme made me always think of Macbeth from time to time, as i saw many similarities.We where a group of friends who has went to see the show we went two days ahead and stayed at Augusta Hotels and one of my friends arranged us the tickets of the show. Usually this my rush is not there but this time it was hard to get the tickets.
Post new comment