I Left My Heart at The McKittrick

There’s only one thing about my Sleep No More experience that I wish I could change: I wish I’d heard about it sooner. It’s a dark world, but live performance and art help remind me of the collective good in us, and theater is typically my go-to form of storytelling when I want to forget about my life. I thought I’d seen it all: I’d been to New York multiple times to see tens of Broadway shows and had gone to London for West End theater. How could I not have heard of Sleep No More as someone who’s so passionate about theater? The obvious answer is that it’s not theater; it’s something else entirely.

In a world that can feel invasive and impersonal, this show offers both anonymity and connection while somehow being both surreal and grounding. I’m devastated by the loss of the show, but feel privileged to have been able to experience something so visionary, singular, and gorgeous, with some of the choreography feeling seared into my brain. The memory of it almost feels like it couldn’t have happened, like a daydream or something I made up.

I’m excited to be “going back to Manderley” on June 13^th – something I didn’t think I’d be able to do. I’m forever indebted to Punchdrunk Theatre; I honestly don’t believe I’ll ever see another piece of live storytelling in my life that will match or affect me like Sleep No More unless it’s done by them. Congratulations on a historic run spanning almost a decade and a half, and thank you for everything. See you at Viola’s Room!