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From the mask conceit to the sandbox layout to the language of dance to familiar settings to exact musical selections found in the McKittrick Hotel (Bernard Hermann and the Ink Spots were two notable matches), Circle of Slumber ambitiously shot for the stars by following in the footsteps of its lofty predecessor. However, by modeling itself so obviously on Sleep No More the comparison is not invited. It is unfair to compare what is essentially a production created by high school students to the greatest immersive theatrical production in our lifetime. I confess to not fully understanding everything that transpired during my ninety minutes in the Otherworld but that is both the frustration and the charm of this sort of fare. Though not using Sleep No More‘s Macbeth as source material, the original tales being told through dance here seemed to riff on the Bard’s explorations of revenge, desperation, prejudice, and fatalism. I found myself time after time investing in a character only to have them come down with the plague or stabbed and carted off to join the mountains of bodies piling up at the cemetery. We followed characters in and out of stages of sickness and death. Themes of alienation and loss pervaded throughout Circle of Slumber’s Otherworld.
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Unlike Sleep No More, however, there was no nudity or particularly adult themes and was approachable for all ages. Further, the language of this production was the language of dance and, like Punchdrunk’s masterpiece, the choreography added a mysterious, almost alien quality to the proceedings that nicely tied everything together. Like Sleep No More, the performances repeated themselves throughout the night so multiple characters could be followed and missing story pieces could fall into place. The multiple stories and numerous characters intersected in a variety of settings ranging from a graveyard to a witch’s dwelling to a speakeasy to what appeared to be an Egyptian temple.
#SLEEP NO MORE NUDITY FREE#
Participants donned an Eyes Wide Shut-style Venetian mask and were allowed free reign to follow whichever character and whichever path they wanted to explore. The format for Circle of Slumber borrowed heavily from the granddaddy of all immersive theatrical productions, Punchdrunk’s renowned Sleep No More. To be clear, these were original stories written by CSA students, produced by CSA students, and performed by CSA dancers. Circle of Slumber was a unique collaboration from students in the Creative Writing Conservatory, the Production & Design Conservatory, and the School of Dance. This 90-minute experience took place at the CSA campus in the San Gabriel Valley and transformed the outdoor courtyard and several classrooms into a Steampunk Otherworld. The California School of the Arts, San Gabriel Valley premiered Circle of Slumber from February 20-22 as an installment in the 20/20/20: Legends of Steampunk festival put on by the Orange County School of the Arts. She puts her finger vertically against her mouth. Dejected, I regain my position against the wall but the mechanical woman has one final message for me. She pushes me away and dismisses me with a rough wave of her hand. Just then I hear footfalls on the metal landing outside.
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Everyone in the room is watching us, but I feel like this magical moment is meant for me alone. Though I’m a bit taken aback, I approach. We lock eyes and she motions for me to step forward. She scans the studio and notices me standing against the wall. The woman springs to life and steps off the stool. She has gears tattooed on her face and a giant wind-up mechanism sticking out of her back. A mechanical woman sits on a stool in a corner.