Just in Time for Halloween: Shakespeare in the Dark at the Driskill Hotel

by Britni Rachal on October 29, 2018 in Living Texas, Austin, Theatre,
In the dark cover e1540836124277
Share

An immersive horror show, all in pitch black; it’s Shakespeare like you’ve never experienced!

Coupled with a chilling location at Austin’s allegedly haunted historic Driskill Hotel, you’ve got a unique Halloween or post-Halloween outing to see (or maybe not see) a classic, Macbeth, like never before.

“This is the perfect outing for people who want to enjoy a ghost story and a classic tale. The talent is phenomenal and this will be a theater-going experience you’ll never forget!” said Stephanie Moore, Co-Managing Director of the Filigree Theater. Co-produced by Filigree, this is the first year for Shakespeare in the Dark.

The removal of visual overstimulation in the Macbeth performance leads to a “state of sensory deprivation”, which helps audience members to appreciate why Shakespeare is still performed 400 years after his death. While audience members who are blind or visually impaired often don’t get the full experience all that theatre has to offer, this performance will be different.

“Many of us of us have only even enjoyed theatre shows with our sense of sight completely intact,” said Moore. “This production takes away that very important sense and gives the whole story a completely different feel – it’s more immersive show than ever before.”

Macbeth is a play about ordinary people led to extraordinary actions under extraordinary circumstances. The production combines the innate human fear of the dark with the supernatural and psychological horror of Shakespeare’s writing to create a terrifying experience of sensory deprivation and a unique opportunity to focus solely on the play without distraction.

“Once the show begins, it is completely in the dark,” said Moore. “The actors are never seen by the audience. They will never actually touch any of the attendees, but without the sense of sight, all other senses are definitely heightened!”

Shakespeare in the Dark’s Macbeth runs October 31 – November 4, 2018. The show is one hour long without any intermission. Tickets start at $20, with discounts available for seniors, students and teachers.

Purchase tickets here.