{"id":106426,"date":"2025-07-31T02:39:14","date_gmt":"2025-07-31T02:39:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/106426\/"},"modified":"2025-07-31T02:39:14","modified_gmt":"2025-07-31T02:39:14","slug":"this-time-out-writer-tried-nycs-new-barefoot-immersive-theater-show-violas-room","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/106426\/","title":{"rendered":"This Time Out writer tried NYC’s new barefoot immersive theater show ‘Viola’s Room’"},"content":{"rendered":"

As an audience member and a mercifully no-longer actor, I’ve been asked to do a lot of things in a theatre space. But something I was not expecting while attending Punchdrunk’s\u00a0newest immersive theater creation, Viola’s Room<\/a>, was being asked to remove my shoes and socks and sanitize my feet before seeing the show. The titular room, equipped with six beds, is merely the starting point for this sensory journey directed by Felix Barrett, of Sleep No More<\/a>\u00a0fame.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Led by light and sound,\u00a0I\u00a0felt\u00a0my way through a labyrinthine installation as this gothic tale unfolded before\u00a0my very eyes\u2014except, of course, for the pitch darkness. Over the course of an hour at The Shed in Hudson Yards,\u00a0our small group learned the story of Viola through over-ear headphone narration, which is based on the short story “The Moon-Slave” by Barry Pain. Writer Daisy Johnson adapted this short story into a thrilling and surprising adventure with themes of innocence and obsession\u2014and\u00a0did so without a single actor in the room.<\/p>\n

RECOMMENDED: Incredible immersive experiences to do in NYC right now<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

The experience\u00a0began with\u00a0my designated group of six strangers inside a dimly lit room.\u00a0Before you make it to Viola’s Room, make sure to arrive at The Shed at least 20 minutes before the allotted time, as this experience operates on a shift schedule; one group cannot begin until another ends. Not only that, but there is no late entry allowed\u2014Viola has many guests!\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Viola's
\nPhotograph: Courtesy Julian Abrams <\/p>\n

Once inside, a member of Punchdrunk’s team explained the performance and how to best enjoy the experience. The lingering feeling of fear and anticipation\u00a0were heavy in the moments before\u00a0I entered and took a seat in a flimsy wooden chair beneath a dim lightbulb.\u00a0I even witnessed a number of people having second thoughts\u00a0about whether they could endure the experience. These same emotions\u00a0were very present in Viola’s own story, and Punchdrunk goes to great lengths to provide that layer to the production as well.<\/p>\n

“It’s the most intimate and distilled form of a Punchdrunk experience we’ve created: an invitation to step inside a teenage daydream and surrender to the unknown,” Barrett said in a statement. “In a non-stop world of screens and tech this is an invitation to succumb to a live, tactile and fully sensory journey.”<\/p>\n

To add\u00a0another layer, scent is also incorporated into this production.\u00a0I\u00a0noticed hints of floral and woodsy aromas, as well as the blanketing scent of a freshly cooked feast. That’s about the closest you\u2019ll be getting to taste, I’m afraid, as the only food in Viola’s Room\u00a0is plastic and definitely not edible.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"The
\nPhotograph: Courtesy Timothy Schenck <\/p>\n

Be prepared for\u00a0haze, flashing lights, loud recorded sound, and moments of darkness, as well as very narrow spaces\u2014some of which require audiences to crouch, crawl or bend over to pass through. Wearing comfortable and loose clothing is recommended. Cameras and mobile devices are not allowed. There is a complimentary bag check at the Mezzanine level of The Shed to store personal belongings, as well as labeled boxes to house any on-person items and shoes before entering the space. Sanitizer is provided for feet as this must be experienced barefoot (so make sure to trim your toenails before attending, too, especially if you’re bringing a date).<\/p>\n

General admission tickets<\/a> start at $49. Shows run Tuesday\u2013Sunday\u00a0until Oct. 19. As Viola’s Room operates in groups of six, there are also private bookings available. Groups smaller than six are not guaranteed to experience the show together, so be prepared for that. While you’re at The Shed, also check out some art at the free Open Call: Portals<\/a> exhibition through August 24.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"As an audience member and a mercifully no-longer actor, I’ve been asked to do a lot of things…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":106427,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5122],"tags":[5229,31028,15291,41800,15290,10784,10782,18625,10785,18626,10783,37720,68303,18631,405,403,58669,5226,5225,5228,5227,1148,67,586,132,5230,68,2969],"class_list":{"0":"post-106426","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-new-york","8":"tag-america","9":"tag-categories-theater","10":"tag-dating-good-for-date-night","11":"tag-good-for-good-for-a-rainy-day","12":"tag-good-for-good-for-couples","13":"tag-good-for-good-for-going-in-a-group","14":"tag-good-for-good-for-going-solo","15":"tag-good-for-good-for-going-with-friends","16":"tag-good-for-good-for-locals","17":"tag-good-for-good-for-taking-parents","18":"tag-good-for-good-for-tourists","19":"tag-good-for-vibe-quirky","20":"tag-holidays-fall","21":"tag-holidays-summer","22":"tag-new-york","23":"tag-new-york-city","24":"tag-news-theater-performance","25":"tag-newyork","26":"tag-newyorkcity","27":"tag-ny","28":"tag-nyc","29":"tag-theater","30":"tag-united-states","31":"tag-united-states-of-america","32":"tag-unitedstates","33":"tag-unitedstatesofamerica","34":"tag-us","35":"tag-usa"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":"Validation failed: Text character limit of 500 exceeded"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/106426","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=106426"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/106426\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/106427"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=106426"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=106426"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=106426"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}