SLEEPWALKR (Capsule Review)

[Original publication: No Proscenium, 1/18/23]

The San Gabriel Valley is host to Sunny Plaza, a two-story mini mall of modest enterprises. I wasn’t there for Spicy Charm, Meet You BBQ, or VIP Plastic Surgery. I was there for SLEEPWALKR, a series of immersive audio experiences set in 2044 Los Angeles.

Presented by Inside the Box Productions, the premise begins in 2039 when The Sandmen Collective first launched their proprietary “dream exhibitor” technology to great success. Five years “later” I was invited to enter three audio dreamscapes. A perfect locational mix for dystopian, futuristic entertainment, Sunny Plaza felt both conventional and suspect; it seemed innocuously predatory. Cocooned in their masks and jumpsuits, Sandmen “employees” monitored patrons idling around the SLEEPWALKR entrance, wordlessly ushering them into exhibition bays when ready.

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Each dreamscape began with an introductory video for small clusters of participants: first, a succinct overview of The Sandmen Collective followed by a clip of the dreamer’s application interview (who they were and what motivated them to sell their subconscious). Since audiences could select how many and which dreamscapes to explore, this served as efficient onboarding. Narratively, it fell short: all three dreamers were young and financially motivated. It was a missed opportunity to create distinct needs and hopes for the dreamers, offering audiences a range of emotional toeholds into the dreamscapes.

The production ran into other logistical and narrative hiccups. Each dreamscape had a runtime of 10 to 15 minutes and included sensory elements. In only one experience was this apparent. For Clementine’s dream, haptic feedback mimicked a subway car and was an effective tactic. But in the end, it took me 90 minutes to experience 30 to 40 minutes of content, which raises design questions. By offering flexible ticketing options (number of dreams; pre-purchased or walk-up), experience flow was disrupted and content was duplicated (by way of the intro video).

Marketed as horror, the storylines varied in their fright intensity and probed common nightmare fodder: public humiliation, monsters in the closet, and a special cocktail of sexual harassment laced with medical assault. Some remote, audio-centric productions have delivered sublime experiences (specifically Candle House Collective’s Claws and several DARKFIELD RADIO plays with their binaural submersion).

Which leads to issues of intentionality for in-person and site-specific work. SLEEPWALKR attempted to amplify sensory and emotional resonance through its physical design, but failed to deliver. Digitally, its slick trailer and interactive, in-world website add creepy, corporate layers reminiscent of The Game (building out all website sections, especially Investors and Career Opportunities, would have been a value-add). The production’s premise is realistic enough and taps into sci-fi fantasies for similar universes, such as Inception and The Cell. But the combination of operational glitches and creative pitfalls left me wanting.

I applaud the efforts of co-creators Sam Kellman (founder of Inside the Box Productions) and David Coleman. Our industry is strongest when the community supports iterative processes for emerging talent. Last summer, I attended Within Our Walls, another show by Kellman, which possessed deeper self-awareness and more elevated design. While SLEEPWALKR may not have nailed it this time, I’ll be on the lookout for what Kellman does next.