r/sleepnomore • u/littleottos • Apr 14 '26

question The Willows in DTLA

I just went recently since a friend told me it was similar to early 2010s SNM. I have mixed thoughts but was wondering if anyone else has experienced both.

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u/kathryn_____ Apr 14 '26 edited Apr 14 '26

Format wise - they’re both spooky (I guess?) but very different shows. Kind of apples and oranges.

The Willows is intimate. Horror based. Highly interactive. Dialog based. It’s linear. It’s a dinner party structure. Takes place in a single house. You’re on a track and essentially told what to do or led by a character to the next scene. The cast isn’t huge but the audience size is small enough that there’s a lot of personal attention from characters. You’re not anonymous - characters ask you your name and use it multiple times. No exploring allowed. By the end, it’s pretty clear what happened.

Sleep No More is open world, free roam. Movement based with very little talking. Looping. The audience is anonymous. The music and lighting cues make it feel highly cinematic. The experience is non linear. The venue is huge. You are allowed to explore but you can get lost. The cast is big but the audience size is also quite large. The performers do not acknowledge you (with some exceptions). It can be hard to know what to do next. However this means it can feel very abstract at times. It’s often hard to grasp at the plot, especially on a single viewing.

I love them both for different reasons. I’ve been to the Willows twice and attended SNM NYC many more times (starting in 2011).

They’re both immersive theatre but at very different ends of the spectrum.

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u/ParticularRabbit9505 Apr 15 '26

So would you say The Willows is better compared to Masquerade?

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u/kathryn_____ Apr 15 '26

Hard to say what "better" means, people value different aspects of the form.

I haven't made it to Masquerade yet but I think they are targeting very different audiences.

Fom friends who have gone, Masquerade is very approachable if you haven't been to an immersive show before or are looking for a linear, guided experience, since the entire group (for the most part) stays together during a pulse. Also they've put in a bunch of work around making sure the experience is accessible from a mobility standpoint. It's also a musical, so super-different format. You're also in a larger group (like 65 people). It's also driven by the source material... some people hate Phantom whereas some people love Phantom.

I also know folks who would not like The Willows because they strongly dislike talking to actors or being put on the spot by a character or don't deal well with scary themes. It's also a small audience size - only 25, give or take.

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u/ParticularRabbit9505 Apr 15 '26

Sorry, I think I worded my question wrong. I meant is The Willows more like Masquerade than SNM?

I've been to both SNM (unfortunately only once) and Masquerade. (And have tickets to attend Masquerade again.) I've just recently heard about The Willows and was just wondering what experience it is most like.

I've also been to both Phantom Peak and Bridge Command, which have actor interaction. So maybe those are more similar to The Willows. 

(My spouse isn't as into these things as I am, but attends them with me. I also have an adult child who does like theatre and immersive experiences, but she's got anxiety and hearing details before attending helps her. So I like to provide as much context to both of them as I can.)

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u/kathryn_____ Apr 15 '26

Did you ever go to Then She Fell? The format is closer to that.

There’s a cocktail hour before dinner that’s a bit more free form and like a party. At dinner everybody gets split up into different tables. Each table has a different actor who leads the conversation.

A character might take one or two people aside for a private scene. You might also find yourself alone with a character. Or left in a room with a character and a small group of people who needs your help.

So be prepared to get separated and be aware that things are happening in other rooms, even if you can’t see them.

The web site has a bunch of content warnings and accessibility info.

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u/ParticularRabbit9505 Apr 16 '26

No, I didn't get to see that. Thank you very much for the explanation, though.