Serenbe Playhouse’s The Sleepy Hollow Experience, which began in Atlanta, GA—where Serenbe artistic director Brian Clowdus mounts immersive theatrical experiences—comes to New England tonight. Outdoor performances of Sleepy Hollow begin October 11 at the living history museum Old Sturbridge Village.
Guests of The Sleepy Hollow Experience will be “enthralled by this classic, spooky tale set in the 19th century—with all of the thrills, chills and laughs that keep audience members on the edge of their seats,” according to press notes. “The tale—originally written by Washington Irving and published in 1820—revolves around the bumbling, awkward schoolteacher, Ichabod Crane, the coquettish Katrina Van Tassel, and Ichabod’s brutish rival, Brom Bones. In this immersive, experiential adaptation, guests will be guided by roving minstrel storytellers through Old Sturbridge Village’s countryside, while the Headless Horseman rushes about on live horseback and through the museum’s historic Vermont covered bridge.”
An hour-and-a-half before show time, theatregoers can purchase libations, chowders and soups, snacks and sweets at Ichabod’s Tavern at Old Sturbridge Village as well as additional drinks and sweets during intermission.
Performances continue through October 31.
The Sleepy Hollow Experience is performed outdoors, rain or shine. In the event of severe weather, a modified version of the show will take place in the Stephen M. Brewer Theater at the Village’s Visitor Center.
“It’s so exciting for me to see The Sleepy Hollow Experience get a new life in New England and at the region’s largest and premier living history museum,” says Clowdus, president and executive/artistic director of Brian Clowdus Experience, which launches with Old Sturbridge Village’s inaugural production of Sleepy Hollow. "When I first toured Old Sturbridge Village last fall, I couldn't have imagined in a million years a more perfect backdrop for the retelling of Washington Irving's 19th-century tale. As director, Old Sturbridge Village offers me so many unique opportunities to super-size the immersive nature of the show. Audience members are in for one spooky, fun-filled night.”
The production stars Austin Tijerina as Ichabod Crane and Shannon McCarren as Katrina Van Tassel with Jessica De Maria and David Colston Corris as storytellers.
The creative team includes director Clowdus, scenic designers Adam Koch and Steven Royal, sound and lighting designer Bobby Johnston and costume designer Erik Teague.
For more information and tickets, visit SleepyHollowOSV.org.
