Today we're immersing into immersive experience design through one of the world's most iconic theatrical experiences, Sleep No More. Joining the production right out of college, my guest Ilana Gilovich-Wave is now Sleep No More’s Chief Storyteller.

In today’s episode, I chat with Ilana about Sleep No More, immersive experience design, and carving out a path as a young artist. We also delve into how Ilana’s career path can inspire those just starting out. We cover advice for young creatives in experience design and explore Punchdrunk's unique approach, which includes utilizing derelict buildings and the anonymity afforded by their signature masks. We discuss the production’s blend of Shakespeare and Hitchcock, and why effective experience design is inherently transformational. We conclude with a deep dive into ephemerality and the impact of impermanent experiences. This episode traverses a range from the erotic to the concept of death, mirroring a Shakespearean journey in its own right.

Sleep No More is a production by the British theater company Punchdrunk, the brainchild of directors Felix Barrett, Maxine Doyle, and the entire Punchdrunk team. It's currently running in New York City until February 25th, 2024.

Links

Timestamps

(10:00) - Don’t say Macbeth
(13:30) - Advice to young creatives who want to get into experience design
(21:15) - Dynamic ingredients from derelict buildings to attendee masks
(30:30) - The marriage of Shakespeare and Hitchcock through movement
(40:15) - Why good experience design is transformational
(50:15) - Death and the potency and ephemerality

Ilana Gilovich-Wave: Requiem for Sleep No More