On the eve before Halloween, not even the light drizzle could dampen the spirits for the Sleepy Hollow Experience, by Brian Clowdus Productions, at Old Sturbridge Village. Like the old theatrical saying, the show must go on, and luckily for the audience, it went on as planned, outside in the Sturbridge, Massachusetts living history museum—and the sold-out performance did not disappoint.
Some audience members came clad in plastic ponchos and umbrellas, while others looked like they were ready to trudge through six-feet of snow. As the show began with masked guides in black leading the audience through a torch-lit path, all thoughts of the weather seemed to vanish upon seeing the sawmill bathed in a blue light and hearing eerie voices echo through the air.
The Sleepy Hollow Experience is more than an outdoor show—it is truly an experience itself. The story could be told on any stage, but telling it under a dark sky alongside historic buildings is everything the production aims to be and more. Throughout the show, the audience joins the costumed players in various locations in the village as they tell the Legend of Sleepy Hollow. The atmosphere created by the lights and set decorations make the buildings take on their own identities in the Sleepy Hollow world.
In the daylight, the village buildings are easily discernible, but in the middle of the dark, misty atmosphere of the show, the blacksmith shop melds into the Van Tassel Farm, hardly recognizable amidst the white paper lanterns and greenery for the party scene. The Vermont Covered Bridge brings the infamous, iconic showdown with Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman into glorious, horrifying reality. The Horseman, played by a local equestrian and an 11-year-old, well-trained horse, embody everything expected of the legendary gruesome character.
Walking through the village between scenes adds to the experience itself; gaze at the burning pyres on the mill pond and glowing apparitions that dance in the windows nearby. These elements are just as important as the actors’ performance, seamlessly all working together to tell the story in a completely rounded way.
The main cast comprises of five players from Georgia and New York. Each character is brought to life in a Tim Burton-esque aura of elegant macabre. Austin Tijerina takes Ichabod Crane’s anxiety-ridden meagerness to a new level. P.J. Griffith’s amusingly egotistical Brom Bones is doubly brash and bold. Two storytellers, Jessica De Maria and David Corris, play the characters with spectacular creepiness. They anchor the narrative like 19th-century gothic masters of ceremonies. Shannon McCarren gives Katrina Van Tassel a light coquettish and bubbly persona, far from the sheltered ‘farm girl’ portrayed in other versions.
Traditional music is also integrated into the story, showcasing the actors’ superb voices in different arrangements and styles that fit the mystical, spooky tone of the show. “Black is the Color” plays upon Crane and Katrina’s relationship while “The Last Rose of Summer” is juxtaposed eerily with a tale about a legendary village specter.
The characters engage with audience members in the interactive show, often improvising conversations with those around them. Ichabod Crane introduces himself to audience members with a hearty handshake and Brom Bones finds a dancing partner in the crowd at the Van Tassel All Hallow’s Eve party. This production also honors the classical tale with nostalgic and modern sensibilities. A few contemporary elements, like ad-libbed asides in 21st-century vernacular or mentioning a newfangled invention called ‘social media’ does not detract from the show’s immersive experience and historical theme. In many ways, it reminds us where we are, briefly taking us from the fantasy world of the experience before we are drawn back in with full force to the show’s enchantments. The actors’ great use of humor and suspense are balanced nicely in the performance. The audience is put in stitches from their humorous antics, then in the next moment, the rug is abruptly pulled out as the characters begin telling frightening ghost stories surrounded by rolling fog.
With the cast members on raised platforms, the audience can clearly see the great facial expressions that might only be seen in a traditional theater with a front-row ticket. The nature of immersive theater means standing (although there are a few benches for audience members who need to sit), but overall chairs are hardly missed, since those attention-grabbing 90-minutes fly as quickly as the galloping Headless Horseman.
Like Ichabod Crane, the audience must have lost their heads too–everyone seemed so taken by the performance and the world of Sleepy Hollow, most of the time they forgot to applaud. There is no doubt that the Sleepy Hollow Experience at Old Sturbridge Village will keep retelling the timeless tale for years to come as a fun, new Halloween tradition.
For more information on The Sleepy Hollow Experience, check out the website here.
Originally featured in Wordsby Arts & Culture News.
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