Review: THE SLEEPY HOLLOW EXPERIENCE at Serenbe Playhouse

The Sleep Hollow Experience isn't a show. Like its namesake, it is an experience. In its third year running, The Sleepy Hollow Experience returns to Serenbe Playhouse to deliver great laughs and scares for the Halloween season. This playful adaptation of Washington Irving's frightful tale will remind audiences what excites and terrifies them about the mysterious town of Sleepy Hollow.

The Sleepy Hollow Experience, directed by Brian Clowdus and assistant directed by Ryan Oliveti, is an engrossing spectacle that puts you into the heart of an American legend. Thinking about the show, I can't help but imagine the Studio Tour at Universal Studios, where you can watch scenes from your favorite movies come to life and interact with set pieces. Like the Studio Tour, the cast and crew guide the audience through the woods of Serenbe, Georgia as they recreate the chilling tale of the Headless Horseman. From a nineteenth century classroom to the infamous bridge where the Headless Horseman lurks, audiences get a chance to explore Irving's gloomy tale of romance and suspense.

Along with the show, Serenbe Playhouse sets up an assortment of concessions and activities in the woods for audiences to enjoy during intermission. There's bobbing for apples, corn hole, fortunetellers, and a bar hosted by sarcastic ghouls that serve spiked cider. Note to readers: don't chug a spiked cider from the bar then attempt to bob for apples, it does not end well.

Many times in outdoor and site-specific theatre, the story can be lost to sound or lighting issues. However, the technical aspects of The Sleepy Hollow Experience don't distract from the performance but instead enhance it. Bobby Johnston, the show's lighting and sound designer, uses the outdoor scenery to his advantage as he creates a haunting atmosphere of technicolor lights and visceral sounds. Johnston's moody atmosphere is heightened by Adam Koch's dynamic set design. Koch, Serenbe Playhouse's Artist in Residence, brings Irving's dreary tale to life with a set that is both gothic and playful. Both designers recognize what frightens and fascinates audiences with "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and deliver.

The performances in The Sleepy Hollow Experience pay respect to Irving's story and provide something new for audiences to enjoy. Chris Mayers takes on the role of Ichabod Crane with goofy charm and comical awkwardness that audiences have come to love from Irving's protagonist. Audiences can't help but chuckle as Ichabod fights for the love of Katrina van Tassel, played by Jessica Miesel. Miesel plays the part of Katrina with clear insight and comedic timing. A role that is often interpreted as a naïve and vapid, Miesel sees Katrina for who she really is, a flirtatious charmer manipulating the men of Sleepy Hollow to marry her and share her father's fortune. You can tell watching Miesel that she enjoys teasing Ichabod and Brom Bones, played by Serenbe newcomer Justin Walker. Walker also brings a new interpretation to a character often mistaken as the story's villain. In his performance, Walker portrays Brom as a frustrated simpleton, who feels ridiculed by Ichabod's intelligence and Katrina's wavering affection. The cast's chemistry is exciting to watch, especially with the constant commentary from the two Storytellers, played by Laura Floyd and Daniel Burns. Floyd and Burns switch from narrators commenting on the plot to different characters living in the town of Sleepy Hollow. Their ability to switch characters instantly and improvise hilarious one-liners to the audience adds a layer of entertainment to an already spectacular experience.

Get your tickets fast, as shows are selling out quick! Luckily, Serenbe Playhouse has extended its run of The Sleepy Hollow Experience to November 8. Visit www.serenbeplayhouse.com to purchase tickets and find out more about Serenbe Playhouse's upcoming 2016 season.

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