If you have ever meandered through dark side streets in Lower Manhattan or passed a rather eye-catching ad for Sleep No More, you might have sensed it— that alluring attraction towards discovery. This is the magic of Emursive. Emursive, a New York based immersive production company specializes in crafting some of the most captivating and surreal experiences across the globe, this company does not only host shows: their focus is on building entire worlds.
The Architects of Otherworldly Experiences
Emursive has gained lots of attention for its work turning abandoned places into complex multi-sensory
dreamscapes. “To build immersive theatre where the audience experience ‘the action’ themselves, beyond the velvet rope” is what drives the passion of theatre creatives, Randy Weiner, Arthur Karpati, and Jonathan Hochwald. Each founder brought a unique sensibility to the table: Weiner with his background in avant-garde theatre and nightlife (he co-created The Donkey Show), Karpati with a sharp eye for real estate and production logistics, and Hochwald with extensive experience producing large-scale theatrical events. Emursive was founded with the intention to reimagine how engagement with performance works, to shift the boundary between audience and actor, between realism and fantasy, was their mission.
A World Reimagined: Sleep No More
You can’t talk about Emursive without mentioning Sleep No More. Produced in collaboration with the UK’s Punchdrunk, Sleep No More catapulted Emursive onto the international stage. Set inside the sprawling McKittrick Hotel (an abandoned warehouse transformed into a labyrinthine 1930s dreamscape), the production reimagines Shakespeare’s Macbeth through the lens of a noir thriller. Audiences don masks, wander freely across six floors of meticulously detailed rooms, and uncover the story at their own pace. Here, you are not a passive observer. You are a ghost slipping through an unsettling, intoxicating world where every drawer, every shadow, every whispered interaction could change your experience entirely. The show’s enduring popularity — running strong for over a decade — is a testament to Emursive’s mastery at creating spaces that feel at once foreign and deeply personal.
Beyond the McKittrick
While Sleep No More remains their crown jewel, Emursive has not limited itself to a single story. The
McKittrick Hotel has since become a hub for other immersive offerings: from the sultry, supernatural
cabaret The Heath to the lush rooftop garden parties of Gallow Green, Emursive continues to expand its
universe. They’ve introduced seasonal experiences like The Witch’s Garden, a bewitching autumnal twist on Gallow Green, and The Lodge, a cozy, winter-themed hideaway complete with fire pits and spiced cocktails. Each activation transforms the space anew, ensuring that no two visits to the McKittrick ever feel quite the same. Whether you’re dancing at a 1920s masquerade ball, solving a murder mystery, or sipping absinthe under a canopy of ivy, Emursive invites you to step out of the ordinary and into a carefully constructed world where the rules of reality bend—just a little.
Each event or show is imbued with the same DNA: detailed world-building, sensory overload, and the
constant feeling that something—a mystery, a romance, a revelation—lurks just around the corner.
Why Emursive Matters
In an age where digital experiences increasingly dominate our attention, Emursive reminds us of the
irreplaceable magic of physical, lived moments. They champion theatre that you feel with your entire
body—not just watch with your eyes. They’ve turned storytelling into an adventure, audiences into
explorers, and old spaces into living, breathing works of art. Through their work, Emursive challenges not just the form of theatre, but the very idea of what it means to “attend” a show. In their worlds, you don’t just see the story. You step inside it.
What’s Next?
True to their name—Emursive (a portmanteau of “immersive” and “emerge”)—the company shows no
signs of slowing down. With new collaborations, secret projects, and ever-evolving experiences rumored
to be on the horizon, Emursive continues to be the gatekeeper to realms unseen.