Audience Members Groped Performers at Manhattan Theater Show

In the immersive New York theater production of Sleep No More, a modern take on the Shakespeare classic Macbeth, 17 cases of sexual misconduct by patrons toward performers were reported by BuzzFeed News—with some performers claiming they were groped multiple times. The production company “acknowledged seven of those incidents, and contested the rest.” The show, performed in the McKittrick Hotel in Manhattan, encourages attendees to wear masks and to be separate from the people they came with to enhance the “fantasy” experience of the show. The show’s allure of “mystery, anonymity, and a sexually charged performance” enables an environment conducive to sexual misconduct at a $100 ticket fee, according to BuzzFeed. “Once you gave people a mask, it was carte blanche to let them do whatever they wanted,” a former steward said.