The Death of Rasputin

This is not an escape room. This show has taken the mantle of "must-do immersive theatre experience in NYC" now that Sleep No More and Life & Trust are gone. However, if you've done either of those you should know that this is being produced on a much smaller and less permanent scale. The show is located on Governor's Island and you have to take the ferry to get there. Upon arrival you can either enter the first obvious door (most people line up there) or you can seek out the second entrance, located up the hill and around to the back of the building. The back entrance, which I suspect most people don't know exists, is a much shorter line and it will give you a different introductory scene once the show gets going. Unlike SNM you will not be wearing a mask, though you are encouraged to wear all black to help visibly mark you as audience. Most people followed that instruction, a few people very clearly did not. I find that without the masks, the audience seems to be a bit more courteous to each other. Like SNM you are allowed to explore the space freely and follow whatever whims pop into your head. Find one actor to follow the entire time, jump from scene to scene, or simply explore the sets, it's up to you. I personally followed one actor for the majority of the time and found that it was very easy to follow compared to some of the SNM actors. There is some interpretive dance elements but the scenes are mainly conveyed with actual dialog. I found this made is significantly easier to understand what is going on and provides a much more cohesive and complete experience. As much as I love the dream-like, and often vague, nature of SNM, I preferred the inclusion of dialog. Overall I absolutely adored this experience. I followed a character whose storyline was very emotionally affecting, even made me tear up at times. It was a mostly quiet, somber experience. I went with four other friends who all chose different paths and had wildly different experiences. Some had largely action filled, high drama experience, others were treated with an abundance of humor. Although there are only about 12-15 actors and not nearly as much plot to cover as SNM, this still made me want to revisit and make different decisions. My biggest complaint is that the show is listed as 90 minutes, when it's really much closer to about 65. And you only get one run through of the story. I have not been to very many immersive theatre shows, but I suspect SNM has spoiled audiences in terms of expectation for what you'll get for the price. Go in with the right expectations and I think you'll have a blast. Just don't expect a massive 5 story warehouse with impeccable scenic design and dozens of actors. I've been to SNM twice, and I found DoR to be a much more cohesive and complete experience. In many ways it is hard and unfair to compare the two. But if I had an option to go to either one for another performance, I suspect I would choose DoR.