Like that of many New Yorkers, my primary experience of immersive theatre at that point was the wildly popular show “Sleep No More,” which is scheduled to close this April after a run of more than a decade. At “Sleep No More,” attendees don masks and wander around a lush, gothic stage set built to resemble a nineteen-thirties hotel, while largely silent performers dance and emote around them.
At the end of each twenty-minute session, a loud bell chimes, interrupting you even if you are in the middle of a sentence, at which point you are asked to answer a single survey question: “Do you feel you have spent your time wisely?” My answers to this question have varied widely, to the point that, at least once, I have practically shouted No! The calls are relatively inexpensive, given the amount of time and effort they involve on the part of the creators, and yet, like a true entitled...