For years, we've wanted to see The Sleepy Hollow Experience at Serenbe Playhouse, but haven't been…read moreable to make it out for one reason or another. One reason is because this show has been sold out for six seasons straight. You have to plan ahead. After finally attending The Sleepy Hollow Experience this past weekend, I can see why it consistently sells out. It's good!
We bought our tickets a little over two months in advance. My friend purchased the tickets for us and got us a great deal that worked out to $31 per person after any taxes and fees. Tickets are regularly $50 per adult, $45 per student/senior, and $60 per VIP (not sure what that includes).
In 2019, The Sleepy Hollow Experience is playing September 27th through November 3rd. Shows occur Wednesday through Sunday nights. There's a family-friendly daytime version that takes place at 2pm on Saturdays and Sundays. The show is rated "PG" and includes "light sexual innuendo and a handful of scares." The scares are jump scares.
Serenbe Playhouse is an outdoor, immersive theater. You walk around a big set, in nature, with the actors and even have opportunities to interact with them. The concept is neat and a lot of fun. It's different and can be a lot more interesting than your typical theater experience where you just sit and watch a performance play out on stage. At The Sleepy Hollow Experience, we watched most of the acts while standing. One act did have chairs and benches for sitting.
Shows go on in the rain, so come prepared. Pay attention to the weather forecast and wear comfortable clothes and shoes. Bring layers if needed. You'll be outside the entire time, standing on dirt, clay, grass, gravel, dead leaves, branches, etc. If conditions are wet, it can get muddy. For night shows, consider bringing a flashlight or using the light on your phone to help you get around. Restrooms consist of a row of porta-potties.
Parking (free) changes for each production so be sure to follow the instructions on Serenbe Playhouse's website, specific to the show you're attending. http://www.serenbeplayhouse.com/plan-your-visit/directions-and-parking
At The Sleepy Hollow Experience, there were two bars located on-site: (1) a smaller bar near the parking lot and porta-potties and (2) a larger bar near the production with lawn games like corn hole and ring toss. Like the rest of Serenbe Playhouse's structures, the bars have a natural, rustic look to them (sort of one with nature) and are nicely-decorated with string lighting. The larger bar has limited seating (e.g. picnic table). We purchased glasses of hot apple cider in Serenbe Playhouse clear souvenir tumblers ($10 each).
We went to the Friday night late show at 10:30pm. It ended promptly, close to midnight, and included an intermission. During intermission, we could take pictures with the cast and even play corn hole with one of them. That was cool.
In light traffic, it takes about 35-40 minutes to get to Serenbe Playhouse from Atlanta. I would allow 45 minutes to an hour if you are coming from the north side of Atlanta and even more if you're coming from the northern suburbs. You will have to drive onto bare, bumpy ground to park, so keep that in mind. Also, you will be out in a remote location so cell service may be spotty (in our experience, AT&T had better signal here than T-Mobile).
As for the actual Sleepy Hollow Experience production itself, it was terrific. We all really enjoyed it. It was a high-quality production and by that I'm referring to the acting, costumes, music, sound, and lighting. These are true professionals and they know what they're doing. The actors not only acted well, but they played musical instruments (e.g. accordion, guitar, violin) and sang well too. This was a truly talented and entertaining group of individuals. The Sleepy Hollow Experience was expectedly eerie, but it had plenty of moments of levity and humor too. It was a lot of fun. We moved from place to place on the set with Serenbe Playhouse staff/volunteers to help guide, and sometimes scare, us.
The ratio of actors to audience was 5 to about 90.
The Headless Horseman exists and we saw him, multiple times, from far away and up close. It was awesome. Yes, they use a real horse and real fire.
As this is an outdoor night show during the Halloween season, the entire setting is literally very dark. Only the stages and set pieces are professionally lit. The pathways and rest of the outdoor space are lit with torches and ambient/natural light.
Through this production, my eyes have been opened to the greatness of Serenbe Playhouse. I wouldn't mind returning to see a different show in the future.
TL;DR - Go see The Sleepy Hollow Experience at Serenbe Playhouse. It's an excellent production and a very fun experience. There's a reason why it's on American Theatre Magazine's list of "Top Five Halloween Plays in the Country" and is regularly sold out, year after year. No question, it's worth the drive from Atlanta.