Sibling rivalry. Presidential murder. Mummies.
Good backdrop for date night, no?
Because that’s the noir-ish promise behind Speakeasy Dollhouse: The Brothers Booth, a Sleep No More-esque piece of immersive theater at the historic Players Club, now selling tickets.
Brothers Booth is the second installment of Speakeasy Dollhouse, the true-crime brainchild of coquettish moll Cynthia Von Buhler; the first installment focused on the unsolved 1935 murder of her grandfather.
Brothers Booth focuses on the myriad mysteries and conspiracies surrounding Edwin Booth (former resident of the Gramercy Park mansion in which the play takes place) and his brother, John Wilkes. Yes, that John Wilkes Booth.
The logistics: upon entry through a secret passageway, you’ll find yourself in 1919 on the eve of Prohibition. You will be issued a part that you may play (or not play) at your discretion.
Either way, you’ll get a glass of “hallucinogenic anisette” before encountering a roving gang of gonzo characters, from ghosts to burlesque dancers to circus hucksters touting the mummy of J.W.B., which actually toured the country during the Roaring ‘20s.
With live jazz floating through the air, you’ll sip craft cocktails, play billiards, sit for seances and involve yourself in the storyline as much as you’d like.
Just try not to become the next victim.
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