“Sleep No More” venue McKittrick Hotel closes, lays off staff

Business is among dozens to announce cuts as NYC shuts down

The signature mask from Sleep No More (Credit: Facebook/The McKittrick Hotel)
The signature mask from Sleep No More (Credit: Facebook/The McKittrick Hotel)

An LLC associated with the popular “Sleep No More” production at New York’s McKittrick Hotel has notified the state of layoffs.

Callers to the hotel are greeted with a recorded message that says, “We are disappointed to announce a government-mandated hiatus … All performances will be suspended through April 12.”

In a filing to the Department of Labor, “SleepNoMore N.A. LLC” said it had laid off nine employees because of “unforeseeable business circumstances prompted by Covid-19.” It listed a closing date of March 15, the day that Mayor Bill de Blasio announced restaurants and bars would have to indefinitely stop seating customers.

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It is unclear whether the employees who lost their jobs were associated with the Sleep No More production. The McKittrick Hotel, at 530 West 27th Street, is listed as the entity’s address and also houses the Manderley Bar, performance venue the Club Car and brunch spot the Lodge at Gallow Green.

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The notice was filed earlier this month and published online Wednesday. The business type was listed as a restaurant.

Many employers have cut staff this month as the virus spreads at a rapid pace across the city, triggering a lockdown of all non-essential business and effectively wiping out demand for hotels.

Rick Criswell, the McKittrick’s director of human resources, was named in the filing. He did not respond to requests for comment. Arthur Karpati, the show’s producer, and Karen Frieman, a lawyer who represented Karpati in a 2017 condo dispute, also did not respond to requests for comment.

Based on William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the Sleep No More production debuted March 7, 2011. According to the notice, the layoffs took effect March 6, nine years later almost to the day.

Write to Sylvia Varnham O’Regan at so@therealdeal.com