Attention, theatergoers. Sitting in a seat and watching a show is so yesterday.

The truth of that statement is well demonstrated by Sleep No More, the wonderfully immersive theatrical experience—presented, fittingly, by the EMURSIVE production company. This combination of theater piece and art installation inspired by Shakespeare’s Macbeth is uniquely transporting and unforgettable.

Produced by the Punchdrunk theater company, the piece, directed by Felix Barrett and Maxine Doyle, is presented in a former Chelsea warehouse that has been transformed into the “McKittrick Hotel,” with the name being an homage to Hitchcock’s Vertigo.

Viewers are escorted into the building, first entering a vintage, ‘30s era bar. Then everyone is given a Venetian style mask, ala Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut, and escorted in the “hotel” proper, which features some 100-plus rooms spread out over several floors through which you wander freely.

The rooms have been designed with stunning imagination, stuffed with antique furniture and bric-a-brac that you are allowed to handle. Some of them are incredibly detailed and realistic: a doctor’s office filled with medical paraphernalia; a hotel lobby, complete with pay phones and antique room keys hanging on hooks; a child’s bedroom, complete with a tattered teddy bear, and so on.

Others are more surreal and nightmarish, such as a cemetery filled with tiny crosses and a forest with a maze of trees.

During your wanderings, you periodically come across performers engaging in elaborate, mostly silent routines riffing on scenes from Shakespeare’s play. You can either ignore the actors or follow them, although if you opt for the latter you’re more likely to get the thread of a storyline.  

There are times when the experience proves frustrating, as the ad hoc nature of the proceedings means you may miss out on certain highlights. By sheer luck I happened onto one of the show’s most visceral episodes, in which Lady Macbeth bathes her nude, blood spattered husband before launching into a series of frenzied dance movements inspired by the “Out, damn spot” scene.

Fortunately, viewers are essentially herded into a large space to witness the famous banquet scene, which ends with a truly shocking coup de theatre.

The many performers go through their paces with impressive intensity and athleticism, often having to gently push away theatergoers who threaten to interfere with the action.

On a sheer technical level, the production is simply astounding, with its awesomely detailed production designs, the moodily atmospheric lighting, and the eerie soundscape (which includes music from Hitchcock’s thrillers, among other elements) adding to a visceral experience that will haunt you long after you’ve left the premises.

McKittrick Hotel, 530 W. 27th St. 866-811-4111. www.sleepnomorenyc.com.