Theater Review: “Life And Trust”

Do you remember that one scene from Eyes Wide Shut where Tom Cruise finds himself in an opulent masquerade party he doesn’t belong to?

What am I saying, of course you do. Even those who haven’t seen the film likely know the scene. I’ve never thought I’d ever find myself in a fly on the wall experience quite like that before, but that was before I learned about Life And Trust. 

Life And Trust is a site-specific theatrical experience brought to you by the makers of Sleep No More that realizes the Faustian legend in New York on the eve of the Great Crash. Audiences roam throughout the sprawling world of Life And Trust at their own pace as the lines between reality and performance blur. This massive experiences spans countless across five floors and is located in Conwell Tower, an iconic skyscraper in the heart of the Financial District that is also home to Conwell Coffee House. Each room is a story, told through intricate sets and characters, inspired by real-life figures, brought to life by incredible actors. The only way I could properly summarize this experience is by saying it’s an interactive museum that you get play in while actors perform breathtaking scenes across the sprawling set-up, almost like something only the creator of Westworld could dream up.

Life And Trust is nothing short of a revelation. From the moment you walk in, you quickly forget this is staged and immediately become one with the surrounding. You’re immediately welcomed by “bankers” who encourage you to “bank” with them forever. They treat you with cocktails as they wait for all of the guests to arrive. From there, phones are locked away and guests are given masks as they’re whisked away to the beginning of the opulent sprawling set of the show.

Surrealness permeates every corner of the performance, from the fluid transitions between dream-like vignettes to the floating set pieces that drift in and out of scenes. Within this surrealism emerges a deep sense of trust and freedom. You’re invited to explore everything and embrace fluidity—sentences without endings, events that are unrelated, emotions unprompted—resulting in a beautiful journey, purely for the sake of the journey. You, as the viewer, are given the choice of how you want to experience the journey – either follow a singular character throughout their story, or skip around to the stories of others, or what I often found myself doing: explore the sets. The entire area was so meticulously designed that each drawer opened and contained written lore-friendly documents and banknotes, bars had real glasses and bottles, laboratories had interactable beakers and tinctures, and so much more. I found myself taken aback with the level of detail and felt I was surreally exploring the world of a video game, slowly piecing together a story all on my own.

The cast brings emotional depth rarely seen, amplified by the phenomenal sound design that wraps itself all around you. No one who attends this show is a passive viewer. You are part of an immersive symphony and you will leave with such a bespoke sense of alternate reality that you will hardly want to leave behind. What an unforgettable night.

If you are looking for a truly new experience and haven’t seen a production by Emursive, this is your chance to immerse yourself in a world like no other. You can find tickets here: https://lifeandtrustnyc.com

Written by Jon Ronson, “Life And Trust” is directed by Teddy Bergman with Experience Direction and Scenic Design from Gabriel Hainer Evansohn. The production is co-directed and choreographed by Jeff Kuperman and Rick Kuperman and features Creative Casting and Movement Direction by Stefanie Batten Bland and co-choreographers and associate directors Kristen Carcone, Lauren Yalango-Grant, Christopher Cree, and Emily Terndrup.