For three nights only, see Haruki Murakami’s ‘Sleep’ at the Yale Rep

Yale Repertory Theatre will present Haruki Murakami’s “Sleep” as part of its annual No Boundaries performance series, at the Iseman Theater, 1156 Chapel St., at 8 p.m. on March 1, 2, and 3.

The production is directed and devised by Rachel Dickstein and Ripe Time and adapted for the stage by Naomi Iizuka.

The synopsis of “Sleep” reads: A housewife suffers a terrifying dream and stops sleeping. In her newly nightmarish and beautiful sleep-deprived world, she is suddenly able to take risks and indulge in what is forbidden, devouring Tolstoy and chocolate, and embracing the unpredictable and dangerous. Based on the hypnotic short story by internationally acclaimed author Haruki Murakami, “Sleep” is a surreal journey about stepping beyond the bounds of society. 

The creative team for “Sleep” includes scenic and object design by Susan Zeeman Rogers, costumes by Ilona Somogyi, lighting by Jiyoun Chan, projections by Hannah Wasileski, and sound by Matt Stine. The ensemble cast includes Akiko Aizawa, Brad Culver, Takemi Kitamura, Paula McGonagle, Jiehae Park, and Saori Tsukada. Live music will accompany the performance, composed and performed by New Born Trio: Katie Down, Miguel Frasconi, and Jeffrey Lependorf.

Produced by Ripe Time in association with Octopus Theatricals, “Sleep” had its world premiere at the Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Philadelphia. Its New York premiere was at BAM’s 2017 Next Wave Festival, where it was hailed by the New York Times as “gorgeous, surreal, and haunting.”

Ripe Time is an Obie-winning theater company — founded in 2000 and led by director and deviser Rachel Dickstein — that develops and presents ensemble-based theater with rich language, visual power, and physical rigor. Ripe Time’s mission is to tell stories from the inside out, using the language of memory and imagination to trace how women negotiate identity in the face of cultural constrictions. .

The Yale Rep’s annual No Boundaries series explores the frontiers of theatrical invention through cutting-edge and thought-provoking performance from around the world. No Boundaries has introduced Yale Rep audiences to an array of performances — including theatre, dance, music, and multimedia — from the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, Poland, Peru, Colombia, Spain, Germany, Japan, Israel, Georgia, East Africa, West Africa, and the U.S.

“Sleep” runs approximately 80 minutes and is performed without intermission. Tickets are available from $50–$70 online at the Yale Rep website, by phone at (203) 432-1234, and in person at the Yale Rep Box Office (1120 Chapel St.). Student tickets are $25.

A second No Boundaries presentation for the 2017-2018 season will be announced.