Lantern-Lit 'The Hill' Production Returns To Sleepy Hollow Venue Where People Are Dying To Get In

SLEEPY HOLLOW, NY — A summer tradition is returning to a unique venue.

Sleepy Hollow Cemetery will again host “The Hill: Stories from Spoon River” this summer, marking the immersive production's third consecutive season at the historic site. Lovely Calamity Productions, in cooperation with Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, announced the show's return in a May 5 release.

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The production is adapted by playwright Cristina Noelle from Edgar Lee Masters' 1915 work Spoon River Anthology. Audiences will be led by lantern light through the cemetery grounds as part of an in situ performance that uses the setting itself as the backdrop.

Guided by the character Fiddler Jones, audience members will walk through the cemetery's paths and hear stories from the dead. The announcement describes the production as an immersive, walking show with no seating provided, and says attendees will be walking and standing for the full performance. Because of the content and nighttime setting, the show is not recommended for children under 10.

“There is something profoundly moving about hearing these epitaphs—which range from hilarious to deeply tragic—while standing among the headstones,” Noelle said. “The synergy between Masters’ words and the beauty of Sleepy Hollow Cemetery creates a truly magical experience.”

Performances are scheduled for June 5, 6, 12, and 13 at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Sleepy Hollow. Rain dates are set for Sunday, June 7, and Sunday, June 14. All shows begin at 8:30 p.m., and cemetery gates open to ticket holders at 8 p.m.

Tickets are $45 per person, and the run time is listed at 80 minutes with no intermission. Tickets can be purchased through the cemetery's special events page at www.sleepyhollowcemetery.org/special-events.

The production has become part of the Hudson Valley summer arts season since its debut at the cemetery. This year's return continues that run, bringing audiences back to the grounds for another series of nighttime performances under the stars.