Since March of this year, buzz has been building about “Sleep No More,” the immersive, interactive theater production happening in the mysterious McKittrick Hotel.

It’s a challenge to meet anyone who has recently experienced “Sleep No More,” the creation of British theater company Punchdrunk, who doesn’t extol its nearly life-altering impact. Briefly described, the premise is that the production, loosely based on Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” with undertones of Hitchcock’s film, “Rebecca,” invites its audience to weave themselves into the ever-shifting, decentralized story. Audience members receive white masks which they must wear throughout the performance. They are then organized into groups and freed to explore the decadent deco-era hotel (New York Magazine) set within three abandoned warehouses on West 27th Street while a noirish tableau of sex, murder and all other manner of mayhem unfolds throughout. The actors don’t speak; mime and intense parkour-dance choreography are their expressive methods of choice.

An obsessed community of fans has incorporated the production’s encoded web site, online forums, location-based clues at places like Grand Central Station, and IRL meet-ups into the task of solving the play’s many mysteries, which has led to alternate reality game (ARG) references (Wired); in both cases players participate in a large-as-life story. Salon calls “Sleep No More” an “interactive play that’s also a community-sourced Internet game…”

If you attend, prepare for an interesting experience at the very least. A few pointers: Re-acquaint yourself with the story of “Macbeth” to better understand what’s going on. Consider this New York Times explanation: “The idea is once you’re let loose on one of the floors of the hotel, you pick out a single character and pursue him or her (though you can switch any time you want)…” If you’re feeling confused afterwards (or to bone up on clues beforehand), check in with the Facebook forum for clues and to exchange ideas on who did what, where.

Sleep No More; Through October 1, 2011; The McKittrick Hotel, 530 West 27th Street; Tickets: $75-95; http://sleepnomorenyc.com/