Life And Trust is a historic bank that has bankrolled New York’s greatest innovations for centuries. Located in the beating heart of New York’s Financial District, Life And Trust guards the secrets of the rich and powerful within its walls. For those who wish to pull back the curtain on American ambition, Life And Trust offers a rare opportunity to discover the value— and the cost— of cherished dreams and desires. If you long to know your worth— and better yet, to earn it— enter Life And Trust’s timeless vaults for a chance at freedom, abundance, and immortality.
Emursive produces immersive experiences in extraordinary places. As proprietors of The McKittrick Hotel and Conwell Tower, Emursive produces the award-winning Sleep No More, the highly anticipated Life And Trust, and the mind-bending Speakeasy Magick. Emursive also produces numerous live concerts, intimate music festivals, showstopping events, and spectacular themed holiday celebrations at Gallow Green, The Club Car, Manderley Bar, Conwell Coffee Hall, and The Overlook Bar.
For this (I think!) one-time only participant, Life and Trust was always beautiful to look at, and occasionally captivating as an experience, but without a cohering story to unfurl and something narratively to mold in my mind, it was also frustrating, tiring, and—after hours of wandering around, despite all the striking visual stimuli—thoroughly, teeth-grindingly irritating. This a fun and beautifully, impressively rendered playground, but you will need a lot of time, money, and sensible shoes to make proper sense of it. Its own Faustian bargain, you might say.
Director Teddy Bergman has a fantastic grasp on time and place – it often feels like a terrifying look into the mind of Mia Goth’s character in Pearl – and not a strong enough one on cohesive experience, each scene coheres vibewise. But even with its seemingly endless inventiveness – a somewhat ambivalent qualification here – Life and Trust is a marvel of spectacle, and one I suspect will draw return attendants seeking significance and revelry. We are once again, after all, in the freefalling ‘20s.
| 2022 | Off-Broadway |
Off-Broadway |
| 2024 | Off-Broadway |
Off-Broadway Production Off-Broadway |
| 2025 | Off-Broadway |
Off-Broadway |
| 2025 | Off-Broadway |
Off-Broadway |
| 2025 | Broadway |
Broadway |
| Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Scenic Design of a Play | Gabriel Hainer Evansohn |
| 2025 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Scenic Design of a Play | Grace Laubacher |
Videos