Sleep No More is a full-immersion theatre experience and anything but a traditional spectator play. Expect to explore four floors of the McKittrick Hotel—on foot, silent and wearing a mask—alone (as is recommended) so as to catch as much of the action as possible. Part fun house, part Macbeth, part Eyes Wide Shut, Sleep No More is not to be missed. 530 West 27th St.; sleepnomorenyc.com

A painting by Elizabeth Bishop

Though Elizabeth Bishop will always be remembered as a poet—you may know her poem “One Art” (The art of losing isn't hard to master…)—it is less known that she was also a painter. Now at Tibor de Nagy Gallery (through January 21) see some of her paintings from Brazil and her travels during the later part of her career in an exhibition called “Objects and Apparitions.” 724 Fifth Ave. 

Fassbender at the GQ Men of the Year party

“I’m definitely better at getting hit than I am at hitting,” explains Michael Fassbender in between bites of mince pie. “I suppose that’s life, isn’t it? Somebody’s got to take the blows, somebody’s gotta give them.” In his latest film, Fassbender proves he can take and deliver a hit. Opening January 20, Haywire is the Steven Soderbergh-directred espionage action thriller with a powerhouse cast including Ewan McGregor, Michael Douglas, Antonio Banderas, Channing Tatum and mixed martial arts (M.M.A.) fighter-turned-actress Gina Carano. We caught up with Fassbender to chat about fight scenes, Formula One and how he handles fame.

In an interview with Vegas magazine, your costar Gina Carano said that you took some real hits in your fight scenes.
MICHAEL FASSBENDER: Oh, yes. That was during training. I hit my knee off Gina’s elbow and I was like ‘Are you alright?’ and of course she’s just fine and I’m like ‘Okay,’ as I limp away. I hit that little soft area just above the kneecap. Later, I was doing a lot of short sprints during training with Channing [Tatum] and my knee got quite swollen. But when we were actually filming the fighting over two days in Dublin it was grand.

What about this film made you want to sign on?
MF: It was Steven, first and foremost. Then when I read the script, I saw an interesting character with enough blanks I could fill in myself. He was open to any sort of characterization. I knew that I was dealing with a self-centered person with self-serving objectives. How much of a spy is he? Was he a character within a character, pretending to be British but actually Irish? It’s fun to find those little nuances.

Gina had a successful M.M.A career before she became an actress. What would you be doing if you weren’t acting?
MF: I would like to have been a Formula One driver in the ’70s and ’80s. I don’t race cars, but I do go-karting, which is kind of a lesser thing. But I guess they can get pretty fast.

You were in four major films last year—and everyone’s talking about your performance in Shame. How are you handling the limelight?
MF: I like telling stories and that’s why I started doing this. I like studying human behavior [and] trying to understand and investigate that. The way people respond to that is kind of its own thing and out of your control. Everyone likes a pat on the back, that’s for sure. And it’s nice when you do something that’s important to you and people embrace it.

Designer Scott Morrison has opened a retail/design studio called 3x1, where denim-lovers can design their very own one-of-a-kind, tailor-made pair of jeans. 3x1’s entire collection of raw denim is available for perusal, making the store the first luxury denim atelier where the consumer is involved in the creation of the piece from the very beginning. 15 Mercer St.
 

Char. No. 4’s resident writer and sometime bartender Craig Bridger has just returned from a tour of Scotland and will prepare a tasting of five of his favorites whiskies tonight (January 17, 8 PM). At $65 per person, snacks are included but seating is limited. Char No. 4, 169 Smith St., Brooklyn; 718-643-2106

Stay warm and fashionable with a scarf from Matta NY. They come in many different colors and combinations, like the ones pictured above in red or indigo ($225). 241 Lafayette St.
 

An example of Motilo's wares

The brainchild of Sofia Barattieri di San Pietro, Motilo.com is a fashion social networking site, a combination of Polyvore, Facebook and Pinterest. Di San Pietro, who realized that most women tend to shop with the help of a friend, noticed that e-commerce is in direct opposition to that approach. With Motilo she hopes to create a social network of shoppers and stylists. Anna Dello Russo, editor at large for Vogue Japan, is already on board as a contributing stylist, and the site has relationships with Net-a-Porter and Far Fetch.

Throughout the month of January, New York bakeries roll out their versions of galette des Rois, or king cake, baked in celebration of the birth of Jesus. The cake also signals the beginning of Mardi Gras season. New York magazine voted Épicerie Boulud's interpretation (pictured above; $39) the winner in a recent taste test. 1900 Broadway, 212-595-9606

We can’t think of anything better than the smell of a wood fire on a cold January night. Diptyque’s Feu de Bois candle ($60) makes it so. Diptyque, 377 Bleecker St.

Just off Bedford Avenue in Williamsburg you’ll find Toby's Estate Coffee, a new coffee shop specializing in high-altitude coffees from all over the world. But Toby's isn't just a place for a cup of coffee. The joint is also a school (offering classes in roasting, and espresso will begin next month) and a boutique (state-of-the-art coffee-making equipment used by the baristas is also for sale). 125 N. Sixth St., Brooklyn