#scaffolding production

[holdingachilles]

listen, if your theatre production is comprised of a cast of like maybe a dozen people total and the singular set is like, entirely boxes/piles of literal garbage/scaffolding that never moves and maybe some chairs and a couple of props that will be recycled 20 times over in different ways throughout the show, it slaps! it simply just is an incredible production. I think this is a law of the universe or something.

[chemeytechsolutions-blog]

Chemey is preferred Global Supplier of safety railing systems, Hard yet portable Barricades, fall protection solutions and safe access equipment for working at height.

[economicsresearch]

page 564 panel a - I am not asleep.

[yaccessmfg]

Check if You’re Making These 7 Common Mobile Scaffold Mistakes

Scaffolds are essential for tasks requiring height access, offering versatility and efficiency. However, improper use can lead to serious accidents. Here are seven common mistakes to avoid to ensure safety and efficiency when using mobile scaffolds.

Contents;

1. Choosing the Wrong Scaffold Tower

2. Failing to Inspect and Secure the Tower

3. Skipping Proper Training

4. Ignoring Assembly Instructions

5. Using Improper Access Methods

6. Overloading the Scaffold

7. Operating in Adverse Weather Conditions

1. Choosing the Wrong Scaffold Tower:

Selecting the right mobile scaffold tower is crucial. Consider your project’s height, load requirements, and working environment. For quick, light-duty tasks, ladder towers are ideal, while stairway towers are better for continuous access. In electrically hazardous areas, fiberglass (FRP) scaffolds provide the safest option. Avoid settling for the wrong type, as it compromises functionality and safety.

Article: 5 Reasons to Avoid Mixing Scaffold Tower Components

2. Failing to Inspect and Secure the Tower:

One of the simplest yet most overlooked steps is inspecting the mobile scaffold before use. Check for damaged or loose parts, as faulty components can lead to catastrophic failures. Additionally, mobile scaffolds must be stabilized to avoid tipping. Use stabilizers or outriggers, and always lock the mobile scaffold wheels once the scaffold is positioned.

Article: How Maruti Suzuki India Achieved 3X Productivity in Height Maintenance

Regular inspections and securing the tower ensure it remains steady and safe during use. These steps, though small, can significantly reduce risks and enhance overall stability on-site.

Read Full Article: Y-Access Manufacturing Blog

[theetherealbloom]

IT COULD HAPPEN TO YOU - CH.2

Chapter Two: God, I’m Actually Invested

Summary: You find yourself sharing a hotel suite with Pedro Pascal while working on the set of Fantastic Four: First Steps. Despite your different roles—he’s the star, and you’re behind the scenes. Nothing could ever happen between you two… right?

Pairing: Pedro Pascal x F!Reader

Warnings: Age-Gap Romance (Not Specified), Eventual SMUT, Crush, FLUFF, Slight Angst, Trope(s), Swearing, Anxiety, Lots of Cliches, Cheesy Dialogue, Romance, Kissing, Real People Fiction, Cameras, Paparazzi, Social Media, Swoonworthy, One-Room Trope, They were roommates, Strangers-to-Lovers, Actors, Hallmark Tropes, the reader can sing and play guitar, the reader is shorter than Pedro, the reader has hair, Alternate Universe, Awkward!Reader, Shy!Reader, Fan Girl!Reader, Cringe, Embarrassment, Starstruck,

Word Count: 5.3k

A/N: This chapter has hella fluff and super funny/awkward moments. See you in the next one!

Side note: I’m dyslexic and English isn’t my first language! So I apologize in advance for the spelling and/or grammatical errors. As always, reblogs, comments, and likes are always appreciated. Thank you and happy reading!

Song: Risk by Gracie Abrams

Previous Chapter → Next Chapter | Series Masterlist |Main Masterlist|

PINEWOOD STUDIOS — DAY  

The shuttle hummed along the narrow roads, and you found yourself squished between Archie and Rebecca, who were already up to no good.  

"So," Archie began, a smirk tugging at his lips as he leaned closer. "How was breakfast with your roomie?"  

Rebecca chimed in before you could answer, her tone dripping with faux innocence. "Yeah, did Pedro enjoy the toast you so lovingly made for him? Or was it the Nutella that won his heart?"  

You groaned, burying your face in your hands as your cheeks burned. "Guys, please."  

But they weren’t letting you off that easily. Archie grinned, elbowing you lightly. "Oh, come on. You’ve been living a rom-com dream, and we’re just trying to get the highlights."  

Rebecca nudged you with her shoulder, her voice lowering conspiratorially. "Did he do the smolder? You know the one. The gaze that makes people forget how to breathe?"  

You laughed despite yourself, though it came out as more of a nervous squeak. "I don’t even know what you’re talking about."  

Archie gasped dramatically. "Oh, she knows! She definitely knows."  

By the time the shuttle pulled into the lot, your friends had teased you so mercilessly that you wanted to sink into the ground and never resurface. As everyone filed out, you clutched your bag tightly, muttering under your breath, "I’m never speaking to either of you again."  

Rebecca shot you a playful wink as she headed toward her department. "Sure you won’t. See you at lunch, Nutella Queen!"  

The chill of the morning air hit you as you walked toward the security checkpoint, clutching your ID badge. The sprawling Pinewood Studios stretched out before you like a labyrinth, its towering sound stages and bustling crew already alive with activity.  

"Badge, please," the guard said, snapping you out of your thoughts.  

You handed it over, feeling a mix of nerves and excitement flutter in your chest. Once cleared, you stepped inside, the sheer scale of the operation hitting you all at once.  

The first thing you noticed was the controlled chaos—carts loaded with equipment whizzing by, crew members calling out instructions, the smell of fresh paint from recently constructed sets. It was overwhelming in the best way.  

"Alright, team! Let’s get started," Jess Hall, the First AD, called out as she clapped her hands to gather everyone. She had a warm but commanding presence, her headset slung casually around her neck.  

You fell into step with the other production assistants, taking in every detail as Jess led the group on a whirlwind tour of the set.  

"This is the main soundstage," she said, gesturing to a cavernous building where scaffolding and green screens loomed high above the floor. "Props go over there. Catering is outside, past the trailers. And wardrobe is down that corridor—try not to get lost."  

Daniel, the head of props, gave you a quick nod as he walked by, holding a clipboard. "New PA?"  

"Yes," you managed, straightening up.  

"Good. Hope you’re ready to hustle," he said, his tone brisk but not unkind.  

You spent the morning darting from one task to the next—hauling equipment, labeling props, delivering coffee orders. It wasn’t glamorous, but there was something thrilling about being part of the organized chaos.  

At one point, you found yourself standing off to the side, flipping through the day’s call sheet. The sheer number of moving parts was dizzying. But when you glanced up and saw Pedro casually chatting with a director by the monitors, a soft smile on his face, the whirlwind slowed for just a moment.  

Your heart did a little flip.  

"Alright, focus," you muttered to yourself, shaking your head as you quickly returned to your tasks.  

The rest of the day passed in a blur of movement—helping manage background extras, untangling a web of cables, even holding up a light reflector when the gaffer was short-handed.  

By the time lunch rolled around, you were exhausted but strangely energized, a sense of accomplishment settling in as you sat with your friends in the cafeteria.  

Archie plopped down beside you with a tray full of food, grinning like the Cheshire Cat. "So, how’s your first day as Pedro Pascal’s shadow?"  

You shot him a glare but couldn’t help the small laugh that escaped. "I’m not his shadow. I’m just… a very busy PA trying to survive her first day."  

Rebecca raised an eyebrow. "Sure, sure. But he noticed you, didn’t he?"  

You felt your cheeks warm, and your silence only made them laugh harder.  

"God, I hate you both," you muttered, though there was no real malice behind it.  

As you took another bite of your sandwich, you couldn’t help but glance across the room, where Pedro sat with the director and a few cast members. He caught your eye briefly, offering a small, almost imperceptible wave.  

Your stomach flipped again.  

And just like that, you were back to square one—completely flustered and wishing for the ground to swallow you whole.  

After lunch, you found yourself tucked into a quiet corner near the soundstage, the faint hum of set activity surrounding you. Propping the script against your knees, you scanned the pages intently, trying to map out how the scenes being shot here in London would flow before the production moved to Spain. The script’s intricate details and stage directions blurred slightly as you tried to piece it all together, scribbling quick notes in the margins.  

“Hey.”  

The voice startled you, and the script slipped from your hands, fluttering dramatically to the ground. You turned quickly, clutching your chest like it might stop your racing heart.  

“Jesus, Pedro!” you exclaimed, your voice a little too breathless for your liking.  

He grinned, that easy, boyish grin that made your stomach do flips. “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you.”  

“Oh, hi,” you mumbled, stepping out of the way instinctively, thinking he was just passing by. Your gaze darted down to the script at your feet, but before you could bend to retrieve it, Pedro was already leaning down to pick it up.  

“You okay?” he asked as he straightened, handing the slightly crumpled pages back to you. He was already dressed for the scene, hair and makeup done to perfection, though you knew the team would fuss over touch-ups throughout the day.  

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine,” you said quickly, brushing your fingers over the script as though smoothing it out would erase your flustered reaction. “Just, uh, reviewing the scenes for today.”  

Pedro tilted his head, curiosity sparking in his warm brown eyes. “Doing your homework, huh?”  

You nodded, trying to keep your voice steady. “Just trying to keep up. It’s my first day, and I don’t want to mess anything up.”  

He studied you for a beat, and the weight of his gaze made your cheeks flush. “You’re not going to mess anything up,” he said, his tone gentle but firm. “You’re doing great. Everyone can see it.”  

You let out a soft laugh, though your throat felt tight. “You’ve barely seen me all day. How would you know?”  

Pedro’s smile softened, and he leaned slightly closer, lowering his voice as if sharing a secret. “Because you’ve got that look. The one that says you care about getting it right.”  

Your breath hitched, and for a moment, you were painfully aware of how close he was. The faint scent of his cologne—something warm and woodsy—lingered in the air between you.  

“I... uh...” You trailed off, your brain scrambling for a coherent response.  

Pedro straightened, easing the tension with a light chuckle. “Don’t overthink it, okay? Just take it one task at a time. And if you need anything, you know where to find me.”  

“Right. Thanks,” you managed, clutching the script a little tighter.  

“See you out there,” he said with a wink before turning to head toward the set, leaving you standing there with your heart pounding and your thoughts in a complete jumble. 

As he disappeared around the corner, you exhaled sharply, trying to pull yourself together. “Get it together,” you muttered under your breath. But even as you said it, a small, traitorous smile tugged at your lips.

Matt’s voice cut through the buzz of the set as he called for quiet. The shift was immediate—crew members hushing their conversations and finding their marks. You moved to the side, watching as Pedro, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach stepped into position. The air seemed to hum with anticipation as the cameras rolled, capturing the scene that unfolded before you.  

It was surreal, seeing them all perform together, their chemistry so natural it blurred the lines between fiction and reality. Pedro, in particular, commanded the screen with ease. His movements were deliberate, his voice carrying an emotional weight that made it impossible to look away.  

But then there was Vanessa.  

You hated how your eyes lingered on her, how that knot of jealousy twisted low in your stomach. She was magnetic, the way she played her role as Pedro’s onscreen wife. The way they exchanged glances, their body language speaking volumes—it was all part of the script, you knew that. Still, it didn’t stop the bitter sting of envy that crawled its way into your chest.  

Get a grip, you thought, forcing yourself to look away. This was her job. This was his job. And you? You were here to do yours, not to indulge in ridiculous fantasies. Pedro wasn’t your boyfriend, or your close friend. He wasn’t yours.  

You plastered on a neutral expression, the kind you’d perfected over the years, and focused on your work. Daisy, Lucy, and Omar were scattered across the set, handling their own assignments, while you found yourself helping out with props. It was tedious but grounding, giving you something to pour your restless energy into.  

“Cut!” Matt’s voice echoed across the soundstage.  

The tension broke, and the cast relaxed, the scene’s intensity giving way to casual chatter. You busied yourself with resetting the props, carefully arranging them for the next take.  

That’s when you noticed Coco Ullrich, Pedro’s hairstylist, stepping in to adjust his salt-and-pepper hair. She worked with practiced ease, her hands quick and efficient. Pedro leaned forward slightly to make her job easier, a soft laugh escaping him as they exchanged a few words you couldn’t quite hear.  

You smiled faintly, almost to yourself. Coco was excellent at her job—there was no denying that. And damn, did she make Pedro look good. Too good. You tried not to dwell on it, focusing instead on the task in front of you, but the image of him sitting there, that effortless charm radiating off him, lingered in your mind.  

As you finished resetting a prop, you felt a presence beside you. Turning your head, you saw Daisy, her eyebrows raised and a knowing grin tugging at her lips. “Caught you staring,” she teased under her breath.  

You rolled your eyes, heat creeping into your cheeks. “I wasn’t staring.”  

“Sure,” she said with a soft laugh. “Totally believable.”  

“Shouldn’t you be working?” you shot back, trying to steer the conversation away from yourself.  

Daisy only shrugged, her grin widening. “I am. Observing human behavior is part of the job.”  

You huffed, but there was no real malice in it. “Get out of here, Daisy.”  

She winked before walking off, leaving you standing there, your thoughts once again circling back to Pedro.  

Professional, you reminded yourself. Keep it professional. But the traitorous smile pulling at your lips made you wonder how long you could keep up the facade.  

By the end of the day, exhaustion weighed heavily on you and the rest of the crew. The once-bustling set now buzzed with the quieter sounds of people packing up equipment, stifled yawns, and the occasional joke shared among friends.  

Daisy and Omar were tugging at a heavy camera dolly, grunting dramatically like it weighed a ton, though it clearly didn’t. “Are we sure this thing isn’t secretly an ancient artifact?” Omar huffed.  

“Definitely cursed,” Daisy deadpanned, her voice dripping with mock seriousness.  

You laughed, stepping in to help steady the dolly as they maneuvered it into place. “If it starts glowing, I’m out of here.”  

“Deal,” Daisy said, winking. “But you’re buying snacks if we survive.”  

With everything finally put away, Lucy tossed an arm around your shoulder. “We’re heading to the shuttle now. Don’t take too long, or we’re leaving you behind.”  

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” you replied, giving her a tired smile.  

As they made their way toward the bus, you stayed behind to gather your things, your movements slower now that the adrenaline of the day had worn off. You double-checked your clipboard, tucked your pen into your bag, and clocked out, ready to head to the shuttle when you heard it—your name, carried over the cool night air.  

You froze, frowning slightly as you turned toward the source. The voice was unmistakable, even from a distance. Pedro.  

He was standing near the trailers, surrounded by his castmates and friends. Vanessa was there, laughing at something Joseph said. Ebon stood casually with a coffee cup in hand, and Coco was still fussing with Pedro’s hair, though it seemed like more of a friendly habit than a professional necessity at this point.  

Pedro’s eyes were on you, a warm smile stretching across his face as he called out again, “Hey! Come here! I’ve got some people I want you to meet!”  

Your eyes widened in shock, your mind immediately racing with possibilities. He means someone else, right? You turned your head slightly, glancing behind you, half-expecting someone else to step forward. But there was no one.  

You pointed at yourself, mouthing, Me?  

Pedro nodded, his grin growing wider. “Yes, you! Come on!”  

Your stomach flipped. You opened your mouth to respond, but nothing came out. You stood there, gaping for a moment before realizing you couldn’t exactly ignore him. Taking a deep breath, you steeled yourself and started walking toward the group, your palms inexplicably sweaty despite the crisp evening air.  

As you got closer, the chatter among the group quieted slightly, their attention shifting toward you. Pedro’s gaze didn’t waver, and it was both reassuring and unnerving.  

“Hey, everyone,” Pedro said as you arrived, his tone casual but full of warmth. “This is the PA I was telling you about. She’s been a lifesaver on set today.”  

Your cheeks burned, and you glanced down at your bag, gripping it tighter. “Oh, uh, I’m just doing my job,” you managed to say, your voice barely above a whisper.  

Vanessa smiled at you, her expression kind. “Pedro’s been singing your praises all day. It’s nice to finally meet you.”  

Your heart stuttered. Singing my praises? You glanced at Pedro, who shrugged nonchalantly, but the twinkle in his eye betrayed him.  

“You’re really making me look good here,” you said quietly, trying to keep your tone light, though your nerves were anything but.  

Pedro chuckled, leaning in slightly as if sharing a secret. “You don’t need my help with that.” 

And just like that, your stomach flipped again, but this time, it wasn’t entirely unpleasant. 

“So, um, what’s going on?” you asked, your voice steadier than you expected, though your nerves still lingered just beneath the surface.  

Pedro tilted his head toward you, his grin softening into something more casual. “Well, we were just talking, and I had an idea. Since we’re heading back to the same place and you’re my roommate, why not ride with us? It’d save you time, and you wouldn’t have to deal with being the last one dropped off on the other shuttle.”  

You blinked at him, your mind racing to catch up. “Oh, no, no. I wouldn’t want to impose,” you said quickly, shaking your head.  

Before Pedro could respond, Vanessa waved her hand dismissively. “Impose? Please, it’s not imposing. You’re coming with us. No arguments.”  

Joseph chimed in, a teasing lilt in his voice. “Yeah, you’ll make our little carpool a lot more fun. Pedro can’t keep us entertained on his own, you know.”  

“Hey!” Pedro protested with mock indignation, his hand resting dramatically over his heart.  

Ebon smirked. “He’s right, though. You’d be doing us all a favor.”  

Your cheeks warmed under their collective encouragement, and you couldn’t help but let out a small, nervous laugh. “I don’t know…”  

Coco stepped forward, her voice gentle but firm. “Seriously, it’s no big deal. We’ve got room, and it makes sense. Plus, Pedro already vouched for you.”  

You glanced at Pedro, whose expression was a mix of amusement and something else—something softer. His eyes met yours, and the look he gave you was so earnest it nearly knocked the breath out of you.  

“See? Everyone’s on board,” Pedro said, his tone coaxing but playful. “It’s settled.”  

Still hesitant, you glanced at the group again, their smiles and easy camaraderie somehow making you feel like you belonged. Finally, you exhaled and nodded. “Okay, fine. If you’re sure I’m not a burden…”  

“You? A burden?” Vanessa said, laughing. “Girl, please.”  

Pedro grinned, clearly satisfied with the outcome. “Great. Let’s get going, then.”  

As the group began moving toward the car, you found yourself walking next to Pedro. Your nerves hadn’t completely settled, but there was something about the way he glanced at you, the corners of his mouth twitching in a barely contained smile, that made you feel a little lighter.  

“You okay?” he asked quietly, just for you to hear.  

You nodded, the corners of your own lips curving upward despite yourself. “Yeah, I think so.”  

“Good,” he said, his voice low and warm. “Because you’re gonna have a great time with us. Promise.”  

And for a moment, you let yourself believe him.

The large black van hummed softly as you climbed in, sliding into the seat by the window. Pedro followed closely behind and settled beside you, his arm brushing yours in the close quarters. You murmured a polite greeting to the driver, Luis, who nodded warmly in return, his easy smile a comforting contrast to the whirlwind of emotions currently swirling inside you.  

As the rest of the cast filled the van with their chatter and laughter, you sat rigidly, your back pressed against the seat. The reality of sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with Pedro—and a group of celebrities you’d only ever admired from afar—was almost too much. You gripped your phone tightly, the faint glow illuminating your slightly shaky fingers as you sent a quick text to your friends:  

You: "Don’t wait for me. Got a ride with Pedro and the cast." 

The group chat exploded almost instantly, messages popping up one after the other:  

"WHAT?! 😳" 

"OOOOOHHHHHH" 

"Pics or it didn’t happen!"

You barely had time to cringe at their excitement before Pedro shifted beside you, leaning just enough to catch a glimpse of your screen.  

“Group chat drama?” he teased, his voice low and amused.  

Your cheeks burned, and you quickly locked your phone, clutching it tightly in your lap. “It’s nothing,” you mumbled, staring determinedly out the window.  

Pedro chuckled softly, clearly unconvinced but kind enough not to press. “Sure, nothing.”  

You said nothing in return, choosing instead to focus on the passing streetlights outside. They blurred together, golden streaks in the night, as the van glided smoothly through the London streets. The gentle hum of the engine and the occasional burst of laughter from the group provided a soundtrack to your inner turmoil.  

Every nerve in your body was acutely aware of Pedro’s presence beside you—the way his shoulder occasionally bumped yours when the van turned, the warmth radiating from him despite the evening chill. You wanted to relax, to laugh along with everyone else, but the overwhelming awareness of where you were and who you were with kept your pulse racing.  

“You okay over there?” Pedro asked softly, his tone laced with concern now, his earlier teasing gone.  

You glanced at him, startled by the question, and saw his brow furrowed slightly, his gaze steady and sincere.  

“Yeah, I’m fine,” you lied, offering a small, tight smile.  

Pedro didn’t look convinced, but he let it slide. “You sure? You look like you’re about to bolt out of here any second.”  

That earned a genuine laugh from you, albeit a quiet one. “I’m just... not used to this, I guess.”  

“This?”  

You gestured vaguely to the van, the people around you, and finally, to him. “All of this.”  

Pedro smiled, a slow, disarming smile that softened his whole face. “You’ll get used to it. And if you don’t, I’ll make sure to keep you grounded.”  

His words hung in the air between you, and for the first time that night, you felt the tension in your shoulders ease, if only slightly. The streetlights outside continued to blur, but now, your focus lingered on the quiet presence beside you—the warmth, the humor, and the unspoken reassurance he offered without even trying.  

CHILTERN FIREHOUSE HOTEL — EVENING

The hotel restaurant buzzed softly with the hum of conversations and the faint clinking of cutlery against plates. The warm, golden light illuminated the room, casting everything in an inviting glow. You had planned to make a quiet escape after dropping your bag off in your room, hoping to have a solitary dinner away from the star-studded company you had spent the day with. But Pedro had other plans.  

You’d barely made it three steps toward the elevators when you felt a familiar warmth against the small of your back. “Not so fast,” Pedro murmured, his voice low and teasing as he leaned just slightly into your ear.  

“Pedro, I—” you began, only to be met with his wide, unapologetic grin.  

“Come on, you can’t bail on us now. We’re starving, and it wouldn’t be the same without you,” he said, his hand gently guiding you toward the restaurant where the others were already gathering.  

You hesitated, but the sincerity in his voice, paired with the warmth of his touch, left you little room to argue. “Fine,” you sighed, though the butterflies in your stomach betrayed how little resistance you’d actually put up.  

The long wooden table in the center of the restaurant was filled with chatter and laughter by the time you arrived. Joseph and Ebon were in the middle of some animated story, Vanessa leaned in with a knowing smirk, and Coco was shaking her head with an exasperated smile. When Pedro led you to an empty seat beside him, all eyes turned toward you.  

“Look who finally decided to join us,” Vanessa said, her tone teasing but not unkind.  

“Had to drag her here,” Pedro chimed in, his grin making the table erupt in laughter.  

You sank into the seat, cheeks burning. “I wasn’t trying to escape,” you lied unconvincingly.  

“Sure, sure,” Joseph teased, winking at you from across the table. “Pedro’s got a sixth sense for these things, doesn’t he?”  

“Like a bloodhound,” Ebon added, making everyone laugh again.  

Despite your initial nerves, the warmth of the group quickly put you at ease. The conversation flowed effortlessly, ranging from behind-the-scenes mishaps to favorite restaurants in London. At one point, Vanessa and Coco started playfully debating whether Pedro’s hair looked better tousled or slicked back for the shoot, dragging you into the conversation.  

“Well?” Vanessa asked, eyes gleaming with mischief. “What do you think?”  

You nearly choked on your water. “Oh, I, um...” You glanced at Pedro, who was leaning back in his chair, clearly enjoying your discomfort.  

“Go on,” he prompted, his eyes twinkling with amusement. “I can take it.”  

Finally, you sighed, trying to suppress your smile. “Tousled,” you admitted, earning a triumphant cheer from Vanessa and Coco.  

Pedro mock-gasped, clutching his chest dramatically. “Betrayed! By my own roommate, no less.”  

“Hey, she’s got taste,” Joseph said, raising his glass in a toast to you.  

The playful banter continued, and by the time the entrees arrived, you were fully immersed in the group’s easy camaraderie. Pedro made sure to refill your glass whenever it was low and nudged the breadbasket toward you without a word when he noticed you eyeing it.  

At one point, you caught him watching you as you laughed at something Joseph said. His expression was soft, fond, like he was memorizing the way you looked in that moment. You tried to ignore the way your heart skipped, focusing instead on the warmth of the room and the laughter surrounding you.  

When the desserts arrived—indulgent, towering plates of tiramisu and molten chocolate cake—you couldn’t help but sigh contentedly. “Okay, I’ll admit it,” you said, leaning back in your chair. “This was better than eating alone.”  

Pedro’s grin was slow and knowing. “Told you so.”  

The night stretched on, and by the time the group began to disperse, your cheeks ached from smiling so much. As you stood to leave, Pedro fell into step beside you, his hand once again finding the small of your back.  

“See? Not so bad being part of the group, is it?” he said softly, his voice low enough that only you could hear.  

You glanced up at him, your heart fluttering at the closeness. “No,” you admitted with a shy smile. “Not bad at all.”  

After dinner, the group, full from good food and endless laughter, made their way to the elevator. One by one, everyone headed off to their respective floors, each exit marked with cheerful goodnights and playful teasing.

“You two behave!” Vanessa teased as she stepped off on her floor, her smirk lingering even as the doors slid shut behind her.

The elevator continued its ascent, and soon enough, it was just you and Pedro left. The quiet settled between you, comfortable but charged, the kind that made you hyperaware of every breath, every shift.

“Guess it’s just us,” Pedro said, his voice warm, his eyes flicking to you with a teasing glint.

“Guess so,” you replied softly, clutching the strap of your bag tighter.

When the elevator dinged on your floor, Pedro followed you out. It wasn’t unusual at this point—you were, after all, sharing a room—but somehow, tonight, the knowledge made your chest tighten. You fumbled for your keycard as you both walked down the hallway, your steps in sync.

“Still weird sharing a room with me?” Pedro asked, his tone light but laced with curiosity as he glanced at you from the corner of his eye.

You shot him a look, trying to hide your flustered state. “Not weird,” you said, unlocking the door. “Just... different.”

He grinned as you pushed the door open, stepping aside to let him in first. “Different how?”

“Different as in, I don’t usually share my personal space with someone famous,” you quipped, hoping to steer the conversation away from the real answer—how utterly nerve-wracking it was to be so close to him.

Pedro chuckled, tossing his jacket onto the back of the chair in the common area. “Relax, I’m not that famous,” he teased, kicking off his shoes as he settled onto the couch with the ease of someone used to this.

You scoffed, setting your bag down on the small dining table near the kitchenette. “Says the guy whose face is plastered all over my TikTok For You page.”

He paused mid-stretch, eyebrows shooting up in surprise. “Oh, really? Your For You page?”

You groaned, regretting saying anything. “Don’t get a big head about it,” you muttered, trying to sound casual as you rifled through your bag for your phone charger.

“Oh, this is rich,” he said, leaning forward with a mischievous grin. “What kind of edits are we talking about? Romantic montages? Thirst traps? Tell me everything.”

You glanced at him, narrowing your eyes. “I’m not feeding your ego, Pedro.”

But he was already grinning like a kid at Christmas. “You definitely watch them,” he teased. “Don’t lie—I can see it all over your face.”

You tried to glare, but the warmth in his tone made it impossible. “I’m not talking about this,” you said firmly, grabbing your charger and heading toward your room in the suite.

“Fine, keep your secrets,” he called after you. “But I know.”

Shaking your head, you plugged in your phone on the nightstand. The suite was nice—two separate bedrooms connected by the shared living space. But even with the privacy of your room, the knowledge that Pedro was just a few steps away left you feeling... unsettled in the best way.

When you reentered the common area, Pedro was stretched out on the couch, flipping idly through TV channels. He glanced up when you walked in, his grin softening into something warmer.

“Just Pedro,” you murmured, the words slipping out before you could stop them.

He tilted his head, intrigued. “What’s that?”

You hesitated, sitting down on the armchair across from him. “It’s just... you say it like it’s supposed to make things easier. Like, ‘I’m just Pedro.’ But it doesn’t. It makes things harder.”

Pedro sat up then, his attention fully on you. “Harder how?”

Your hands twisted in your lap, nervous but too deep in it now to stop. “Because it makes it harder to pretend this isn’t a big deal. Sharing a space like this with you.”

The room fell quiet, save for the faint hum of the heater. Pedro’s expression softened, his dark eyes searching yours.

“Good,” he said simply, his voice warm and steady. “Because I don’t want you to pretend.”

You blinked, your heart racing at his words. “What are you saying?”

“I’m saying I like this,” he replied, leaning forward, his elbows resting on his knees. “I like having you here. Even if it’s... different.”

Your lips parted, a response on the tip of your tongue, but nothing came out. The way he looked at you—steady, unguarded—made your chest ache.

“Me too,” you finally whispered, your voice barely audible.

Pedro leaned back with a satisfied grin, the tension easing as he grabbed the remote again. “Well, since we’re both stuck here, how about a movie before bed?”

You laughed softly, shaking your head. “Fine. But nothing loud or action-packed. I need calm.”

“Deal,” he said, smirking as he flipped through the channels. “But if I fall asleep halfway through, it’s your fault.”

And just like that, the weight in the room lifted, replaced by something quieter, something softer. The shared space between you felt a little less daunting, a little more like something you could both hold onto—whatever this was, whatever it could be.

End Notes:

Ya'll apparently like this fic! Thank you so much for the support huhu T^T

I’d like to give a shout out to google and reddit for aiding me in my research for this fic LMAO

I know little to nothing when it comes to production. I know the basic stuff cause of my course. (We had a class on how to plan events and stuff. I figured it’s somewhat similar.)

I’m having a blast coming up with possible scenarios with these two, the possibilities rn seem endless.

Based on research and testimonies from people who have worked with Pedro, they all mention how down-to-earth he is and how he cares for everyone on set and tries his best to know the crew. What a sweetheart 🥹🤍

TAGLIST: @comfortzonequeen @christinamadsen @liciafonseca @greenwitchfromthewoods @iqr-x @southernbe @maryfanson @brittmb115 @klajmekk @taytay0403 @whimsiwitchy @zymiii @sarahhxx03

[irisbleufic]

REVIEW

Gatsby: An American Myth (Welch, Chavkin, Bartlett, Majok, & Tayeh; American Repertory Theater)

Something that most adaptations of Gatsby get wrong, whether film or stage, is the treatment of characters as archetypes rather than individuals. Symbolism drowns out most genuine attempts at capturing emotional connections and conflicts of personality. They forget that this story is not only a failure of the so-called American Dream; first and foremost, it’s a tragedy of failed roles and relationships. Almost every one of the players is attempting to be someone they are not, and even as they reach for what they believe they should want, they reveal with increasing fervor what they actually want. This is the heart of what makes Welch’s new adaptation so devastatingly, disarmingly unique, so true to its source.

The set design is literal wreckage. Crushed and warped automobile chassis scaffold the moving staircases, and concealed trap doors. The backdrop shows no clear incorporation of the infamous Eckleburg billboard; rather, it is made up of a dotted grid resembling headlights. These play out effects ranging from a downpour to camera flashes to, briefly and only once, a pair of eyes that make no effort to hide behind the owlish frames of glasses. The only thing infusing this jagged framework with meaning is the people who move through it.

The lighting design works with the set’s incongruences, deepening or excavating shadows as needed. The brightness, when it flares, is blinding. Jewel tones either enhance or diminish a costuming scheme that is composed of either very pale or very dark shades, no in between. And whether it’s the post-apocalyptic black and gray cabaret garb of the ensemble or the wealthy protagonists’ pale suits or the gunmetal and gray denizens of the wasteland, everyone’s trouser and skirt hems are conspicuously rimed with reddish dust. The visual effects are nearly impossible to describe without sounding like I had some kind of desperate fever dream.

So far, I realize that these descriptions of the set and lighting design sound like this production is about to fall into the trap of overplaying symbolism, but please bear with me. With all of that established, I can focus on what’s truly extraordinary here, what’s meant to and does shine unhindered. The acting, musicianship and vocals are all so precise that it was hard for me to believe this show is still in previews. It feels Broadway ready, West End ready, major international tours ready. If I was the production crew, I’d turn this loose on a massive scale from the get-go without a second thought.

Much like with Hadestown, the musicians are not down in an orchestra pit. They’re characters in their own right, present on the stage from start to finish on tiered risers that run up from the center on each side from one of the catwalks. I’m sure Chavkin’s involvement as director has everything to do with why this show feels so much like, moves so much like Hadestown. The company is on an equally small scale, about 23 - 25 people including the principals.

Costuming among the ensemble is delightfully gender agnostic. I mention a cabaret aesthetic earlier in this review, and I’m not kidding. If you had shown me the ensemble costume designs without showing me the principals’ designs, I would have assumed I was looking at a Cabaret revival. They’re the most talented dancers I’ve seen occupy one stage in more than a decade. The choreography relies on movements in eerie unison for a significant portion of the show, but not without allowance for individual flair within those constraints. The guy sitting next to me, when I spoke to him at the intermission, said he works as a choreographer in regional theater, and he’d never seen anything like this. I couldn’t agree more; the dancing is singular, and as impressive as the musicianship is, the dancing and unusual body movement are maybe the greatest achievements of this show on the living, breathing end of things. I could have watched the dancers for those three hours without any dialogue or vocal intervention and still understood the story. That takes so much fucking doing.

As for the principal cast, they’re constantly among the ensemble; when I say these are all triple threats in the purest sense of that terminology, I really mean it. You always expect a few of the principals to be less dance and movement focused, more polished on the acting and singing side, but this show gives you terrifying proficiency from every angle. Even the guy playing Meyer Wolfsheim is at the center of what I think is the most memorable dance number in the piece. I’ve just never seen such versatile principals all in one production. What’s even more extraordinary is that I had never heard of or previously seen any of them, and that takes some doing given how much live theater I’ve consumed in several decades of life.

Ironically, the musical composition is the one aspect of this production on which I’ll be spending the least time. I need not tell you why Welch and Bartlett were perfect for this job. They understood the assignment, and then some. There’s not a single weak number among the track listings, and I desperately hope they release a recording soon. The standout numbers all have something in common: they showcase Soleia Pfeiffer as Myrtle Wilson. You can tell that’s the role where Welch sank most of the sound that’s considered her signature style. I don’t even need to describe it; you already know what I’m talking about. What’s impressive otherwise is the restraint, the lack of over-reliance on that signature style.

The principals are fucking perfect. I’ve kept this review tautly professional without meaning to thus far, but from here on out is where I start bleeding feels all over the post. If you don’t already know who my blorbos are due to my writing history with a Gatsby-related novel (The Pursued and the Pursuing, 2021), you’re going to know by the time you’re done reading this. You’re going to know exactly who I love and why, who I hate and why, who I ship and why. But you’ll also know that I approach all three of those elements from a place of enjoying every moment of those characters, even the ones I hate. Nobody’s performance put me off or struck the wrong tone when taken in context of the novel and how the tragedy of how their relationships play out.

For a long time, I’ve been saying that there are certain support roles, certain sidekicks, that make or break the higher-profile person to whose side they’re stuck, ride or die, until the bitter end. Horatio is a great example that I’ve ranted about before; if your Hamlet production has a lackluster Horatio, then it doesn’t matter how good the Hamlet is. You have nothing if you don’t have the binary star system at the heart of that harrowing universe. I’ve seen other adaptations of Gatsby consistently fall apart because Nick Carraway is treated like the kind of voyeur who doesn’t matter, the kind of voyeur who serves as the audience’s eyes and ears, and nothing else. Anyway, this is all to say: Ben Levi Ross as Nick might be the most compelling argument I can make for the fact that the creative team behind this show understood the assignment. He’s awkward, warm, sincere, and reactive in all of the ways you need Nick to be. He’s not a passive observer; he’s in the middle of everything, and he knows it. There’s a self-deprecating response he makes when one character, Jordan if I’m not mistaken, quips that maybe he’s the reason for Gatsby’s parties for all he knows. “Maybe I am,” he says, and the tongue-in-cheekness belies a gutting meta-sincerity. We believe Daisy is the point, Gatsby believes Daisy is the point, but what’s borne out every breathtaking moment of this production is that Nick is the point. He always was. He’s also given his due as a gay man in context of the story for the first time ever. I might make some folks mad when I say Nick has always been gay; I’m going to point you to Myrtle’s apartment party and the hookup with Mr. McKee as textual evidence in the novel. The kiss with McKee, the hookup with McKee, is unapologetically here. His lack of belonging everywhere else he’s ever been, because he is gay, is unapologetically here. One of the most memorable numbers in the show hinges on the hope feels at being able to be himself in New York. Queer fans of Gatsby have been waiting a long time for this. Anyone who’s read the text closely and understood him has been waiting a long time for this. I’ve been waiting several decades as a reader, and I would’ve waited forever to have Nick so fully, lovingly realized.

One of the other things that Gatsby adaptations have persistently gotten wrong is the titular character himself. The invention of Jay Gatsby hides the underlying James Gatz, makes it feel as if that old self is truly subsumed, as if it never mattered. But Isaac Powell gives us a Jay who’s exactly as he should be, who can’t hide beneath his own attempt at artifice and reinvention worth a goddamn. He’s young (as young as Nick; they’re 32 and 30 respectively both in the novel and here), painfully earnest, and just barely keeping a handle on the criminal shit he’s had to do in order to get where he is. When he says old sport to Nick, it’s not an affectation; when he says it to Tom, it becomes a biting insult. This is a Jay who knows where and why he’s vulnerable; he latches onto Nick like a not because he sees a man close to Daisy that he can exploit, but because he sees another young man who’s equally vulnerable, equally an outsider, equally haunted by the things they had to do in the war. From the moment they meet, they are almost always touching—a hand on the shoulder, on the back, getting in social harm’s way for each other, eyes seeking each other without cease in the most crowded of settings. When Jay takes Nick to lunch to meet Wolfsheim (who has in this production taken on the function of Dan Cody as well), it’s not to have somebody else vouch for the artifice of who Jay Gatsby is. It’s taking Nick to meet his fucking father-figure, and all of the messy, sincere “if you hurt my boy, I’ll kill you” sentiment that Wolfsheim aims at Nick was the moment I knew just how much the Nick’s loss by the end was going to hurt. Jay’s love for Daisy is a ghost of itself, even if as painfully earnest as everything else about him. Meanwhile, his attachment to Nick is so disarmingly genuine from the start that you understand the true tragedy you’re about to watch untold: these men who need each other, maybe even were made for each other, each prove unable to step outside their parallel distractions from what they truly are to each other. Jay’s interactions with Daisy and Nick’s interactions with several male and/or gender ambiguous members of the ensemble have something in common, which is a shocking level of physicality. This show had an intimacy coordinator; that’s the level of no holds barred we’re talking about. When you look at Tom and Myrtle, you can see why that was merited, too.

Speaking of Tom (Cory Jeacoma), the treatment of him here is every bit as scary as it should be. There’s no attempt to make him palatable, unlike what I’ve seen done with him in other adaptations. He towers over everyone else in the cast, I mean everyone, to a physical degree that’s uncomfortable. The way his wife, lover, and friends all flinch when he gets too close to them speaks volumes to the fact that he’s an abuser in every sense of the term. Even Nick, the prodigal college friend from Yale, is on eggshells around him (which, by the hotel blowup at the end of the show, becomes a sneering, reckless contempt, one of the driving forces that drives Nick to put himself between Jay and Tom whenever real harm is on the table). At the same time, this is a Tom who sincerely loves his wife and was only ever using Myrtle as a fling. You can tell he never meant any of the promises he made Myrtle. When Daisy tells him she didn’t stop the car on purpose, it’s as if his wife’s unapologetic act of manslaughter (“It was her or me!”) is the thing that wins him back. They aren’t careless people; they are people who consciously choose, day in and day out, to use others until they’re bored or done with them. The ruthlessness of Tom and Daisy as a couple is impressive, played up to a level that I feel more adaptations should do without fear of exaggerating the text.

As mentioned above, Daisy (Charlotte MacInnes) is no delicate, nervous creature who can’t help her actions under duress. She knows what she’s doing every bit as much as Tom knows what he’s doing. They use people, hurt people because they get bored and restless and enjoy it. I respect a Daisy who’s in control of her actions every step of the way even if I don’t like her; it’s better than trying to depict her as weak and at the mercy of the men around her. She’s a pragmatist and a survivor. So many of her songs are about choices and being conscious of those choices. She is a person you should fear every bit as much as you fear her husband, and even Jordan knows she’s not safe in Daisy’s orbit.

As Jordan, Eleri Ward is one of the neatest personalities on stage. Like Tom, she’s noticeably taller than most, which gives her a commanding physical presence. She has no romantic interest in anyone; I fucking love that this production show her and Nick bonding on the basis of being queer and tired of everyone else’s shit. This is a more likable, relatable Jordan than I’ve seen in the past. This is a Jordan whose relationship to Gatsby is much more familiar and warm, much more akin to the friendship she forms with Nick. In fact, the queer-and-tired vibes that roll off several of the principals in this production are palpable.

Myrtle and Wilson (Matthew Amira) aren’t always played as effective foils for Daisy and Tom, but here? They unquestionably are. They do actually love each other in spite of the things they’ve done to hurt each other, and it’s a constant dance of daring each other, challenging each other. The most memorable duet in the entire show is between them, during Act II. The confrontation is positively electric. These are two people with deep, complicated history. Of all the couples in the show, they feel the most real, the most alive. It makes the loss of Myrtle so much more wrenching; she’s not just a plot device emblematic of the bad choices they’ve all been making. She’s not shallow or frivolous or anything like that. She’s a shrewd woman with complex motivations, and for the first time ever I find myself loving her and caring what happens to her. She’s thrust even further into the action in that one of her part time gigs is working as a maid at Gatsby’s parties, a conceit that works shockingly well and hastens the devastating consequences of her affair with Tom.

I’ve made mention of Meyer Wolfsheim’s (Adam Grupper) uniquely enhanced role previously, so I’d be remiss if I didn’t comment on him again. This is a man who does, in fact, seem to give a shit about Jay above and beyond using him as a tool in his criminal empire. It’s not necessarily a healthy father-son dynamic, but Wolfsheim is usually played as ruthless, opportunistic, inhumanly calculating. Here, he’s a charming, but unquestionably dangerous man moved by a young soldier’s plight. He seems conflicted between his love for Jay and his need to have Jay continue to hold the party line within their business relationship. Wolfsheim is deeply conflicted about Jay in a way that I haven’t seen any Wolfsheim be played previously. And, as I mentioned earlier, the actor has a showstopper of a song and dance number. That may be the #1 “I wasn’t expecting that, but I’ll take it!” moment for me in this show. And I say “may be” only because the moment that truly stopped my heart, will stay with me until everything else fades from memory, is perhaps only understandable in the context of my engagement with the text of Gatsby as a writer of transformative works.

Daisy’s and Tom’s daughter, Pam Buchanan doesn’t always appear in adaptations because she’s a toddler. Even in the novel, she a throwaway mention plus a single scene near the end where the nanny brings her out to meet Jay and Nick. She’s most often left as a throwaway mention without even grave of the scene where she appears. The scene in the novel, however brief, is memorable—and has been captured in all its fragile beauty for the first time in this adaptation. Jay and Nick both pay bewildered, wondering attention to this kid when she’s brought out. Jay drops to his knees and takes her hand when she greets him while Nick looks on in a moment of singular focus on both of them. The child who plays Pam here has a spark, an expressiveness that made me choke up even though she’s only on stage for a few minutes, if that. The tableau is one in which you can feel the shock of reality, however brief, touch on these men—Daisy’s and Tom’s reckless actions may yet do harm to someone who’s barely even begun to live her life, but who is just conscious enough to be a participant in it. They recognize that they, like this child, are probably in for a word of ruin—and that they have let it go on for so long that there’s now nothing they can do about it. For me, the deepest tragedy was watching Nick and Jay throw off that moment of heartbroken, horrified recognition prompted by Pam and return to the parts they’d decided to play out until the moment one of their hearts stopped.

Speaking of grief, of Nick’s grief since he’s the one who loses so much: there is only one person who loses more, and that’s Mr. Gatz, Jay’s father. They preserve his arrival at the house when Nick is the only person who stays around to carry out Jay’s funeral and burial. And when he arrives, the visceral shock of seeing his dark skin, braids, and beaded elements of Native regalia in juxtaposition with his otherwise period-typical Western garb underscore the tragedy of what young Jay was running away from, of what he never quite succeeded in erasing from himself. The burial scene shows Nick reverently bringing several of Jay’s folded shirts from the house and handing them down into the grave to Mr. Gatz, who places them reverently as possessions to accompany his son into thereafter. The cultural ramifications are all at once understated and devastating. Nick has moments with each of Jay’s father figures that are among the most complex and moving in the show. The program does not make clear the name of the ensemble member who takes on this most memorable of all Mr. Gatz appearances, and this erasure in and of itself is both unfortunate and telling. This is a world that never belonged to the majority of those who inhabit it, and Nick realizes it with heartbroken clarity after having this final interaction. Even though he’s an outsider, he’s part of a world that has erased and betrayed the man he loved so much at every turn.

The closing number, “We Beat On,” felt like it needed something more, but it utilized the final line of the novel to a deeply moving effect. The lights go down suddenly as the last word is sung; it feels like the song is half finished. When the lights came up, Nick and Jay were center stage in each other’s embrace, just withdrawing from each other as the entire company transitioned into final bows. That’s how I’ll remember them, always: touching even when they’ve already lost each other, borne ceaselessly back into each other’s arms. If Nick is Orpheus, then I have no doubt that he, too, will tell this story again and again until someday, somewhere, something gives.

[nuclearconsole]

i love the theory that fallout didn't just stagnate in the 1950s, it returned to it. not just out of nostalgia, but desperation.

as the world fell apart, oil drying up, war time anxiety piling on and trust eroding, the government needed something familiar to sell.

and what better tool for control than the most sanitized, era of “american values” they could find?

aesthetics of nationalism, conformity, mccarthyist paranoia, all dressed up in chrome and smiles. it wasn't a freeze in culture, it was a calculated reversion.

the mythologization of a golden past becomes the scaffolding for fascist ideology. not because that past was ever real, but because it can be weaponized

myth, dressed up as memory.

in fallout's case, that myth is the 1950s. not the messy, violent, contradictory 50s that actually existed, but a state-manufactured fantasy of chrome smiles, and "american values." a world where conformity is virtue, fear is patriotism, and war is just another product.

because when people are scared, you don't give them answers:

you give them slogans. mascots. marching tunes.

you roll out project brainstorm, an actual pre-war initiative, and start pushing "covert and overt messages of extreme patriotism" into every corner of pop culture. comics. toys. music. sports.

whatever it takes to wrap the war machine in a smile.

prewar's retrofuturism isn't just for the vibes. it's state-sanctioned denial. it was a tight wrap around a dying empire, and the more things fell apart, the more they clung to that futile image.

like if they smiled big enough and said “apple pie” enough times, the oil crisis and global collapse would just blink away while the world burns behind it.

it's the same old rot, lacquered in vintage.

a country that chose the past over the future, and got exactly what it asked for.

not progress. not reform. just reruns of a dream that never existed.

and then it ended, the only way it could end:

with a country so in love with its own mythos it pressed the button waving a flag in one hand and a nuka-cola in the other.

[artbyblastweave]

Invincible's adaptation has succeeded to the extent that it has in large part due to the fact that the creators of the original book are closely involved; this has allowed the show to effectively act as a second draft of what was already a story with very strong bones, allowing them to systematically punch up and tie together story beats and themes that, by virtue of the seat-of-the-pants writing process of monthly ongoing comics, were significantly more diffuse and emergent in the original. An additional element of why I think the adaptation is succeeding is that the material being adapted was never in any particular danger of biting the hand that feeds; while the comic had a lot to say about toxic masculinity, the pitfalls of strongman authoritarianism, and the superhero genre's historical incuriosity about the material reasons that people turn to crime, it never had much to say on the topic of corporations specifically. (That's fine. Not everything is about everything.)

By contrast The Boys was, at least initially, largely lauded as a success due to its removal from the influence of its creator, Garth Ennis, whose edgelord sensibilities are generally perceived to have been brought under control by the moderating influence of a writing team willing to deviate from the story as written and bring the entire plot more in line with superheroes as they exist in the current zeitgeist. The tradeoff, and potentially the poison pill, is that for all their deliberately unpalatable presentation, Garth Ennis's politics in that comic were aggressively and pointedly anti-corporate and anti-military-industrial complex, in a form that can only survive up to an extent in a production backed to the hilt by Amazon. Furthermore, the argument that Amazon's stewardship acts as a moderating influence on the excesses of the original becomes disingenuous after a certain point, because the show is more than willing to both produce home-grown excess, and to cherry-pick overtly shocking beats from the comic without any of the surrounding scaffolding that made those beats actually interesting. Tek-Knight and Love Sausage are two high-profile examples of the show doing this; none of the surrounding context that made Tek-Knight gut-bustlingly funny, or Love Sausage genuinely heartfelt, survived translation. The shock value survived, what Ennis was actually trying to do didn't.

Do I think The Boys (2006) is good? Do I recommend it? No, certainly not unconditionally. Do I think that the adaptation stripping the auteur elements will result in decisive improvement over the source material? To an extent it has so far, but the bar is some combination of "in hell" and "a weird wiggly shape informed by the industry context in which the original was produced that resists one-to-one analysis." Ultimately my conclusion on whether this was worth it is going to come down to whether they stick the landing or not. And I'm going to be real with you, Supernatural wound up running for 15 seasons

[sunderwight]

Bingqiu "Marry Me" AU where mega pop idol Luo Binghe's third marriage is set to be a hugely public concert event, only shortly before the segment where he is actually supposed to get married, footage goes viral of his fiance Sha Hualing swapping spit with rival starlette Liu Mingyan.

So when Luo Binghe gets on stage, he decides to point out a random person from the crowd and marry that person instead.

He picks out math teacher Shen Yuan, who ostensibly only came to this concert because his meimei is a huge Sha Hualing fan and didn't want to go alone. (Lies -- he bought the tickets well in advance, and is a madly obsessed Binghe fanboy.)

OR

Wangxian "Marry Me" AU where idol princess Jiang Yanli is all set to marry corporately-arranged match Jin Zixuan in a big public event, except Jin Zixuan jilts her at the altar.

To cover it up and save his foster sister's identity, controversial rockstar Wei Wuxian "hijacks" the wedding and declares that actually this whole thing was a cover-up so that he could get gay-married to his secret lover and former rival from their teen years, Lan Wangji! Otherwise their management teams would stop them! Of course this is a lie, he's barely been able to speak to LWJ for the past ten years, but he's planning for Lan Wangji to turn him down in disgust and to be like 'oh no he broke up with me' and keep the gossip columns focused on that rather than Jiang Yanli's humiliation.

Except, then Lan Wangji gets on stage and uh... marries him?

OR

Hualian "Marry Me" AU where famous celebrity duo Xie Lian and Jun Wu are supposed to get married in a big public celebration/concert, only for someone backstage to film Jun Wu locked in a heated embrace with Xie Lian's own manager, Mei Nianqing.

Midway through dealing with this public reveal and trying to decide if he's still going to go through with the wedding or not, some of the hastily-erected scaffolding above the stage gives out, and Xie Lian ends up catching the (presumed) production worker who basically drops out of the sky and into his arms.

Taking it as a sign from the heavens, Xie Lian marries this random 'San Lang' instead. (San Lang is in fact a wanted criminal named Hua Cheng who broke into concert.)

[jupiter-dragonsong]

I saw Hadestown in my dream last night.

There were no seats and no stage. Instead the show was on the floor of a huge, old, abandoned warehouse. You either sat on the floor along the walls— nearly at the feet of the actors— or watched from high above on a scaffold higher than Hades’ balcony. The audience was either part of the set or completely separated from it. It was a huge warehouse. It felt tiny and intimate. It felt cold and colossal. It smelled like rust and smoke. 

During the intermission you could go get a drink from Persephone. 

There were these big metal pieces everywhere— industrial scrap I guess— that resonated with Orpheus and the Fates’ voices as they sang. Somehow the music reverberated through the warehouse as if it were empty. The rocks and stones echoing his song. The audience was allowed to sing the la la la las with them and it seemed like his voice had multiplied exponentially, coming from every angle and corner. It was transcendent.

Doubt Comes In especially. The Fates  sounded like wind and water and Orpheus sounds so small compared to them .

It was almost pitch-black in the warehouse when Orpheus opened a door. Out of the warehouse, out of the Underworld. A tiny rectangle of daylight and sky and birdsong as Eurydice sings about the darkest night. He was about to take a step outside, to leave, and maybe it would turn out this ti—

He turned around. Everyone was gutted.

In other productions of Hadestown I’ve seen, a few people have gasped, some have gotten teary. Here we were openly weeping, sobbing. I saw a few folks so overwhelmed they walked out.

The set was old and rough and falling apart. The music was the most amazing experience of my entire life.

I woke up.

[purplealmonds]

🧧💊👹Paper Talismans in Relation to Kusuriuri and Hyper's Evolving Powers

The paper talisman's primary function is to detect and ward off mononoke. Kusuriuri and Hyper have the unique ability to telekinetically manipulate them. Let's break down that ability further.

Manually sticking them to surfaces one by one is rather tedious and I bet less initiated medicine sellers may need to resort to that tactic.

Buckle in, this is gonna be another long one. (I nearly maxed out the 30-image upload limit)

Part 1: Talisman Deployment

Kusuriuri is capable of deploying multiple talisman at once. Though, in his early Bakeneko days there's no rhyme or reason in his arrangements.

At least he has enough precision to accidentally stick the talismans on the humans. Though he should really work on his tact.

Hyper doesn't deploy talismans in this arc, but he does summon a shield created from his golden markings which has a similar warding properties to the talisman. Not to mention, it uses the same sound effects as activated talisman if you listen closely.

From a meta animation production standpoint, making Hyper have the same talisman-deploying abilities as Kusuriuri instead of his own unique shielding abilities is more efficient and narratively consistent.

For a lore standpoint, this leads me to believe that there's a connection between the Hyper's golden markings, Kusuriuri's crimson ones, and the red glyphs upon the paper talisman.

Later, in the Umibozu and Nue arcs, Kusuriuri deploys them in a less wasteful manner. Note how they no longer overlap one another.

Tact is still not his strong suit.

Hyper once again doesn't use talisman in Umibozu, but in Nue he finally takes a page (heh, paper puns) from Kusuriuri's books. To illustrate his raw, yet controlled power, these talisman are nigh impenetrable by the Nue, and are manipulated into an organized grid-like enclosure floating in thin air which only the exorcism sword can destroy:

Naughty mononoke go into the exorcism box

In the Zashikiwarashi arc, which in the manga adaptation implies takes place after Umi Bozu, takes this precision even further.

Note how Kusuriuri brandishes them in this iconic (and marketable) pose and how they're arranged in a neat row instead of an ungovernable masses on the walls:

Hmm, the innkeeper and her assistant may be freaking out, but at least Shino (the person he's protecting) isn't. Character development, hooray!!

Although he has the capability to deploy more of them, he's now internalizing the economical "less is more" method.

It is not to say he's incapable of deploying huge amounts of them. In the Nopperabou arc, he is capable of:

1. Deploying not one, but eight rings of talisman at once:

2. Wrapping the talisman around an organically shaped object (the fox mask):

3. Constructing an entire-ass enclosure out of thousands of them - without using walls or other flat surfaces as scaffolding.

That's an insane amount of control. I'm actually a little sad that we don't get to see an evolution of Kusuriuri's ability in the final Bakeneko arc.

Hyper does technically deploy them at the very end. At first glance, it doesn't seem to be a creative improvement of his abilities. He's able to deploy large amounts of them in two neat sheets to ward off the Bakeneko's angry foot stomp, big whoop:

It almost did not occur to me that these talismans are deployed not in the mortal realm, but in the metaphysical domain of the Bakeneko. Although Hyper's not nearly as creative a Kusuriuri in using the talisman, that's one hell of a level-up.

Part 2: Object Manipulation

A less commonly discussed ability is that these talisman act as an extension of Kusuriuri. Objects with talisman adhered to them can also be telekinetically manipulated by him. A classic example of this is the fusuma screens from the first Bakeneko arc and Nue arc.

Sliding screens are relatively lightweight objects to manipulate. But the paper talisman - and by extension Kusuriuri - are capable of manipulating much heavier objects. Case in point, the barnacle-encrusted lid of the utsuro-bune in Umibozu which the combined efforts of most of the humans on the ship were unable to crack open:

So far, only Kusuriuri has leveraged this object manipulation ability. This makes sense, since he's connected to the physical human world while Hyper deals with the metaphysical one. But if Hyper does eventually use this ability, the implications are pretty damn massive.

If Kusuriuri's strength is enhanced from his normal white talisman, what would Hyper be capable of? In a pinch, if, say, the exorcism sword is knocked out of his grasp, could he then deploy some talisman to yeet a building, nay, an entire-ass mountain at a mononoke? The possibilities of badassery are endless!

Part 3: Manipulation of Sentient Entities (!?!)

Note that I did not say "humans"

In theory, it can be quite the useful ability. Stick a talisman on a human. If a mononoke stalks near them, it is repelled. If they wander into harm's way, you can yoink them to safety. If they try to attack or restrain you, you can yeet them so hard that they fly Team-Rocket style into the sunset.

Self-agency morality implications aside, I think there's a good reason why Kusuriuri takes care not to plaster talisman all over a human's body.

Consider the talisman's stuck on Shino's pregnant belly in the Zashikiwarashi arc. Look what happens to Shino when she removes a single seal:

When the seal's protective properties are activated, removing it abruptly takes a dangerous toll on a sentient entity.

Shino was "lucky". She was not the direct subject of the talisman's protection; the mononoke living within her was. Yes, not her unborn child. A mononoke, whose creation were the twin triggers of the potent emotions of the Zashikiwarashi residing in the former brothel and Shino's fear of not being able give birth to her unborn child. A mononoke which she met and bonded with prior to Kusuriuri sticking the seal on her:

Even before the seal was removed I believe the seal was already tearing Shino's Zashikiwarashi apart from the inside. It is simultaneously trying to ward it off from Shino's body and "protect" it from the Zashikiwarashi existing outside of the womb. This is why, despite her apparent "miscarriage" of the Zashikiwarashi, her actual child seemed alive and well at the end of the story arc:

I'm pretty sure if she didn't misplace the good luck doll around her wrist, she wouldn't have been infected by a mononoke in the first place. But then the assassin would have killed her and her child so I guess this traumatic mononoke encounter was her best case scenario?

If applying a seal indirectly to a Mononoke can kill it, what toll would it take if the object of its protections is a human body?

I believe that originally, the seal's protective properties are derived from small but potent fragments of the Medicine Seller's influence. When that influence is destroyed by a mononoke, the seals disintegrate:

Since this Kusuriuri is aligned with wood (see my theory regarding eye colors and elemental alignments here), I think the destruction of his influence manifesting as paper burning to cinders is apt.

However, when applied to a sentient being, I theorize that the seal begins sapping that being's life force to sustain itself. If that being remains in constant danger, a negative feedback loop forms and the talisman becomes increasingly parasitic in nature.

There's also one more incredibly obvious example of this. Remember how I said in the beginning of this analysis, that "there's a connection between the Hyper's golden markings, Kusuriuri's crimson ones, and the red glyphs upon the paper talisman?"

What are Kusuriuri and Hyper, if not the paper talismans in humanoid form? The talisman's abilities, after all, are an extension of their powers.

And when Kusuriuri, this humanoid talisman, seeks to protect the (mostly undeserving) humans in the first Bakeneko arc...

Yeah, he's not doing too hot. I think this equates to the state of the talisman when the glyphs become dyed blood red to ward off the the mononoke.

And when he further overextends himself...

If he didn't stop shortly after this, I think the damage would go far beyond the rupturing of superficial vessels and rapidly coagulating blood dribbling like tar out of aforementioned vessels.

What if those blood clots start forming in his lungs? His heart? His brain?? This is a very, very dangerous line for him to walk which could result in irreparable damage to his.

I theorize that if it ever gets to that point, the markings emblazoned on his face will spread like bruises and envelope his failing body - similar to how the paper talisman turns fully dark crimson before dissolving.

Kusuriuri's desire to protect these humans is destroying his body. Paper talismans would sooner disintegrate into a pulpy mess than allow the objects of their protection to be harmed a moment sooner. Thankfully, our medicine seller knows when to give up.

This is why after the first Bakeneko arc, we don't see Kusuriuri overextend himself like this again. Seeing his partner go through this near-fatal ordeal, I can also understand why Hyper decides not to use his built-in shield too.

They found creative ways to use those paper talismans, which are a less risky way of offering similar, albeit less potent protections. The tradeoff is worth it. After all, they can't continue to sleuth and slay mononoke if their bodies are permanently out of commission.

[agbpaints]

Oh the Hellspawn. Another 'mech brought to us by FASA Interactive which was later ported back into the construction rules of Classic Battletech, basically all of the discussion I've found online about the HSN-xx is largely negative, and while I don't necessarily disagree with a lot of the criticism I do think it's a design worth taking a look at.

In the late 3050s the Armed Forces of the Federated Suns determined that their aging fleet of Dervish fast fire support mechs was due for a replacement, having served since the times of the Star League and grown quite obsolete in the intervening centuries. General Motors won the contract to produce the new 'mech in 3060 with their Hellspawn concept, a design that promised to excede the capabilities of the existing DV marks significantly as both a lightweight fire support unit and an interdictor to handle light mechs and C3 spotters used by the Combine. The first 'mechs walked off of the line on Talcott in 3062 into the looming clusterfuck of the FedCom Civil War.

The initial HSN-7D that GM produced on Talcott sets a strong design language regrettably followed by the majority of Hellspawn variants. Weighing 45 tons, the 7D is scaffolded with a GM M-type endosteel chassis and powered by an in-house produced 270 XL fusion engine with 6 jump jets mounted between the side torsos. Dalban provided the electronics system, including an Guardian ECM suite to allow the HSN to add e-war missions to its repertoire. The offensive payload is actually pretty impressive for its weight class- the HSN-7D is armed with a pair of LRM-10s split between the right arm and left torso and supplied by 2 tons of ammunition, supported by three medium pulse lasers mounted on the arms and torso.

Of course, this level of mobility and weaponry comes at a cost- the original production Hellspawn only mounts 6.5 tons of armor. This is less than 70% of the total possible belt and dangerously close to Hellbringer levels of protection. All three torsos can be breached by a gauss rifle slug immediately. GM also neglected th mount CASE on their design, making the already fragile mech highly susceptible to total loss from ammo explosions in the field.

Reactions in the field from AFFS units were... poor. It was immediately apparent that the brass had handed GM the deal without actually considering what was being proposed to them. The Hellspawn's added interdiction capabilities did not offset the 'mech's abysmal protection and the fiddly engine and electronics suites required constant maintenance and parts to keep operational. The 15 year old Dervish 7D was generally favored by pilots and quartermasters- the standard fusion engine meant replacement parts were less expensive and the thicker armor and CASE-protected ammunition bays meant that mechwarriors were less likely to come to understand the workings of their ride's ejector seats personally.

In the face of their product's poor reputation, GM did no soul searching in the following years and instead chose to double down. Introduced in 3068, the HSN-8E did nothing to alter the mech's survivability, instead opting to exchange the arm-mounted pulse lasers for ER models in order to add Artemis firce control systems to the missile launchers. This nominally improves the 'mech's long range damage but in the leadup to the e-war spaked battlefields of the Jihad spending two tons on a 'mech with questionable armor to improve its direct fire capabilities is questionable. The same year GM also released the 9F, a worse than useless refit that removes the ECM suite, a laser, both of the LRM racks, and a half ton of armor (bringing us to 63% belt capacity) in exchange for a pair of MRM-20s. Again, *these are factory refit options from GM*. Someone at the Talcott plant must've been a plant by LOKI because I have no explanation for the AFFS deciding to take delivery of this shit except for a Lyran spy ring.

Luckily worse fortunes for the Inner Sphere led to better mechs. The Talcott plant was bombed by the Blakists during the early stages of the Jihad and presumably one of the casualties in that tragedy was the original design team for the Hellspawn. Shame. When production resumed in 3076, GM introduced a new variant that finally addressed the concerns of the original HSN models, the 10G. One jump jet and the ECM suite have been removed, the LRM launchers have been replaced by a pair of MML-7 variable missile launch systems fed by 3 tons of ammunition and the torso laser has been replaced by a light PPC. While CASE is still absent, light ferro-fibrous armor has been mounted and total protection has been increased to 7.5 tons--this gauss-proofs the torsos and brings the total belt to 83% protection. This is the variant I'm personally most familiar with and I find it a pleasant design to use: the long range damage is similar to the original 7D model but the short range potential throw weight of the MMLs and pulse lasers is brutal and the 3rd ton of ammo allows the 10G to mount inferno munitions alongside standard SRMs and LRMs, making it a general menace to heat hogs and conventional forces.

The final production variant is the 10SR, which focuses on developing the Hellspawn's role as a fast scout. The missiles have been removed completely in favor of paired ER medium lasers and light PPCs in the arms, a light active probe and TAG artillery designator have been added to support the ECM suite, the standard jump jets have been replaced with 8 improved models, and the armor belt has been increased to 9 tons. The 10SR is an incredibly slippery forward scout, combining the durability of a medium mech with the air mobility of a Spider

Overall, discussion focuses on the pre-3070 designs of the Hellspawn, which is understandable given the aversion many Battletech players have to the Jihad and Dark Ages, but a shame because it overlooks a very nice little chassis. With the proliferation of mixed tech designs a "modern" 315x variant of the HSN could likely do some very interesting stuff with the Chassis, possibly flipping the script and mounting clan ER lasers as the long range weapons while turning the missiles into a close-up compliment. If nothing else I hope more people do decide to pick up the 10G- it's a legitimately fanrastic little bodyguard and bully and I've thoroughly enjoyed running it.

[the-east-art]

Hadestown High School production thoughts:

Overall great! Awesome costuming and great work and acting and set!

There’s still several songs I prefer from the earlier albums

I don’t like the line ‘why build wall make people walk in straight lines’ I think it casts the viewer farther away from understanding Hades

Hades couldn’t get deep enough but he had great character acting! Was good at getting in real close when he was angry, looking like he was above everyone else. And then in the later sections did a great job at looking uncertain

At wait for me ii Hades gives Persephone her suitcase. Nice touch

Oh also when Persephone and Hades hug the first time they do like a collapsible prop that that a flower springs up between them and it’s just so good.

The Wind and the Elements (like the trees and the birds) were interpretive dance which actually looked really good and was done really well.

Persephone did a great job at making it clear that when she’s up she plays to them and when she’s below she plays them as well. During Our Lady she kinda just shoves around the bar patrons around, which is great contrast to Orpheus later who actually helps people up.

The ‘road to hell’ (wait for me i, ii, and doubt comes in) was largely made by planks of wood the ensemble would move. They used it to make floating stairs and obstacles for Orpheus to climb across and through. It looks really cool.

Orpheus was fantastic. Voice of an angel.

Sadly, Persephone and Hades couldn’t quite pull of How Long. Persephone had a habit of stealing time a lot, which works in her solos, but less in How Long, and Hades agains struggles to actually get into the deep register.

There was no overture, the play just starts with Hermes asking if you’re ready. Intermission ends without house lights going off and Persephone just starts while they dim.

They did the bows after Road To Hell reprise, and then did We Raise Our Cups which was fun

The energy of the intros in the first song are INFECTIOUS. Absolutely loved it.

Hades wore a green tie, a snake pin, and snakeskin shoes. Very nice. And he has the rattle for the rattlesnake part.

They used the aisles A LOT but I loved it.

In Doubt Comes In Orpheus walks around the aisles around the contorted bodies of the ensemble which was a little weird but did a good job at making it feel like they’re navigating a cave or something, and I personally thought gave the vibe of them having to navigate around dead bodies.

Road To Hell reprise has them reset the blocking and the characters do the same stuff they did for their intros - very fun

Brownie said they should have had a new person for Orpheus and Eurydice in that song to show how the cycle continues with new people and she’s so right (although I totally get that it would have thrown off the audience too much)

The fates actually played their instruments, had cool tattoos, and fiddled with their string the whole time

I’ve never realized how much the dates are the ones pushing everyone to the dated outcome until this.

I also never realized that Chant ii ending is Hades tlaking to Eurydice

Oh when Eurydice speaks up Hades eyes her up and down before taking Persephone on the train

They had a whole scaffolding for Hell which was great.

Oh oh! In the Orpheus and Eurydice duets they have them on a wheeled tables that goes in circles. And they brought down ‘stars’ as strung up lights (which looked way better than just a light projection tbh)

[yaccessmfg]

How Maruti Suzuki India Achieved 3X Productivity in Height Maintenance

Client Overview

​Maruti Suzuki India Ltd., a leader in the automobile manufacturing sector, is committed to efficiency and innovation. Regular maintenance of EOT cranes, which operate at considerable heights, is critical for ensuring smooth production processes. However, challenges such as dust accumulation, wear on motors and bearings, and the complexities of working at height have made regular maintenance both demanding and essential.

Existing Work at Height Product and Challenges

Product Used: Scissor Lift

Maintenance Tasks: Conducted at heights of up to 25 feet

Maruti Suzuki’s maintenance team relied on a scissor lift to perform these critical tasks. However, the lift’s limitations led to significant inefficiencies:

Space Consumption: The scissor lift occupied substantial ground space, creating clutter and operational inefficiencies within the plant.

Mobility Issues: Moving the lift was cumbersome, hindering quick repositioning during maintenance tasks.

Power Dependence: The scissor lift required continuous electricity, increasing operational costs.

High Maintenance Costs: Frequent breakdowns and the complexity of repairs made maintenance costly.

Time-Consuming Operations: Slow movement and recurring breakdowns extended maintenance durations.

Productivity Challenges: Inefficient operations led to delays, negatively impacting overall productivity.

Safety and Environmental Concerns: The scissor lift’s design posed safety risks, especially within the enclosed plant environment.

Implications

These challenges had measurable consequences:

Time Wastage: Inefficient equipment prolonged maintenance schedules.

Reduced Productivity: Delays in completing tasks disrupted overall operations.

Inflated Costs: High purchase and upkeep expenses, coupled with energy consumption, strained budgets.

Safety Risks: The unstable nature of the scissor lift increased the likelihood of accidents, compromising worker safety.

Y-Access’s Solution

Product Acquired: Fitout Master with J Hook

To address these challenges, Maruti Suzuki implemented the Y-Access Fitout Master with J Hook, a versatile, efficient, and safety-compliant solution tailored for EOT crane maintenance.

Product Features

Lightweight Construction: Enabled easy setup and dismantling, enhancing mobility and operational efficiency.

Corrosion Resistance: Designed to endure harsh conditions, reducing replacement frequency and costs.

Quick Assembly: No specialized tools were required, saving valuable time.

Enhanced Safety: Stabilizers and a stairway with a J hook ensured a safer work environment.

Compliance: The Fitout Master replaced traditional monkey ladders, which were deemed unsafe by Maruti’s safety team.

Specific Benefits

Improved Accessibility: The J hook and stairway design facilitated easier climbing with tools, streamlining maintenance tasks.

Solution Benefits

Key Advantages

Elimination of Hidden Maintenance Costs: The durable, corrosion-resistant design significantly reduced maintenance and repair needs.

Reduced Maintenance and Breakdown Time: Quick assembly and reliable performance minimized downtime, accelerating task completion.

Enhanced Productivity and Safety: Improved safety features and ease of use created a secure and efficient work environment.

Lower Operational Costs: The lightweight, energy-independent design eliminated reliance on electricity and reduced operational expenses. Simplified maintenance processes further reduced repair costs.

Outcome

The adoption of the Y-Access Fitout Master with J Hook delivered measurable improvements for Maruti Suzuki:

3X Increase in Productivity: Maintenance tasks were completed faster with less downtime, enabling the team to focus on critical operations.

5X Cost Savings: Reduced energy consumption, fewer repairs, and elimination of frequent breakdowns resulted in significant cost efficiencies.

Enhanced Safety and Efficiency: Workers operated in a safer environment with improved tools, contributing to overall operational excellence.

Conclusion

Maruti Suzuki India Ltd.’s transition to the Y-Access Fitout Master with J Hook revolutionized their EOT crane maintenance process. By overcoming the limitations of the previous scissor lift solution, they achieved substantial productivity gains, cost reductions, and enhanced safety standards. This case exemplifies how innovative maintenance solutions can drive operational success in the manufacturing sector.

Case study: Dhamra Port’s HVAC and Electrical Maintenance Streamlined with XO FRP Scaffolds

If you are looking for an access solution to prioritize safety, then check Y-Access Manufacturing’s range of work-at-heigh products. Our products are designed to provide superior protection while ensuring maximum durability and longevity. Don't compromise on safety, choose Y-Access Manufacturing for all your ladder needs.  

Reach out to us at: sales@ymfg.co.in or call: +91-9015964626

[merrymorningofmay]

Louis XV’s mistress, Madame du Barry, was unable to control her fear when she was escorted to the guillotine in December 1793. She struggled on the scaffold and begged the crowd to save her. This was not the done thing. Victims were meant to display courage and restraint (...) as she screamed and collapsed the executioner grew anxious and the crowd began to respond. They began to pity du Barry and wonder whether the execution should be called off, despite her crimes. (...) For most of our history, the dramatic force of a beheading has taken precedence over political ethics, and even the guillotine could not, in the end, defuse the drama. It was the moments when proceedings did not go to plan, when the performers forgot their lines, or the crowd misbehaved, that exposed the fragility of the production. State executions are a tenuous collaboration between all the players. Some participants wield more power than others, some are powerless, but even a condemned criminal can upset the script. And the crowd, unable to resist the horror of this definitive theatre production, are complicit in its success. (...) the real power of the crowd lies in the possibility that we might decide not to watch.

Frances Larson, Severed: A History of Heads Lost and Heads Found

[nagler]

Why Did I Spend All This Time Looking At Building Permits For 530 West 27th Street?

With the imminent close of Sleep No More in under a week's time, I found myself interested in when the idea of The McKittrick came into being. The McKittrick itself is a New York invention. The Boston production in its refurbished school setting didn't have The Hotel. But The Hotel is obviously not actually a hotel, it's three nightclubs wearing a trench coat consolidated into a single building. But when did that consolidation take place?

Thanks to a post on Reddit where I wound up musing about the serendipity of the Hotel coming into being in the time between the Great Recession and the opening of the High Line extension, this lead to me going on a deep dive thanks to the one free building report you can access on a free PropertyShark account. For those unfamiliar with what West 27th was prior to the Hotel and the condos, it used to be a cavalcade of nightclubs. Club B.E.D. sat at 530 West 27th street - as DrinkTheHalo has documented extensively, there was Sound Factory and Twilo and Spirit and Home (532) and Guest House (542) making up what we now know as the full Hotel space. After the murder of a club goer in February of 2007 BED closed. On December 27, 2007, the building that we'd come to know as the Hotel was sold for $28,000,000 to 27th Street Property Owner LLC.

There were still nightclubs operating in other parts of the location, but a plan examination was filed on February 27th, 2008. Meanwhile, the Boston production was mounted in the fall of 2009. A town meeting was called on May 19th, 2009 to approve as the school that the housed the production was town property. There has been much written elsewhere about how Boston pulled things together from wherever they could, though the sleepnomoreboston tumblr seems to be gone at this time.

From October of 2009 to February of 2010, Sleep No More ran in Boston. Then, in September of 2010, scaffolding goes up at 530 West 27th. January 2011 sees a flurry of permits, with the final one pertaining to occupancy being filed on February 22, 2011, changing the use to all floors . Come March 7th, the show opened and has been running up until this coming weekend.

Now, we know from the press around the reopening in 2022 that proto-Emursive initially wanted to bring Punchdrunk's Faust to New York (they did on their own, eventually, through Life and Trust). This failed and they turned their attention to Sleep No More, offering it up to Boston and the ART, now chaired by Diane Paulus (the wife of Randy Weiner, sort of but not any more 1/3 of Emursive). Sleep No More runs for a set time period, the kinks are worked out, and the space is secured from 27th Street Property Owner LLC. We know thanks to the Spring 2024 Permitgate A.K.A That's Bullshit Arthur that the lease was formally entered into on December 1, 2010 It had its first amendment in June of 2012, the second in August of 2015, and the third in June of 2022 after reopening but before the closing announcement in late 2023.

With all these dates in hand, we can see that the Property Owner LLC was created in prior to the BED incident, in December of 2007. Centaur (once again, That's Bullshit Arthur). What their plans would have been without Sleep No More are uncertain, probably condos, but they got a tenant who sort of paid the bills for 15 years instead.

The timeline is likely this: proto-Emursive comes to an agreement with Punchdrunk in 2007 or 2008 to mount Sleep No More in New York City with an out of town tryout in Boston in 2009. At the same time Centaur acquires 530-542 in December of 2007 as the 27th Street club era is dying. The Boston production goes as planned, with a building identified prior to the start of the run. The lease of 530 is officially agreed upon December of 2010, with scaffolding being set earlier that fall and the ability to modify in hand thanks to the examination from 2008. The official layout permits are modified in February of 2011, right in time for the show to open in March. All thanks to a theater for Faust falling through.

Timing is everything. Without the club era dying, the building doesn't become available. Without the High Line extension in 2012, the area isn't changed beyond recognition to the point where something other than immersive theater or a strip club makes sense as an investment. I give Emursive a lot of flack. But they threaded the needle near perfectly in terms of timing. Sleep No More, as a show that attracted both the theatrically minded and those with cash to spend, could not have existed at any time other than Bloomberg's NYC. But it's a different NYC now and that's all there is to a permit.