#sleepnomore snm

[rottenwoodandwiltedsunflowers]

#149- Waffle

Very very very very long time no see. I suppose the imminent end is making me revisit this blog and my regret about not documenting more of my time with the show is pushing me to sit down and make the time among my very busy life.

I'm not sure this is going to be as long as some of my older posts but I do want to document some of my shows from yesterday (Jan 14 Early) for my own memory.

149-Jan. 14th Early

We are old and well, old now so we are buying Oz's tickets because when you are out of town and have limited shows left you want to maximize your time. I've never minded queueing up an hour early but the time now is getting ridiculous. Once again, old now. Not lining up 2 hours early in the cold. Walked in to Maderley to find Vivian Fairchild which was comforting. It's is ALWAYS nice to see other long term familiar faces in the building. Also found some old familiar friends in the white masks and it felt all the more like coming home.

Once I hit the inside of the show I quickly decided to follow Bret's boy witch. Objectively, I think Bret is among the strongest dancers in this newest class. I haven't followed a boy witch for a whole loop in years. I like Bret's performance. He is really fun when he gets to play with the audience. His duet with Jeff's porter was fantastic! He commanded the scene and bullied Porter around with ease. His hair is getting a bit longer and I didn't really realize at first that he pinned it up with bobby-pins. I was the only one to follow him up to 4 and I found myself smiling as I watched him pull the pins out 1 by 1 and toss them on the stairs as he ascended. I really enjoyed his pool table solo. He laid on the table almost seizing as his legs repetitively hit the table. You could see him loosing control. He took a nice lunge off the corner of the table at a white mask before Speakeasy stuffed him in the box. I also loved how Micheala sniffed around the corner of the room like an animal as if she could track him down with her nose.

Going into the rave (and it's something I noticed during the first ballroom) I was really appreciating this asian witch trio. Starting my love affair with the show over a decade ago, it was painfully obvious how white this show was in its casting. Back then there were only a handful of POC in the cast and not all at the same time. As the parent of a Korean daughter, I'm so glad that the representation in the cast has gotten more diverse and I think it was the first time I've seen a visibly asian witch trio. It was such a wonderful evolution of the show to witness. When he had the goat head on, Bret climbed/jumped on the pillar and hung there. Loved it! In his post rave scene, he seemed utterly drained. It was a monumental task to even dress himself. I helped him with his shirt at his request and God bless a boy witch who doesn't hand you pants to help with! As he finished up he suddenly took off into a full on sprint to the stairs. I watched the banquet from the mezzanine and noted Kritsen's nurse. Filed that away for later show reference.

I had totally forgotten the dance he does in the light after he moves trees. That was a total surprise. When we made it up to the lobby for witches 1, it was pretty packed. There was an audience member who was standing in the middle of the scene so that was obnoxious to watch. People are absolutely obtuse. You are not going to get something special by making the actors work around you during their scenes. By the time Macbeth arrived the crowd was so dense I couldn't see so I snuck off behind the end of the lobby desk and watched from the corner.

Bret’s lip sync was so spot on. Much like his shower scene, at the end he kind of shy down for a second. It’s like he needed a moment to reset before drifting back to the lobby desk. After retrieving the tissue from Porter, he had me wipe tears before returning the tissue to the Porter and with a final glance at him, we were off to the phone booth. I never follow boy witch so it’s only the second time I’ve had the 1:1. Objectively, it’s easily the most overrated and anticlimactic 1:1 in the show. Bret did great but I do stand by that statement. We headed back down to the ballroom and I watched him pin his hair back up to start the cycle again.

From there I followed Duncan for a bit. At the top of the show I watched Duncan trying to figure out who it was. I was still thoroughly confused up until the end when I left and checked the cast board. They seemed familiar but I couldn’t place them. After looking at the board, I realized it was Gino Grenek! His dances were A+. I love when Duncan is so engaging the even watching him uncover clocks is captivating. So many beautiful moves and backbends. You can see the drugs working their way into his system throughout the whole scene.

Ventured up to the 5th floor eventually (like I do...) to find Jess' Matron. It was one of the most interesting Matron watches I've had in awhile. Sometimes I just enjoy creeping on the Matron through the creeping hole. You know the one. After every 1:1, Jess sat in the chair and had a visible moment where she needed to pull herself back together. Once I watched her wipe her tears. I was wayyyyyyy too delighted by her cutting tiny mazes with tiny sewing scissors. It pleased me to no end. Like tiny, tiny 1"x2" little maze pages. Utterly delighted!!! She put one down on the windowsill and left it there for like 5 minutes. When she went to go do the chalking I absolutely swiped it. Fair game I think. It was only when I got home the next evening that I took a much closer look at it and realized it has the fucking Grandmother's Tale written in tiny, tiny pencil on it. She must have written the tale then cut the maze design and I will NEVER recover from this discovery.

She headed out and did the chalking and when I looked up for the nurse, I saw...Jenna? Where did Kristen go??? Watched their scene and was invited in for tea afterwards. I took a lap around some of my favorite 5th floor spaces. It's something I find myself doing as my shows wind down. I so desperately want to hold onto those spaces after the show is gone forever. Found Jenna's nurse and quickly realized the show must be coming to an end and it was the last mirror dance. Stayed with the nurse and matron until the finale. As we went down to the Macbeth's bedroom, I looked in and saw Kristen as Lady Macbeth. Guess that explains what happened with nurse.

Some honorable mentions from this show include Omri and Steph T tearing through the hotel lobby first loop on their way to the banquet. They created quite the ruckus as usual but Omri went over to the hotel lobby desk as Jeff was hiding in the phone booth and slammed down on the bell several times before yelling out a crazed "HELLO!" I really enjoyed that choice, it made me chuckle. Steph then grabbed his arm and yanked him to the stairwell. Also, perhaps the most important news from this show...RED LICORICE IS BACK!!! This is not a drill! I'm not talking that bigger red licorice that taste like wax or the one they had for awhile that had a white strip and tasted sweet like sugar but like gross sugar. I'm talking circa 2015 red licorice! Remember right after the shutdown. I, like plenty of others, was like- "it's probably good they don't have unwrapped candy anymore. Not super sanitary to be eating candy 400 other people have touched." I at like half that jar between my 2 shows and if I get covid...that's a risk I'm OK with. It was worth it and it tasted like McKittrick 2014. NO REGRETS! That's about it for show one of the day. Go enjoy some licorice if you are there (assuming they restocked it because I ate it all).

[upontheheathyoullfindme]

Sleep No More closing

Holy crap. Last show is January 28, 2024. I haven't been since before the pandemic, but this is a real bummer for me.

[te-pu-si-ti]

Mystery vs Word of Mouth

I'm not even joking when I say one of the things that contributed to the downfall of The Burnt City was that you couldn't take mask selfies.

It's a small point, it sounds silly, vapid, but it's true.

The mask is so iconic, it's basically a secondary logo for Punchdrunk. It's another, silent character in every show.

London had not had a mask show in eight years, but people still remember. People who saw The Drowned Man, or Faust, or heard people raving about them, they remember the masks. They have friends who went to New York, or Shanghai, and returned with these haunting masks.

Browse the #sleepnomore tag on any social media and you will see masks upon masks upon masks. Follow the SNM instagram and you will see the nightly parade of stories of visitors excitedly taking photos of their masks, the one tangible memento after the dream has faded.

(and SNM has hit its own troubles, perhaps the challenges of rising running costs and shrinking discretionary incomes are insurmountable. But it did still run for 13 years. And completely sell out the 6 months after its closure announcement. No small feat!)

We respond to visuals. And we want something to hold on to, with something as ephemeral as theatre. I can't capture the performance of a play, but I'm always snapping photos of the marquee or curtain call - I want the proof that I was there.

And I want to share it. I want to show everybody: look, here I am, doing things, enjoying things, experiencing.

And that passive exposure is worth a lot. If 100 people show their 100 followers, that's 10,000 people reached. And not every one of those will come to the show, but enough people will be intrigued to dig deeper, especially if they're seeing those masks all over the place. It will awaken the dormant memories of previous shows.

(and that's the difference between the masks and the neon sign - the mask is a connection to a legacy spanning back 20+ years.)

An air of mystery is very intriguing, and it will build hardcore fans. When you feel yourself part of some secret club, a select few, you gain a strong emotional connection... But a show needs more than a few hardcore fans, it needs a constant stream of new visitors. People need to know about the damn thing.

Punchdrunk, and Emursive, have relied on mystery as marketing for a long, long time. And it's served them well over the years. But you can balance that with being upfront and clear about the product you're selling, and making it easier for word of mouth to spread. In this day and age, you need to.

[seektoknownomore]

And we’re off.

https://www.playbill.com/article/sleep-no-more-will-reopen-off-broadway-this-fall

[openlockswhoeverknocks]

On Being a Regular

Do any of you ever wish you could to the show completely incognito and unrecognised? Because as much as we think that changing our outfits or style for a show will make us less recognisable, that really doesn’t work.

When I come to New York, I do several shows in a row, which will make me even more recognisable than if I came once every few weeks or months.

I found myself thinking I wish I could be completely incognito in order to watch a favourite in a favourite role without the awkward guilt I get of repeat following. I got that awkward guilt last night and it turned out to be completely unnecessary guilt in the end but it did make me wish I could be less conspicuous. As much as I try hanging back and not standing in lines of vision, I don’t think it works very well!

Anyway, this is a bit of a ramble but I’d love to hear people’s thoughts on this.

[mobyfitzwilliam]

GHOSTWRITER - The Arrival

I write with the full knowledge that this documentation will not be found until long after my death. Indeed, my purpose is not to be read, but to document this experience for personal posterity, as my only real intention is to work very perversely to please myself.

I have always seen myself as a character in a gothic novel, and after living this experience, I know that the final step is simply to record the story on paper.

Be warned, there will be little rhyme or reason to this tale at first, but much as I became acclimatized to the mystery as it unfolded, so too will you grow accustomed to the world, hypothetical reader.

One final word of warning. Darkness is contained within this text, and by engaging with it, it cannot be guaranteed that you shall be safe. Go safely forward, but beware.

I first arrived in Glamis Forfar following an extended stay in the Kingsland Ward of London, where, despite the best intentions of the staff there, I'd found myself completely and utterly mad. Upon my release, I had decided to make my way back to my family's estate in the upper part of Scottland. However, I changed my plans after being advised by a gentleman I met on the train to book myself into an extended stay at the McKittrick Hotel.

"It's a far-flung part of the world," he advised me, "and they don't get too many visitors."

"I suppose there is nothing much to see," I replied.

"It all depends on what you mean by nothing."

The train station was little more than a platform, raised overlooking the village of Gallow Green. It was a lush evening, just the faintest hint of a chill on the breeze, lightly fluttering my capelet. I lowered my hat to shield my eyes from the sunset, dipping just behind the enormity of the hotel looming before me.

Stepping down from the platform, I crossed a disused high street, and down a series of steps. I would later come to know that the train station was built atop what used to be called Gallow's Hill, which had been the sight of many witch hangings some years before. I was rather sympathetic to the poor souls lost there. Doubtless that in such a place as this, with its eerie woods, sudden fogs, moaning winds, and lonely houses, I may still today find myself looked at askance. Once upon a time, I may have even been branded as a witch, myself.

Descending to the hotel entrance, I passed a patio upon which several empty chairs and tables sat, largely overgrown by brush and vegetation. A sign advertised the Manderley Bar within the hotel, opened nightly, and I resolved to investigate it once I had settled in.

Before entering the hotel, I turned back to see the remainder of my surroundings. It seemed the village was off to my left, as a series of closely knit buildings sat, laced together by once manicured trees. Off to the right sat a building slightly smaller than the hotel, with the ivy wrapped brick of the facade fading into the forest it sat before. It was far enough away that I couldn't make out the sign indicating the purpose of such a place.

As I observed, I noticed I had not been, as I assumed, the only person to exit the train. A young woman was walking with resolved trepidation into the village, wrapped in a tartan capelet and carrying with her a suitcase. It seemed this little town had some life in it yet.

The lobby of the hotel was dimly lit, even at this hour of the early evening, and much of the furniture was covered by dust sheets. Yet, a Porter sat behind the front desk, engaged so deeply in a paper folding exercise that he did not notice me until I rang the bell upon the desk.

It was such a quiet, dusty place that the bell's ring echoed throughout the entire space, hanging sharp in the air. The Porter instantly looked up, staring me dead in the eye.

"I've been waiting for you. I had begun to think you might not come." He spoke in a monotone voice that somehow conveyed a majority of feeling.

"I don't believe I have a reservation," I said, knowing full well that I had never heard of the place until I began my journey, "but I'd like to book a suite for an extended stay."

The Porter pointed down to the sign in book, and I was quite shocked to see my own name, written next to today's date.

"We've been closed for quite some time, due to unfortunate circumstances, but we are pleased to welcome you," the Porter intoned.

"Am I the only guest?"

"We have some long-term residents you are likely to meet, and the locals tend to pass through regularly."

"Come, you're not going to start telling me strange tales of ghosts in lonely houses, are you?"

"No, I am not."

I sensed for the first time something behind those blankly expressionistic eyes, something akin to fear. I had no inclination, however, whether that was fear of me or for me.

"I'm likely to be here quite some time," I said, changing the topic of conversation as I scribbled down my signature, "I have some writing to do, and I was advised that this may be the best place to find inspiration and solitude."

"Certainly, sir, I don't believe we've ever had a writer in residence, but there are many... creatives in the area. Your key." He slid an ancient looking brass key across the desk, attached to which was a playing card.

"Do you have any identification for us to keep on file?" he asked.

I opened my bag, looking for my passport or personal papers. In my haste, I removed a Tarot card that had been sitting within my bag. The devil.

"That will do perfectly fine," the Porter smoothly spoke, taking the card from the table where I had absentmindedly placed it.

I slowly closed my bag.

"Please, leave your luggage with me, I will transport it to your suite. James is waiting in the elevator to escort you. The Manderley Bar will be open this evening, and a grand ball is soon to follow. Do not hesitate to visit me at the front desk, should you require anything at all, and do enjoy your stay." With that, he swept out from behind the desk, took my suitcase and leatherbound black satchel, and was just as quickly gone into the darkness behind a heavy black curtain.

Off in an even darker corner of the room, a tall and severely handsome man emerged.

"Do come in," he cooed with the low voice of a bird of prey.

I entered, discovering he had stepped out of a cleverly obscured elevator, as vast and empty as the lobby had been.

"Welcome to the McKittrick Hotel. I have just a few words of advice for your stay."

His eyes stared intensely into my own as he spoke, but unlike the Porter, from whom I experienced a sense of overwhelming dread, this man seemed to emanate a sinister glee in my presence.

"This place is a mystery, but it is yours to solve during your stay. Should you encounter any of our residents, recall that fortune favors the bold."

The door opened onto an atrium containing a table upon which sat a taxidermy eagle, frozen in perpetual attack.

"Your suite is at the end of the hall," he said as I exited, and before I could turn back for clarification, the door had slid silently shut.

Before too long, I had found my way to my suite, a room of remarkable excess and comfort, lushly furnished in red velvet. I found myself so weary from the day's adventures that I resolved to settle in for an evening's sleep. Turning on the room's radio, I allowed myself to drift off to the crooning of the melancholy tune that echoed from within.

Every night about this time

Memories haunt me

Wondering too

Who’s dancing with you

Every night about this time

I slept so soundly on that first night, encased behind the heavy curtains of the four-poster bed, oblivious to the rest of the world's goings on. Had I awoken and glanced out to take in the view of the Gallow Green night, I would have seen the figure in a long red dress walking down the High Street toward the town, only to stop as she passed the hotel, looking directly up at my window.

Yours,

Fitzwilliam

[who-is-friend-and-who-is-foe]

Sleep No More #14

This was a big night for me, as I got five 1:1s! It was really cool to have all these unique experiences, especially since half of them were organic and weren’t me trying for them! Even with the VERY pushy crowd, I still got to see some amazing parts of the show.

I started the ballroom to see none other than Tony Bordonaro’s Boy -and what a sight to be seen! I got pulled in for the witches trick, and then decided to put in a loop with Tony, who I’ve been ecstatic to see ever since my experience with his Speaks. His performance absolutely blew me away. This loop was by far one of the most intimate experiences I’ve had in the hotel (and it didn’t even include a 1:1!). Tony’s lost luggage dance was phenomenal, so graceful. When he finished, he motioned for me to take off his suit jacket, which I held tenderly before he took it from my arms to hang it against the phone booths. After we ran up to 4 before entering the Speakeasy, he collapsed to the ground, and as he pulled himself up, he grabbed onto my shoe with a tight grip to gather himself, all the while staring at me intensely.

His pool table solo was one of the most violent and emotional dances I’ve seen. He sounded like he was in such hurt and there was so much physicality in his agony. By the time we ran off to the rave, I was so fixated on Boy I had barely any time to notice a new Hecate, played by Mallory Gracenin! Their scream as the rave started was incredible and so visceral. I kept my eyes on Tony as he began his jerky, spasmed dance on the table, but got easily distracted by Evan Fisk’s Banquo, who was an absolute beast and maniac throughout the rave.

I followed Boy into his shower scene, where he beckoned for me to hand him his towel. I always feel awkward in this scene, since you’re watching someone be so vulnerable in front of you, physically and emotionally naked. As I paced backwards to the open door, I got stuck, as other white masks had moved to fill in the space. But Tony drank from a water bottle and then sidled up to me as he put his pants and shirt back on, staring deep into my eyes as his hands fumbled with the straps. He pressed himself against me, pushing me to the wall until our eyes were just mere inches apart. Then he dipped towards my ear, whispering “Come with me” as he grabbed my hand and raced down four flights of stairs. As we got to the bottom before he left for the banquet stage he pressed me against some curtains and whispered once more in my ear before giving me a gentle kiss on the neck. Gasp. Swoon.

I stayed to watch the trees come together, something I hadn’t seen for quite a while, before running into Macbeth. I watched his and Boy’s solo in the trees before deciding to follow Banquo up to lost luggage, who was played by a new performer – Jack Blackmon. Another pre-pandemic returnee, I learned, and their Banquo was truly elegant and graceful and everything I want from my Banquos. Their lost luggage solo looked as if they were floating across the room. I always think Banquo’s solo here is so under-appreciated – everyone is just trying to catch first prophecy.

Their crypt duet with Bald was fantastic, and I followed Banquo all the way to his room where they took me in for a 1:1, my first Banquo! This was fantastic – and although I ended up losing the souvenir on my bike ride home, it was an amazing, emotional experience to see Banquo in their proudest and yet most vulnerable moment.

I went down to ballroom again to catch the witches starting their dance and caught a slow dance with Boy once more, where he kept us mere inches apart. I dared not look away, but his piercing eyes felt like they bore into me as he slowly swayed me to the music.

I left the ballroom later to wander up to 5, where I caught the mirror dance between Brandon Coleman’s Nurse and Layne Paradis Willis’ Matron, and then went to hang out on 4 to watch Macbeth kill Banquo. What an incredible scene to catch. Spent some time with Speaks, and then decided to go back up to 5, where Matron was knitting on her front steps. She came out and extended her hand to one of the white masks, and the woman outright refused it! I guess they were scared and wanted to stick with their friends, but no matter – I stuck around for a bit before Layne grabbed me in and gave me her 1:1, but all I could think about was this tumblr post and thinking through my head “you getting to hear Pagoda Woman tell you a story for the 12th time”, and I had to stifle back a laugh. I loved Layne’s rendition of it, and she definitely freaked me out in one moment of it.

I went back down to 4 and caught Hecate feeding Speaks tears and before I knew it, Hecate grabbed me into their own 1:1. This was my first time in this room, and it was so cool to see the place where this 1:1 takes place! I would love to be able to look through and explore it independent of the 1:1. This experience was phenomenal, especially with Mallory’s cackling, a very unhinged Hecate performance.

I left from the apothecary and spent some time watching Sexy and Macduff’s duet in Paisley Sweets before following Isadora Wolfe’s Agnes through making her charm and then getting her 1:1! I love how this one pairs with the 6th floor, and the shock factor of the end of that 1:1 is always a fun delight.

Finally, I wandered around High Street to catch the end of the rave and then watched Boy’s shower scene once again, following him down to banquet to try to get his walkout. Instead, Lady Macbeth grabbed my hand, smearing blood all over my hand as she pushed me against the wall and gave me a solemn smile to end my night.

[arimikay]

SNM Cast List 1/31/2022

WIB: Camara McLaughlin, Karen Marie Richardson

MIB: John William Watkins, Miguel Anaya

Oracle:

Singer: Karen Marie Richardson

Macbeth: Douglas Burkhardt

Lady Macbeth: Marija Obradovic

Macduff: Ernesto Breton

Lady Macduff: Ashley "Robi" Robicheaux

Banquo: Evan Fisk

Malcolm: Alec Funiciello (replaced by Marc Cardarelli for the final banquet)

Duncan: Andrew Pastides

Porter: Andy Talen

Mrs. Danvers: Aliza Russell?

Agnes: Steph Jean Laner

Hecate: Zina Zinchenko

Sexy Witch: Ruth Howard

Bald Witch: Joy-Marie Thompson

Boy Witch: Jamal Abrams

Fulton: Michael Bryan Wang

Speakeasy: Omri Drumlevich

Taxidermist: Elias Rosa

Nurse Shaw: Brandon Coleman

Matron: Lindsey Matheis

6th Floor Nurse: ???

[audible301]

I’m sending Boy Witch to Super Hell for gay crimes, poisoning, witchcraft, making Porter cry, and probably treason.

(Flag by @yourfaveisgoingtosuperhell)

[josh-lanceero]

moonlight becomes you

[the-raven-himself]

Hey McKittrick friends! Hope you're holding up throughout everything. As we all eagerly await the opportunity to safely return to our happy place, I wanted to see if anyone still in Tumblr land had the images of the floorplan of the McK. I was given them about 6 years ago, but over the course of moving computers and things, the files were lost. This is not for posting publicly, I'm just working on some fan art that would benefit from a more exact floor plan than my memory can produce. Thanks!

[rottenwoodandwiltedsunflowers]

2/3-2/5 Waffle Recap(ish)s

It’s the big day of re-open! Such a big congratulations to the cast and crew who made it back to this point. The last few years have been a lot and I’m so happy to see everyone back and the McKittrick machine looking better than ever, honestly.

We had tickets to the show tonight. Full disclosure, originally we had a cruise scheduled for today. When they rescheduled the original October opening and announced the 2/14 open we took about an hour to determine that our insanely expensive (already rescheduled from pre-pandemic) cruise needed to be moved again. Priorities...am I right? We are meeting up with Mickey to sail the seas next week but planned to come to reopening and go back home tomorrow. When they opened up the weeks of previews and offered us access to the free preview on 2/2, we decided to come into town that week instead and ditch the reopening show. Kids in school are not conducive to out-of-town adult trips and we decided not to risk additional Covid exposures so close to our sail date. (Once again-full disclosure, we would have done it for one night if there were no previews because priorities.) 

So I am sitting at home, 6 hours away, having some intense FOMO right now. I know this was the right choice and I’m so glad I was able to see 5 shows a few weeks ago but here we are. I guess instead I’ll just gush to the internet about how great everything is right now in the building. 

Once again, here is your spoiler content warning. If you want to know nothing about the show in it’s current form then STOP READING! I am going to talk about what I saw and my experiences inside the hotel. There were no 1:1′s when I went, so everything is free to be seen in the open or through windows and doors. (The 6th floor 1:1 does exist but I didn’t get it nor would I talk about it anyway.)

As I think back to my shows a few weeks ago, the thing I keep coming back to is how good everything was. The sets are fully refreshed and contain lots of new and interesting things to see. I spent probably 45 minutes one show going through almost everything on the 5th floor set. The dentist office is fully restocked, which was delightful. One of the patient charts now has a ton of bird imagery hand drawn in black pen over the page of charting. I was happy to see the weird collage on the far side of the wall with the beds. I remember when it popped up years ago and I like looking through it every once in a while. I found an old style stethoscope in the drawer of the office in the hallway. That made me grin as I took it out and inspected it. I repeatedly found myself looking at the wolf family. The nurse shaw box in the nurses office has been redesigned and I love it! Now instead of just having some photos of family and her house (presumably) it also contains her birth certificate. The box has a false bottom and also contains a letter from her mother detailing how her father is ill and they will no longer be able to visit her at St. James Sanatarium. Just another delightful find! The cabinet in the room with the bathtubs has also been overhauled and now not only contains nails but other random things that had been swallowed by patients. I noticed a new page affixed to the window. It’s hella dark back there so I had to struggle to read what it said but it was a list of pica patient names and what they had regurgitated after eating. It corresponded to the displays in the case by number. I noticed the soap cross has been refreshed and moved back to the corner in the bathtub room. I was a bit disappointed to find the Lady Macbeth files had been removed from the desk they were in pre-shutdown. 

I spent a considerable amount of time on the 5th floor watching the characters. So much so that at my last show I went to check who was playing the nurse and matron and I had to tell myself to leave the floor. After I saw the cast members, I was tempted to watch Joy’s nurse again but made myself go explore the 4th floor instead. There is probably a limited amount of time you can spend looking at the same performer over the course of 4 days before it becomes downright creepy. I feel like I may have been approaching that point. I saw many of the new 5th floor scenes several more times during these shows. The best scene I have ever seen (except of course the Caroline/Hecate 2:1) happens in one of my absolute favorite spaces, the padded cell. All the new content brings together the narrative loops of these characters and starts to really tie things together tightly. For all of the fandom bitching about a lack of narrative and/or loop for nurse and matron, there is little room for criticism now. 

One part of the loop starts out with the Matron chalking the wall like she has done before. Mostly they chalk, “Who must hang them? Why the honest men?”. Camara chalked, “Tis said they eat each other,” which I was elated about! It seems new but I remember that probably about a year before the shutdown she chalked this same thing one night. I remember because I wrote it down after and looked it up. I am one of the fans that isn’t super into Shakespeare generally but really liked the story of Macbeth before seeing Sleep No More. I know the story and have read it several times but I assumed that the quote was a direct Macbeth quote so I looked it up after that show to see where it came from and what it referenced. The line is said to Ross in the famous “A falcon was hawked...” section in reference to Duncan’s horses. I think the particular line was an individual actor choice by Camara but it fits in so perfectly in the new narrative that it gives me goosebumps. Camara’s matron is one that often looks excessively concerned and troubled when the bells toll for Duncan and it all plays into the new 5th floor loops. 

The Nurse comes to collect the Matron after her collapse and takes her back to her hut in the corner. Like the old loop, they go through the rocking chair scene. The Matron checks the Nurse’s mouth with a spoon. The Nurse is spooked by the unforeseen aggression and goes fleeing from the woods. Now though, the Matron locks her hut and follows. Brandon’s Orderly rushes toward the exit, looses his footing on the last turn, and goes sprawling to the ground in the large clearing by the door under the blue light. He collects himself and heads toward the operating theater. All the while the Matron follows until they both end up in the theater with Matron looking down from above and watching the possessed limb dance proceed. God I forgot how much I love that dance. Joy’s power as a dancer shines though during this dance. 

The Matron grabs the Nurse and drags her toward the padded cell. I will say that I love all the new scenes on the 5th floor but I'm sad the padded cell is now a locked room. I spent a fair amount of time pre-pandemic hanging out in the room and generally inadvertently creeping out other white masks. I will miss being able to walk in the room and sit for a few minutes. They enter the room and lock the door. The audience is relegated to watching any scenes through the slot in the door. My deepest regrets to those of you who are vertically challenged. My wife is 5′3″ and she struggled to see through the slot. Any shorter and you are probably not going to be able to see. The Nurse and Matron walk back toward the far wall and hold up their hands, touching palm to palm, against the center of the feather pattern on the wall. Nurse comes back toward the door pressing their face to the slot and looking panicked as they yank at the locked doorknob. They desperately plead for help before the Nurse leads them back into the room. There is some back and forth tense choreography before they join hands in the middle of the room. The start spinning in circles and it is reminiscent of children playing ring around the rosie. Joy and Camara laughed and giggled loudly enough to be heard from the hall. The lights begin to dim and flicker, then the matron and nurse break apart and start tumbling side to side independently from wall to wall. It reminded me of a ship caught in a storm. Perhaps that's just the imagery that the hotel evokes for me. They drop out of sight and everything goes quiet. The lucky people gathered around the slot are left wondering where they are, straining to see into the corners of the room. Suddenly fingers appear slowly creeping through the opening. It caused my heart to jump the first time I saw it and I heard audible gasps from friends I subsequently watched it with. The Nurse appears in the slot and turns to face the Matron who also pops up. Matron takes the Nurse’s face and opens their mouth. She begins to pull a long black feather from the Nurse’s mouth. The Matron looks alarmed and turns to head deeper into the room facing the patterned wall, adding the feather to it. As she does this the Nurse turns to the audience and slowly produces a nail which they insert into their mouth. They pause and lean in very close to the hole, whispering, “Please don’t tell.” Matron comes back and they exit the room.

The last time I saw the scene I was watching behind two friends who were seeing it for the first time. There was another random audience member standing over my shoulder and I happened to turn when the feather was being pulled out and witnessed them violently shaking their head in a no-no-no motion and waving their hands in front of them. It was one of those moments that reminded me how much I love watching other audience reactions to the show. 

They exit separately with the Nurse heading back to the room with the beds. Matron comes through the bathtub room and stops in the doorway. The characters stare at each other and Nurse comes to usher Matron into the room to a bed on the far side. Nurse tucks Matron in tightly. She is sure to tuck the sheet into her sides starting at her feet and working her way back up to her neck. A blanket burrito. Fond memories of another time and a heavy red blanket surfaced for me. The Nurse continues to check the other beds, tucking in the rock person after checking on them. The Matron watches from her bed. Suddenly Nurse starts coughing. They choke for a moment stumbling to the far bed before pulling out a bedpan and coughing a nail over the end of the bed into the pan. It makes a loud clanking noise. The Matron is once again frightened and takes off back to her hut in the woods.

I hope that they keep this content in the show when 1:1′s begin emerging again. They can leave the 1:1 out and I wouldn’t mind one bit if it means we can keep these scenes. It was a chilling and eye opening moment at the end of the padded cell scene. It made me totally re-evaluate my thoughts on the characters and their relationship. Who is playing who here? Things are not always as they appear. It locks in some of the Paisley Witch history that was a bit muddled with the old tracks. As a 5th floor junkie, I was fundamentally shook by the new content. It made the chalking choice by Camara all the more potent. Working in Duncan’s horses to the 5th floor evoking times spent looking at the writing on the wall (literally) about Duncan’s horses. All the choices that were made seemed deliberately thoughtful. Or maybe I’m obsessively reading into everything- but isn't that what the hotel is for?

Has the cloth Jesus man in the room across the hall from the old 5th floor 1:1 room always had nails on his head and in his hands?!?! I feel like maybe but I can’t recall ever seeing them before and it was amazing to discover regardless. The Matron watches Taxi’s haunting 5th floor dance which is delightful. The goat in the woods had definitely gotten a good cleaning so I guess something positive has come of the pandemic. I’m happy for him!

Ruth Howard is everything I could want in an Agnes. I like my Agnes’ on a mission and willing to take no shit from Porter in the process! The back and forth with him across the lobby desk was strong and defiant and she was having none of his bullshit! She is here to find her sister, obnoxious Porter and creepy Fulton be damned! I love Agnes and did a little over a full loop with Ruth at the end of the show. Toward the end of the loop we ended up in Fulton’s shop alone as she made a locket. It was one of those magical moments where we were alone for the entire scene. It was surprising considering it was near the end of the show and there are usually a lot of people on Gallow Green. I was shocked no one even came in from the street. She looked up at me as she started and made eye contact. She looked at me again as she finished and gathered her things to head to Grace’s apartment. When she got into the room there were lots of other audience members milling around. She turned to me and walked up so we were eye to eye. After staring for a minute she held out the locket and pressed it into my palm before squeezing and turning back to the apartment. She began going through the mail and found the letter she sent to Grace undisturbed. Another new and amazing addition to the loop.

I saw Agnes find the missing Grace poster she had put up in Paisley Sweets complete with red lipstick smeared onto the face. Earlier in the show, Sexy witch pulls the poster down and leaves it on the table in the apartment. Agnes then disappears into the bedroom clearly distressed by the whole ordeal. 

Joy’s Bald witch is amazing! Best bald I’ve seen in a long time. The choreography for the ballroom fight duet with Macduff has been reworked and is somehow more intense than it was before. Joy is so short and yet she takes the stairs SO FAST! Listen, the pandemic means that most of us are not in prime McKittrick shape anymore. I legitimately thought I might be dying by the time I got to the speakeasy for the witches’ meetup. There may have been hands on knees as I tried to catch my breath. Be warned, she is no joke on the stairs! I forgot how much I love watching people get hit with trees! It’s a horrible thing to love, but I’m a jerk. I know that when he trees start moving to hug a post in the ballroom, then wait. Inevitably, someone gets surprise hit with a tree. When Joy went to clear the trees she picked me out of the audience. She held her hand out to me and I slowly went to take it. She pulled it away. After a beat, she held it out again. I reached out again and she pulled it back smirking. I was VERY confused. She held it up a third time in front of her. I was very unsure of what to do so I slowly held my hand up and when it approached her’s, she made a gesture to stop. We stood there with our hands hovering in the air. She started to play this game where she moved her hand around and I mirrored her. It was a fun, COVID safe interaction. I loved the playful manner. I watched the witches meet up before the ballroom and I was interested to see what she would do in the corner. I followed as she retreated back. After getting a dink she waved me over and made a little spinning gesture with her finger. Dancing with the witches is both fun and terrifying for me. I can handle some real middle school swaying and that’s about it. After a second I did (what I’m sure was a ridiculous) spin. She smiled and made the gesture again. When a witch tells you to spin, regardless of how dumb you feel, you do the thing. After another spin she grinned at me and saddled up close. She looked past me shoulder and then made eye contact while whispering “Watch this!” She then whisked off past me to join the ballroom. It was fantastic. I stayed and watched her ballroom duet with Macduff a second time because it was that good.

Brandon Coleman is an excellent Orderly. 10 out of 10, highly recommend! I also highly recommend Stephanie’s Hecate. I was pleased to see her back!

I found my self spending a lot of time with Kelly Todd’s Danvers and full looped her Lady Macduff. She is one of those residents that has been around quite a few years and is a comfort follow for me. She draws you in. She is an amazing dancer but she also is just as good on the acting. There is nothing I love more than a cast member who takes advantage of the little moments. It’s the nuanced things that count when you’ve seen the same performance of a character fifty times. Kelly plays two roles right now that are direct foils to each other so it was cool to see her playing a cold and calculating Danvers one night then flip to the desperate and maternal Lady Macduff the next. Predator and prey. Her Danver intentionally adds more poison to the milk when she hears the bells toll for Duncan. It is an intentional and hateful move and it shows all over her face as she is doing it. She waltzes through the Macduff residence in the most disrespectful manner possible. Plucking her hair and hanging it on the wall alter in their living room, smearing lipstick on the face of a child statue, righting mirrors along the way. Perhaps the best was when she laid on their living room couch and relaxed back. She then closed her eyes and ran her hand slowly down her body in a seductive manner stopping at the bottom of her stomach. It was sexual in nature and was uncomfortable to watch. I applaud anyone who can make me feel uncomfortable in that building. It was the ultimate fuck off to the puritan Macduffs. 

Her Lady Macduff is a total flip in character. Naive and innocent. Lady Macduff is one of the few truly innocent characters in the show. She did a lovely dance/choreography number in the children’s bedroom in lieu of the 1:1. After she was poisoned, her Moonlight Becomes you number in the hotel lobby was heartbreaking. She is clearly out of her mind and the moment the number starts to end and she sees the ghosts is haunting. It’s a goosebump moment when she makes eye contact and panics, the audience realizing they are the cause of the torment. She panics and throws the sheet back over the mirror. On a side note, I admire Kelly’s dedication to the character. She threw herself into the open drawer of the dresser hard enough where it must have left a bruise. As I followed her to the banquet she stopped on the landing of the stairs and slid down the wall, landing on the floor. She dragged herself to her feet with the railing, then lost her balance and threw herself down 3 or 4 stairs. It was scary and made me gasp. I’ve seen Lady Macduff stumble down the stairs holding the railing but the way she tumbled down several stairs felt dangerous. During her reset after her murder the Porter brings her things to her and sends her on her way. As if still waking from a dream, Kelly’s Lady Macduff kissed Andrews Porter. Full on kissed him on the lips. Another surprising and wonderful choice. 

I saw her duet with Macduff on the bookshelf which is always beautiful. Toward the end of her loop when she goes to her bedroom to change back into her dress for the banquet, Kelly did something I’ve never seen before. Right before she exits the room she checked her appearance then took a pin out of the drawer and added to to the spiral pattern on the candle. I’ve seen the candle but never saw Lady MacDuff add to the pins.

I took some time my last show to see random scenes I wanted to catch. I saw the scene that happens instead of the Malcolm 1:1. He closes all the shades and doors to his office and climbs on top of the filing cabinets to get a paper out of an envelope high on the wall. He then proceeds to go into the back room and develop a photo! I’m sorry...what! I repeat, Malcolm actually does some detective work now. Wow. The photo is the one that looks like a mauled back of a woman. He then hangs it in the darkroom to dry. I caught the interrogation scene. Another scene that I don’t often see but I love. It seems like they are limiting the audience size to three, maybe four audience members.

Miscellaneous notes. The regularly scheduled elevator was back for the late show on Saturday. Everyone went in and it was a full elevator. Wonderful surprise. Evan’s James elevator operator was really going at Andy’s bar character. The snarky banter was at an all time high. Andy said it was nice to see James, Evan replied that it was one sided, Andy replied that was cold, Evan told him to grab a jacket next time. James intentionally rearranged the front of the elevator so that a couple was up front then separated them with one person being dropped on the 5th floor which was very enjoyable. He offloaded just over half the elevator on the 3rd floor then sent the rest of us down to the mezzanine.  Just before the last stop he asked Kae about her shirt and she verbally answered with a sassy answer. She was caught off guard, he was caught off guard, a bit of laughing ensued. I caught him last loop as I was following Hecate. She was on her way through his shop to the reset on High Street. She has a new scene in Taxi’s shop where she writes the Porter note and gives it to an audience member then goes out to the reset. As a result, she is already in Taxi’s shop as he re-enters. Evan was walking through the door as Stephanie was rounding on the door. Taxi looked super surprised to see her. He then had a slightly frightened/sheepish look on his face and slowly started gesturing around the shop with his hands. We talked to Evan and Camara in the bar afterwards and Evan said to me, “I made you laugh!” I described what he did and Camara called it his “Little Mermaid moment” and I will forever look at his Taxi and think, “Look at this stuff. Isn’t it neat? Wouldn’t you say my collection’s complete?” I still laugh when I think about it because that’s EXACTLY what it was like. He made sweeping hand gestures as if to say, “Welcome to my shop. See my stuff? Isn’t it great?” Guys, it was so goofy and perfect and I’m still laughing!

The early show on Saturday brought on the first major technical issue I’ve ever seen that was a tech problem not prompted by the audience. I was watching the final banquet scene on the mezzanine with Brandon’s Orderly. Everything was going fine until Banquo started to enter the scene. Just before the big boom in the audio track, the whole audio cut out. Dead silence.The performers in that building are pure professionals. They kept going with their slow motion choreography and the toast was wild with no sound whatsoever. Silence throughout the space. They did the post-toast scene silently and sneered at Macbeth. Duncan silently rose from his seat and as he stood...the track came back on. Now when the audio cut out, I assumed the audio had cut out. Nope. The whole track had in fact stopped completely so here is Duncan standing with his hands outstretched and the audio comes back in with the big boom from when Banquo enters the scene. I can only imagine what the poor cast at the table was thinking. If it had been me it would have been something along the lines of, “Shit!” As the track played on, they all individually did some slow choreography to get back into place for the toast. Duncan slowly sat back down and by the time the glass chiming noise came in, they had reset to the right moment. They then continued on and did the whole thing again. It was a fantastic moment. If you were just seeing the show, you may not have even noticed. Thant’s how great this cast is!

This was an amazing run of shows. The McKittrick Hotel is back and better than ever even in “previews”. Heres to another golden age and the return to Manderley. It feels right to know that we can indeed go back!

[upontheheathyoullfindme]

Fun fact: the first time I get smooshed by Porter (assuming we’re ever allowed to get smooshed again) in the afterish times, I’m 100% going to cry.

[ihearyourvoicecrying]

SNM 2/25 Cast List

Man in Bar: William Popp (Calloway)

Woman in Bar: Ginger Kearns (Kit)

Woman in Bar: Camara McLaughlin (Hazel)

Bar Singer: Karen Marie Richardson (Stella)

Macbeth: Jeff Docimo

Lady Macbeth: Audrey Rachelle

Macduff: Elias Rosa

Lady Macduff: Ingrid Kapteyn

Banquo: Pil Jeong

Danvers: Tori Sparks

Duncan: Audrey Tchoukoua

Malcolm: Zach Martens

Boy Witch: Quinn Dixon

Sexy Witch: Bostyn Ashjian

Bald Witch: Layne Paradis Willis

Porter: Joe Poulson

Agnes: Kristen Stuart

Speakeasy: Issa

Fulton: Alec Funiciello

Taxidermist: Jamal Abrams

Hecate: Anna Schnaitter

Nurse: Jennifer Payan

Matron: Ilana Gilovich

6th Floor: Debra Zalkind

[seektoknownomore]

SNM 12.17

Macbeth: Jeffrey Docimo Lady Macbeth: Audrey Rachelle Duncan: Audrey Tchoukoua Malcolm: Zach McNally. Macduff: Isaies Santamaria Perez (?) Lady Macduff: ? Banquo: Pil Jeong Bald: Jenna Saccurato Sexy: Evelyn Chen Boy: Brandon Coleman Porter: Quinn Dixon Hecate: Stephanie Jean Lane Agnes: Marissa Maislen Danvers: Debra Zalkind Fulton: Peter Farrow Speakeasy: Ernesto Breton Taxi: ? Nurse: Ryan Van Compernolle Nurse: Evan R. Wood Matron: Camara McLaughlin 6: Stephanie Amoroso MIB: Alec Funiciello (Jimmy) WIB: Zina Zinchenco (Cassandra) Fortune Teller: Virginia Logan (Elizabeth)

[openlockswhoeverknocks]

April 2018 Highlights

Well, here goes another highlights post after my bonus trip over to New York and the McKittrick. Broke my twice a year rule but it was so worth it. 

As usual, these will be in no particular order other than what comes to mind and when. Feel free to reply with any questions or comments. 

- All of the Happy Hours! Seriously, we had Manderley Happy Hours Monday- Friday and it was wonderful. 

- Meeting Calloway and experiencing his weirdness and eccentricity first hand. 

- Finding Molly’s Nurse off of the first lift and getting to spend time with one of my favourite performers in one of my favourite roles on my first show of the trip. 

- Having @everylittlenote come up to 5th (knowing that’s where I could be found) and whisper “Go to the Rep Bar after this”.

- Going down to High Street during Vertigo, refusing to believe that I may finally see the Hecate I’d been dying to see, standing across from Taxi’s and seeing Virginia’s Hecate walk through. I swear I gave myself whiplash with the double, triple take I did, 

- The way Virginia’s Hecate makes sure she makes eye contact with everyone during the cabaret and makes sure each individual person locks eyes with her. 

- The way she looks so elegant and majestic but eats like a pig. What a contrast!

- Having a tarot reading with the wonderful Cordelia. Just what what I needed. 

- Ryan’s playful sexy growing in intensity as the loop progresses and the constant feeling that she may be fun, but she’s also dangerous. 

- Molly’s Bald Witch always finding opportunities to lock eyes with white masks. She’s one of the rare few people that constantly looks at the audience during the ballroom which is so good and quite intense.

- Bald’s solo after the ballroom. I could watch that on repeat.

- Following Molly’s Bald twice in the space of a few days and finding the crypt dance with Banquo completely different each time due to a different performer being Banquo and the tempo being different. 

- Ginger’s Matron feeding off of Isabel Nurse’s energy and both of them being extra playful and weird. 

- Erin’s subtle yet super powerful Hecate. She may be more understated than some of the more recent Hecates we have seen, but she has a quiet authority and such a cinematic quality that I could watch her sit and stare into the distance for a loop if I had to. 

- Camara’s heartbreaking matron constantly speaking to herself between the sobs and tears. 

- The way she broke down after letting her white masks out of the 1:1. You could genuinely feel the pain she was in. 

- The way she walked me down to the banquet with a confusing detour to the lobby for good measure. 

- Kacie’s quiet and gentle nurse who just wants to be able to protect her patients no matter what. 

- Walking into the rep bar to check who Hecate was and being stolen by her before even registering who it really was. (It was Tori).

- Tori’s Hecate palm reading after putting the ring on my finger after he dinner and looking at me in wicked horror just as the thunder clapped. Genuinely made me jump out of my skin!

- Being stopped from getting on the lift by WIB so that people would go in front of me and I’d be last in. WIB telling James I’d like to go for a swim and the lift foor opening on the 6th floor rather than 5th. WHAAAAAAAAAT?!

- Getting Virginia Hecate’s cabaret and people swarming to the table as she opened her dinner meaning I couldn’t see her anymore and having to move myself several times in order to somehow keep the eye contact. 

- Ilana’s beautiful Matron trying to find some playfulness and gentleness despite her loneliness and sadness.

- Ilana’s matron slipping something into my hand during the final banquet before walking me out. 

- How the above and other little things that happened mean I still get surprised, heartbroken and sometimes even giggly at the McKittrick despite the large amount of shows under my belt. 

- Marissa’s Sexy Witch constantly toying and having the upper hand with her white masks. 

- The way she can just have you 100% in her thrall by giving you a single look. 

- Molly’s Nurse hiding behind each bath tub for ages trying to hide from god knows what or who. 

- Molly’s creepy smile as she comes at you for the 1:1. Still gives me goosebumps just thinking about it. 

- RYAN’S LADY MACBETH! HOLY SHIT!!!!!!

- She’s quieter than some, but so very intense yet vulnerable. You could see small glimpses of that vulnerability that her Lady Macbeth desperateky tried to hide until it’s ultimately too late.

- The way Ryan’s Macbeth uses you for support on the way up to 5th yet never really realising or acknowleding that she’s clinging on to someone. 

- Her exchange with Danvers before the ballroom and the way she clinked her wedding ring on the whiskey glass to get Danvers’ attention. 

- Not following a single Agnes on this trip yet but wanting to and finding Marissa’s Agnes walking out onto the high street. What a wonderful loop!

- She’s a strong woman who gets broken by circumstances beyond her control but that strength is always there until the bitter end.

- The way she picks for her second 1:1 during the rave is the best thing ever.

- Marc’s Fulton despertately trying not to step on creaky floorboards while Agnes is asleep. 

- Being grabbed for a walkdown by Virginia’s Hecate on the stairs down to the final banquet and feeling equal parts excited and embarrassed. 

- Spending my last show doing to favourite loops: Bald (Molly) and Nurse (Audrey). 

- Audrey’s tired nurse prepping everything for Lady Macbeth’s arrival.

- Her pride in the pretty maze she cut out of paper and showing Chelsey’s Matron who had absolutely no interest in it. She very patronisngly hung it up on the wall as a parent would hang their child’s millionth drawing of their family pet.

- Feeling like Bald’s accomplice during the whole loop due to the amount of side eyes and smiles sent in my direction. 

- That ballroom solo... again. SO GOOD!!!

- Finding a ring where there usually isn’t one. Another little surprise to keep me on my toes.

- Virginia Hecate’s laugh post cabaret. Not quite a cackle. More like a hilarious inside joke with some imaginary being. Brilliant.

- Having a ridiculous amount of kissed masks to take home because apparently Hecate was my go to character this trip like matron and Bald were on the last one.

- Clearly the McKittrick dealt me different cards this time. Not that I’m complaining since I got to finally see an (old) favourite in that (new) role and several times too. I have no shame. 

_ Naming the pillars in the Lobby, Rep Bar and Macbeth’s room. 

- Meeting @manderleyghost and @mckittrickbold and having some wonderful pre-show and post-show chats over the weekend. 

- Making new friends and meeting up with old ones that I would never have met had it not been for this wonderful show and its fandom. 

- Leaving the city with a smile on my face and lots of new memories for the bank.

I’m pretty sure this is super long now so I’m going to leave it at that. I had such a good time despite spending an innordinate amount in the rep bar and in the actual bar thanks to Happy Hours. Thanks to all the lovely peeps on here who may read this that I got to spend time with during my visit waiting in line and nudging each other during shows. See you all at the end of July!