Sleep No More is AMAZING- Page 10

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 5/10/11 at 9:13am

My ticket was for 7:20. I got in the line outside at about 6:30 with people who were there for all different showtimes. When I got in, I went to check in and was given the playing card "an ace" and we all went into the bar. I ordered a drink and not one minute later a man said anyone with an Ace should follow him... so that was a (VERY big and VERY strong) $11 Long Island down the toilet. So at about 7, it all started even though my ticket was for 7:20. Not sure if that helps but I'd try to get there as early as possible if I were going to do it again.

[Boston28]

Posted: 5/10/11 at 10:54am

I also had a 7:20 ticket but was with a bunch of friends who had 7:00 so I got in line early with them and went in at the same time. Actually, I just happened to be given a different playing card with my friends so when they were all called in, I sat down at a table near the elevator door with my drink and one of the "hostesses" came over and asked if I'd like to go in too. How could I refuse!? I certainly didn't care about sticking with my group (SNM is best done alone as far as I'm concerned) but I was more than happy to get as much time in the experience as possible!

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 5/10/11 at 10:57am

There were a few people there who were determined to stick together and were very annoying about it. I absolutely believe you can not experience this with anyone else and get as much out of it as you would alone.

[pennydreadful]

Posted: 5/10/11 at 11:06am

The people who hold hands are the worst. I wanted to hurt them.

It IS exhausting. My friend described it as "3 hours of slow museum walking, with quick bursts of running up and down stairs."

[Boston28]

Posted: 5/10/11 at 11:10am

Agreed! I'm just lucky that the first time I went, my husband was so annoyingly slow that I left him within the first 5 minutes of entering the space. The experiences we had individually that night (very early in teh Boston run) totally validated going it alone and made us go back again and again. I tell everyone I know who goes to GO IT ALONE!

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 5/10/11 at 11:19am

I'm going to be the contrarian on this issue. The two times I saw it in Boston, my boyfriend and I stuck together. We don't hold hands in the real world, so we didn't do it there either. We just agreed going in that we would follow each other. (My motivation was that he often feels he's "not getting" some deeper meaning to something, often when there was no deeper meaning to get). I really loved that we had the experience together to talk about after.

In New York, I was separated from my friends. I felt an overwhelming sense of isolation, which is sort of the opposite of what I go to theater for. And at the end, when we met up again, we started our sentences with "Did you see...?" instead of "Remember when ... Banquo whispered to us because we were the only two in the chapel when he came back to life?"

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 5/10/11 at 11:26am

I was more annoyed by the hand holders who kept blocking the stairs and entrances because they had to wait for the other person or they couldn't find the other person or the other person got behind someone else so they had to find a way between you to get back to them etc.

And also, there are many points where you can choose to follow a few people. If you're with someone else, you're not entirely free to choose the path you want to go down. Updated On: 5/10/11 at 11:26 AM

[walkedthroughmany]

Posted: 5/10/11 at 11:28am

I'm going to give another vote to: do it alone! The scale of the piece is way too big. If you divide and conquer, you hear some very, very interesting things from your friends that help put the puzzle together.

Also -- now extended through July 9!

[Brian07663NJ]

Posted: 5/10/11 at 11:32am

I attended for the second time this past Saturday night. My experiences were different. Both times were very enjoyable. Both visits I went with one friend and we split up. I found it much easier to get where I wanted to go without consulting anyone. Then after the show we had a blast sharing our adventures. First hour (of the total 6 that I have been inside Sleep No More) I followed Macbeth so I got a fairly good understanding of the locations of events because he covers so much ground. Then I did a lot of wandering. I was lucky to have 2 interactions: 1. with nurse in the woods in her hut and then 2. with the woman (not telling on purpose) who put me in the "Narnia" wardrobe...she also happened to give me an amulet for protection. Before I left my house to attend the second time to Sleep No More I decided to wear my 'amulet' and it was what made my second trip a different experience. Several of the characters saw it, touched it and escorted me quickly for private interactions. It did require following them for a while until they had an appropriate break in their action/script. Specifically going to be vague but one gave me a note to bring to another, I found the specific character and delivered the note, that one gave me a ring, I brought it back to the character who gave me the note and was given a second interaction, followed another and had to choose between a white gumdrop or one that was "poisoned" (turned black with liquid from a syringe)...I picked, was instructed to eat it and was told "you have chosen wisely...you will get to meet "her" and I was brought to another character. On my second visit to Sleep No More I also saw many more locations I missed on my first trip! I am sure there are some more too. Please - if you have not gone yet and are planning to go - do NOT wear flip-flops!!! Some woman pushed herself in front of me when a bunch of us were trying to follow some characters in motion. They entered the stairs and everyone needed to go down quickly...now think how fast we went when she was methodically going one step at a time in flip-flops! Well...it didn't take long for them to dart around the corner and by the time we got to the next landing - they were gone!
Updated On: 5/10/11 at 11:32 AM

[Boston28]

Posted: 5/10/11 at 11:47am

Wow, I"m jealous of that experience (and I've had several intense one-on-ones myself!) It makes me doubly sad that I just lost the amulet I was given the last time I went! I should have put it in a more secure spot in my purse but I was carrying it around "for protection".

[Brian07663NJ]

Posted: 5/10/11 at 12:09pm

for those that went already...did anyone go into the street shop that had the coffin? specifically curious who saw the book on the left table near the window. O.M.G. the pictures in it were SO unbelievably gruesome. I wanted to stop looking and went page after page. I was SO locked into thumbing through the pages I didn't realize the mortician was freaking out, barring the door and windows until I was barricaded inside with him and was able to watch his ritual to ward off evil spirits.

btw - the candy in the candy shop is not really that palatable or easy to get out of the jars because they are glued down.

Still interested to find out what else happens on the hospital floor. My second trip was pretty much occupied on the street level. Maybe I might need to revisit this a third time.

The fun is really in exploring. If you think it is just going to happen for you then you are most likely going to be disappointed. Coworker of mine was and said he was amazed to hear what I got out of two trips. He admitted to not participating and just wandering.

Has anyone gone into the bloody child room or is that only able to be seen through the mirror?

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 5/10/11 at 12:12pm

The only time my boyfriend and I conversed was when we took a rest room break in Boston and we took our masks off to catch our breath. It was helpful that we knew a thing or two because a pioneer friend of ours had seen it several times. We didn't discuss who we were going to follow once we were in the space, we just agreed if one of us moved our head in the direction of a character and then nodded, that was who we would follow.

The other agreement we had was if one of us got pulled into a one-on-one, the other would wait in the spot where the separation happened and the other would find him. I understand first timers might be nervous and hand-holdy, but that's the nature of the experience.

I read that Punchdrunk is about to mount their first show for kids in England. Only those between the ages of six and 12 will be admitted. I bet there'll be some hand holding there.

[Boston28]

Posted: 5/10/11 at 12:20pm

I also looked through the whole book but Victorian Memento Mori has always fascinated me. I also had some might fine, and easily accessible, candy! I wondered about the bloody room too.

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 5/10/11 at 1:16pm

In New York, I was separated from my friends. I felt an overwhelming sense of isolation, which is sort of the opposite of what I go to theater for. And at the end, when we met up again, we started our sentences with "Did you see...?" instead of "Remember when ... Banquo whispered to us because we were the only two in the chapel when he came back to life?"

As of now my friend and I are planning to try and take the same course, and that's sort of the reason I would like to. However, if we get there and are totally intent on following different people, then that's how it'll go.

And Jordan, your answer to my question about arrival time was very helpful!

[Lavieboheme3090]

Posted: 5/10/11 at 4:23pm

I went for the 2nd time last night and had a one on one with one of the witches in the interrogation room. I don't know if this is the Narina closet that everyone is talking about, but it was freaky to say the least.

Also, a question for people about something strange that happened to me last night. I was exploring a room that I had never seen before it had one light bulb in it and a curtain, behind the curtain was a chest of drawers. I went over to open the drawers, and I felt someone tap me on the back. It was one of the people in black masks, and they motioned for me to leave the room. I thought this was very odd, because the room was decorated, and the door was wide open when I found it. It was the first time I felt like I had done something wrong, and it made me feel very uncomfortable. Other than that I loved being back a 2nd time, and I would love to go again.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 5/10/11 at 4:54pm

I think they might have done that if the room was about to be used for something else. I saw them do that with people in the candy shop at one time.

[Boston28]

Posted: 5/10/11 at 5:01pm

I agree with Jordan Catalano (too funny BTW). I'm sure they were "prepping" the room for something that was about to happen. Either that or you stumbled on some secret actor's changing room or something. That is something to watch out for BTW, when you see a room that was once locked but now isn't (or vice versa) and/or that never had a black mask in it but now does, a special "scene" might be about to take place. I missed the individual scene I've been trying to encounter again (after my very first visit) by mere seconds the last time I went because I didn't put two and two together quickly enough. I walked away from the room and as soon as I realized that something was probably about to happen, I turned, saw the actor I've been wanting to "encounter" run into the room and slam the door (locked) behind him. Doh!!

[billyboyA]

Posted: 5/10/11 at 5:50pm

"In New York, I was separated from my friends. I felt an overwhelming sense of isolation, which is sort of the opposite of what I go to theater for. And at the end, when we met up again, we started our sentences with "Did you see...?" instead of "Remember when ... Banquo whispered to us because we were the only two in the chapel when he came back to life?"

a-HA! So you had the RIGHT and perfect experience!! You felt an overwhelming sense of isolation? How do you think Lady MacDuff feels when her husband leaves her to escape to England? How do you think she felt when the assassin's arrive to kill her and her family? Probably an overwhelming sense of isolation!

And how do you think MacBeth feels when his wife is he'll bent on destroying whoever stands in their way of the throne? And how do you suppose he feels when she goes mad and can't stop screaming about blood stains on her hands? And how do you suppose he feels at the end when the prophecies of his deth start to come true? Probably an overwhelming sense of isolation!

And how do you suppose Duncan's sons feel as they realize their father, the king, has been murdered? Probably an overwhelming sense of isolation!

And how do you suppose Lady MacBeth feels when she's the sole driving force to getting her husband to steal the throne? How so you suppose she feels when all she can see is blood stains on her hands that she can't wash away? Probably an overwhelming sense of isolation!

My God, you not only SAW the show, but you experienced it's angst firsthand. You should be SO grateful because you now understand MacBeth on levels that 300 plus years of audeiences have never experienced.

This was FULL immersion theater... And with the source material being MacBeth and other heavy sources, your immersive experience was exactly right!! Not to say it's the ONLY way to experience it. Because every way is perfect.

I'm hoping you'll REALIZE how much you GAINED from your experience, and look at how lucky you were to GET that experience and insight into the MacBeth story by way of true feelings and emotion. I say BRAVO to you!!
Updated On: 5/11/11 at 05:50 PM

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 5/10/11 at 6:16pm

Namo is, without a doubt, the biggest champion of Sleep No More on these boards. I am SURE he realizes the depth and preciousness of his experiences with it.

Updated On: 5/10/11 at 06:16 PM

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 5/10/11 at 6:18pm

Thank you Billy, that was a lovely book report. And believe me, I knew that would be brought up when I made my contrarian post, although even I didn't anticipate such a florid response as yours.

But here's the thing, I think Punchdrunk would argue with you that there is no such thing as "the RIGHT and perfect experience!!" (emphasis yours)

I was fully aware of all of the disquieting themes and sensations the two times I stuck by my boyfriend and having what you apparently would call the wrong and imperfect experience. My point in chiming in was to counterbalance all the people in this thread who say definitively that to see it separate from your friends is somehow "better," when they've obviously only done it that way and have nothing to compare it to.

PS Thank you for recognizing that, luvtheemcee. I opted not to include such a statement in this post and then you did it while I was composing it. I've been encouraging people to explore this show for about year before billboy had his "amazing" time.

Updated On: 5/10/11 at 06:18 PM

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 5/10/11 at 7:51pm

I'd like to add the one thing about it that I didn't enjoy was HOW HOT IT WAS IN THERE. Seriously, at points it was like being in a sauna. My mask stuck to my face and I had sweat dripping constantly.

[SNAFU]

Posted: 5/10/11 at 8:07pm

I hung out with the bar tender in the Speak Easy, (male witch?) I was the only one there, He poured me a drink and offered it to me. WHen I reached for it the e grabbed my hang,poured salt in my palm and blew lightly, reading the lines. He then allowed me to drink...Only a sip or two the he grabbed the glass and ignored me like I wasn't there at all, It was so freaky to be pulled into that world for a brief moment then to be tossed out just as fast. Added to the dream-like quality.

[Calvin]

Posted: 5/10/11 at 8:21pm

I went a few weeks ago and, well, concur with all the gushing. :) I didn't get any of the cool personal interactions, though I did get a very nice, sexy kiss from Hecate (I think), and have the lipstick stain on my mask to prove it! Bewitching enough to turn me straight for a few minutes.

My biggest complaint was the audience -- the one group who kept yakking after the stewards repeatedly told them to shut up, the girl who kept checking her phone all night, the man following Macbeth who would push anyone out of the way to keep following him. And why did I keep running into those people?

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 5/10/11 at 8:24pm

Yay, extension!

[Lavieboheme3090]

Posted: 5/10/11 at 10:32pm

Calvin there was a woman when I was there the other night who would body check people who got in her way. Also when I was on the top floor the nurse pulled out a lock box and she was try to pry it open with a tool she found. The nurse finally took the box and unlocked it and proceeded to do what she needed to do with what was inside it. I just found it very strange that someone would try to break a lock of prop and actor was about to be using. I would love to get to talk to the actors and hear some of their crazy stories.