Sleep No More is AMAZING- Page 9

[yay_gerb]

Posted: 4/26/11 at 11:54pm

I like the pitch black maze in the beginning, but sometimes people are really weird about it. The first time I went, the people in front of us just stopped. For like 5 minutes. In the dark. I figured we were waiting but they were just afraid to move.

[pennydreadful]

Posted: 4/26/11 at 11:59pm

They did the same thing when I went the first time! Or course, I wasn't much better - I kept putting my hands up and nearly put some poor lady's eye out! It really was PITCH black in there!

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 4/27/11 at 12:34am

Oh, you kids! In Boston, you stepped from the outside through the door and directly into the maze. THAT was disconcerting. In fact, my first time, the woman at the door pulled back the black velvet curtain and said, "Find your way in!" I think I might have yelled, "FIND our way in????" Okay, I definitely yelled that.

[sabrelady]

Posted: 4/27/11 at 1:35am

OK I just cheated w the maze and used my Indiglo watch to light my feet. ( remember my fear of heights/falling? this really pushed that buttom for me and after doing a toe to heel bit for about 20 steps I used the watch) I kinda suspect some lawyer type somewhere talked to them about liability if anyone did get claustraphobic &/or fall so appropriate action was taken. Don't think the lighting change distracts too much that early in the proceedings. I mean its not like its a rebirthing or sumpthin!

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 4/27/11 at 1:38am

That's actually what it felt like in Boston though. They still had the small electric votives on the turns but as you got deeper into it you would hear the cocktail music and chatter from the bar and when you stepped into the light you really had entered a new world.

[sabrelady]

Posted: 4/27/11 at 1:49am

Oh I get the reorienting to a new world bit. And I even get the " edge of danger" bit- but the falling thing is pretty close to a phobic reaction w me ( and I'm sure others) and that ain't pretty.
( when in Israel we traveled several times thru underground passages that got smaller & narrower- 2 members from a group b4 us just lost it and pushed, pulled, clawed their way past us ( NO there wasn't the room to do this) to get out the way they'd just come even tho they were actually closer to the end of the passage I could see something like that happening at SNM)

[gymdudeva]

Posted: 4/27/11 at 3:02am

So is the main bar an actual bar where you can get drinks? Do they have food there? (We have a 7 p.m. ticket and may not get a full dinner beforehand). Can you retire to the bar for a break then dive back in?

[yay_gerb]

Posted: 4/27/11 at 9:39am

The main bar is an actual bar, no food though. And yes, during the show you can go grab a drink and then head back into the madness.

[pennydreadful]

Posted: 4/27/11 at 2:35pm

The first time I went, there were no electric votives. Just inky blackness.

A hint - bring a penlight to read documents/letters with!

[yay_gerb]

Posted: 4/28/11 at 3:38pm

http://offbroadwayalliance.com/uncategorized/off-broadway-alliance-announces-winners-of-1st-annual-off-broadway-alliance-awards/

Another award for the show. Best Unique Theatrical Experience.

[Luscious]

Posted: 4/30/11 at 11:35am

A truly amazing experience! It not only met, but exceeded all of my expectations! Can't wait to go again in a couple of weeks!

[blaxx]

Posted: 5/4/11 at 1:41pm

***MORE SPOILERS***

Now that I'm back, I'd love a few questions answered by the experts. I'm mostly curious about the production aspects and logistics which I'd love to make sense of.

1. What was the space they used for the show? A factory/warehouse? I noticed that each floor had "two sides" as they could be entered from two different staircases and there are two floors (3rd and 5th, if I'm not wrong) that connect you between staircases. I'm curious as to what kind of space had this strange set up.

2. How much of the space did they have to "transform" for the show? I ask because the task seeks monumental - I'm mostly wondering about the wallpaper, painted walls, archive files, chandeliers, letters, books etc. Was there something already in the building they just added to? With the amount of detail I can't wrap my head around them re-doing every single room. That would be like designing a show with 100 different sets, and with the fact they tour the show I can't imagine how they could find such similar spaces and adapt what they have.

3. I assume that not every single room is used for performance? Most are just to explore? If so, I guess most of it is also a massive art installation, even more so than attending a "stage" performance.

4. To those who are familiar with the company's past work, are they all mostly this cryptic? I mean that regarding any background information that could provide deeper insight on their approach to the Shakespeare or the Hitchcock- or neither. Have they ever written an article or book regarding their approaches or methods?

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 5/4/11 at 4:32pm

I believe it's actually three interconnected abandoned warehouses.

[xoffender45]

Posted: 5/4/11 at 4:44pm

I just booked a flight and 7pm tickets just to go see this again. What an amazing experience. I hope I get to witness more of the plot this time, including the finale that I missed.

[blaxx]

Posted: 5/4/11 at 4:52pm

Thanks, Em.

If there are others who could answer more of my questions I'd be very intrigued to know.

[yay_gerb]

Posted: 5/4/11 at 6:21pm

1. The space was actually 3 nightclubs linked together. In the past few years it was used for the haunted house "Blood Mannor", but won't be this year.

2. Most of the sets actually were installed and by Punchdrunk. There were some things that were kept from what was already in the building, but I wouldn't even be able to tell you what, but a majority was definitely put in for the show. Most of the wallpaper, books, letters(a few typed by yours truly!)

3. I'm pretty sure almost every room is used at one point during the show. Maybe a few in the hospital ward, and in the Macduff's residence aren't explored by actors, but it's maybe like 2 or 3 rooms.

This is my first Punchdrunk experience so i'm of no help on the last question. I'd love if they did release a book about Punchdrunk productions.

[blaxx]

Posted: 5/4/11 at 7:14pm

Wow, I can't imagine the effort to put it all together. What do they do when they go from city to city? I assume they have to get rid or add sets depending on the location.

But, rooms like the candy room, the street, etc, were they already there? Seems just way too convenient of a layout. The same with the ballroom with its balconies, the front desk and the waiting room -I can't believe each place they go to would mean re-designing the show! Thanks yay_gerb.

[viola13]

Posted: 5/5/11 at 2:08am

From what I understand, there were hundreds of volunteer artists working on designing and decorating the rooms. I think they built much of the inner rooms to change the layout also.

And yes, from what I understand every show is site-specific, and is redesigned for the current space. Someone who's seen the production in Boston and NYC can probably attest to the differences of the spaces, physically. I wouldn't really say they tour the show, it's more like they have sit-downs in major cities for a couple months.

And apparently the cherries at the top of the candy store shelves were found there. lol. So don't eat them.

[blaxx]

Posted: 5/5/11 at 2:20am

That's amazing - I guess they need to re-paint and get rid of all that furniture when they're done? Titanic endevour.

Two more questions, what were the candles all over the place? I'd assume they wouldn't use real fire. I mean the big pillar candles.

In the ballroom there were trees with Christmas lights, but they never were lit? Maybe I missed it or they just didn't work.

[yay_gerb]

Posted: 5/5/11 at 4:37am

You missed the Christmas lights(one of my favorite scenes!) they go on during a scene that takes place about 3 minutes after the banquet scene is over. The ballroom balcony was already there, and i believe the front desk in the hotel was, but most other furniture was not.

[ruthiefan_felix]

Posted: 5/5/11 at 6:28am

I might be wrong but this might actually be their first production that they've 'transferred'. They did Sleep No More quite a few years ago, a few years before Faust and I believe that was a MUCH smaller scale and different concept. I think they further developed Sleep No More is because of the appeal it will get from the content and text it's based upon. Since the company is so site-specific and 'exclusive' and secretive, I believe it was only because they wanted to bring the show to New York that they've had a test trial in Boston to find sponsors and test audience responses. I'm actually surprised how much photos and video coverage there is on Sleep No More since there's SOO little interviews or media coverage on Punchdrunk's past productions in the UK since they're already very well-known here already.
Having worked at 2 of their shows before, I can tell you that they often adapt the site and transform them into their own vision. And everytime it's different. From what I know they have a warehouse (or few?) in London to keep all their props and big sets sort of like an archive thing. But having seen Sleep No More twice I don't think they've reused their old stuff too much even though it's in a similar period.

[yay_gerb]

Posted: 5/5/11 at 10:39am

I think they feel that as much as Americans like the mystery of it, they want to know SOMETHING about what they're getting into before they get into it. Maybe Londoners are more lenient on how much they know about a production before seeing it.

When i first went to volunteer at Sleep No More i asked if they were using the same props as the Boston production, and they said that they scrapped nearly everything and started over brand new.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 5/9/11 at 4:23pm

I'm finally seeing this tonight. Is anyone else here going??

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 5/10/11 at 8:40am

I feel like I want to write about what I saw last night, but I'm not sure how to put it into words. It really was like sleepwalking through someone elses dream. I can tell you when I got home I was EXHAUSTED. I took the dog out and when I got home I guess I fell asleep on the couch because I woke up 5 hours later sitting there with the TV on. I must have run up and down those stairs following people two dozen times.

I feel like so much of what you see is by chance and after reading this thread I think I got very lucky with who I followed and what I saw, including the finale which (do they only do that once?) I could tell by the amount of people there, not a lot of people did get to see.

There were two times last night where I very honestly got scared. The first was early on when I was on the 5th floor in the room with the beds. I had been all alone in there for a while and I was going through the drawers next to the beds and I heard footsteps and looked up and nobody was there. A minute later it happened again and I swear it sounded like they were getting closer to me but I was alone. I left the room and really, I couldn't see one other person up there but I still heard those damn footsteps. I couldn't get out fast enough. lol
The second time was in the funeral home. There was something so strange about it and it just created this feeling in me that I HAD to get out right away. As I bolted for the door, someone burst in (followed by a group of people) and I felt a giant sense of relief.

Also, are all of these actors dancers? Because they essentially dance so much through the night? And the man literally walks on the walls?? That was AMAZING. I followed him into one of the little chapels after the banquet scene and he then performed what I guess you could call a dance piece for me where he again with one little table, climbed the walls and stood on his head on that table with his feet on the ceiling. It was beautiful and oh so bizarre.

Does any of what I wrote make sense? lol I feel like it doesn't but it doesn't make sense in my mind yet, either.

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 5/10/11 at 8:46am

This is probably a silly question, but a friend and I have tickets for this Friday (the 13th!) and I wasn't sure how early we needed to get there. We have tickets for 7, so can we just get there 10-15 minutes before?

After reading some of the posts on this thread, I'm getting very excited.