Last Night I Dreamt I Went Back to the McKittrick Again
I've been wanting to do Sleep No More for a while, but the tickets are expensive. Finally, I used the "treat yo'self" mentality to buy as an early birthday present. From there, it took little arm-twisting to get Rayme, Craig, and Michelle to go, too.
Here, a round-up of everything I got to see and do. It is full of spoilers, and shouldn't be read by people who are thinking of going but haven't yet (if there are any of those people left).
Goals Going In
Since the ticket was so expensive, I didn't want to count on going a second time, so didn't go in blind. I wanted to pretend like this was my second time. So I did a little research, and I realized there's basically three things you could do inside the McKittrick:
*Walk around the rooms, open the drawers, read all the papers, etc.
*Follow the story of Macbeth and all the major characters.
*Try to have some kind of one-on-one interaction with the smaller characters.
My first priority was to see the big Macbeth scenes, especially the rave scene (since that's all anyone who's gone to Sleep No More ever talks about) and the big banquet scene at the end.
I was not looking to have a one-on-one with anyone, because interacting with performers gives me anxiety. Intense eye contact freaks me out. To tell you the truth, I don't even really like it when the actors in plays go up and down the aisles. Or when plays start with loud noises. (Thank you, Night Must Fall, you've scarred me forever!) Plus, I read that some one-on-ones involved drinking whiskey, or-worse-milk, and I wouldn't be able to handle that. I figured not getting singled out wouldn't be a problem, since so many veterans would be angling for a one-on-one.
First Loop
Okay, we've already determined my live-experience wimpiness. I was not surprisingly nervous going in because, in addition to everything else, on line for the coat check, it was so dark that I kept walking into the person in front of me-and she was right in front of my face. So, after a quick Champage/St. Germain cocktail to loosen up, we were called into the elevator, and I went over my not-so-sure-about-this game plan. I knew we'd be separated eventually, but I figured I'd follow Michelle until I got the lay of the land and felt confident enough to go on my own. I started to follow her out of the elevator, and, right when it was my turn to exit, the elevator operator put his hand up. The eight or so of us that were left in the elevator were left off on a lower floor. So much for following Michelle.
Since we were part of the first group in (aces!), and since most of the people had gotten off on the higher floors, it was pretty empty. I started poking around and trying to figure out where I was in relation to the things I most wanted to see. I was in the lobby of the hotel, and some kind of scene developed right in front of me, at the desk and by the phone booths, and only one or two people were around to watch it. It was pretty cool.
I realized that the scenes I wanted to see were probably on higher floors. I started to head towards the staircase when the porter of the hotel grabbed me and pulled me into a room and locked the door. He took off my mask-which was freaking weird-and sat me down at a desk. He took out a small standing mirror and put it on the desk. He looked distraught as he gazed into the mirror, then he starting turning it really, really slowly so I could see his face in the mirror. The amount of despair he was able to convey in his face was disarming. He put a ring on my finger. Then he opened another drawer, and took out lipstick, which he slowly put on (still really upset), and a wig. That's when I was all, "This is it. I'm going to be murdered now." (In my head, I was saying it like Robert Downey, Jr. in A Scanner Darkly. "I'm going to be mur. dered.") It was as if the end of Psycho was playing out just for me. He pushed me up against the wall and started closing in with his hands out like he was going to choke me ("AHHHH!"), but instead he just gave me a big kiss on the cheek and started crying. I patted him on the back, and he thanked me. Then he let me go, and I ran out of there as fast as I could and tried to get as far away as possible.
I don't think this is an uncommon one-on-one (and I think it's actually supposed to happen to a boy), but it's probably still in the top five scariest things I've ever witnessed/experienced.
Other things I saw during the first loop-I got to see a lot because I missed the rave scene:
*I spent a lot of time in the speakeasy, so I saw Banquo, Macduff, and Malcolm play cards and nail their cards to the wall.
*In the same place, I also saw Macbeth kill Banquo. Dance-fighting is the best!
*On that same floor, I came across Hecate making Agnes Naismith/Second Mrs. de Winter cry and bottling her tears. Harsh, Hecate.
*Upstairs, I saw Lady Macbeth freak out and take a bath. It wasn't something I was necessarily looking for, but was very happy I came across it.
Second Loop
This time, I was determined to see the rave scene. Rayme had given be very specific instructions on how to find it and when it happens. She said to follow a hallway made of fake corrugated metal to a nightclub. Hecate will lip sync to "Is That All There Is?," and then it happens.
I found the room, and, for most of the second loop, hung around on the fourth floor-took a butterscotch from the candy shop, what what!-checking in periodically to see if Hecate was singing. Finally, she was. I watched, and it was suitably creepy. Then she popped through a door and disappeared, and I was really confused.
I started to wander again, and I found Rayme. It took her a minute to realize it was me. I had to show her my shoes. The first thing she asked me-in charades!-was if I'd seen the rave scene. I shook my head no. She started to take me, then made it clear that I should watch something else first, a love/hate scene with Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Excellent.
Then she took me back upstairs and into the rave room. We got there just before it started. Mission accomplished! And yes, it was as totally bonkers as everyone said it was. I somehow wound up with fake blood on the inside of my mask.
Other things I saw during the second loop:
*Lady Macduff's murder. I was walking through the lobby, and a person in a black mask stopped me and it happened right in front of me. Dude, she was pregnant. Not cool.
*I also saw someone get pulled to the side by one of the maids. The maid whispered something in her ear.
Third Loop
I thought I made it back down to the balcony overlooking the ballroom in time for the banquet scene, but I missed it. Still, waiting around for to see if it would happen, I got to see some really neat things. Lots of people need to pass through that floor, so I saw a lot of the characters zoom by, often with a crowd in tow. I got to see two characters have an awesome fight/dance on a door, saw Duncan being shaved to the beat of a metronome, and I watched the witches reset the ballroom for the first scene by dancing the trees away.
Then the first ballroom scene happened, and it was lovely. Of all that I'd read about Sleep No More, no one really prepared me for how wonderful the dancing is. So I picked the person I believed was the best dancer-the witch in the green dress-and decided to follow her.
That's when I realized how I had mis-timed everything before-the loops are actually lighting fast. I'd figured that, in a three-hour span, each loop would take an hour, with the rave scene happening at the half-hour and the banquet scene happening just before the top of the hour. In reality, it's much quicker-it's more of a 40-minute loop with buffer times. (You'd think it'd be slow, since Macbeth is a three-hour play, but Shakespeare didn't count on all of the scenes happening simultaneously. Now I can see why everyone wants to go multiple times-it's impossible to see everything.)
I definitely picked a great character to follow. My witch zoomed from the ballroom to the hotel lobby, where I tried to steer clear of the porter. I paid better attention to the scene that unfolded there this time, though, and it gave me insight as to why he was so distressed. After dancing in the phone booth, the witch flew up the stairs to the candy store, where she did another cool dance on the store counter. There was a little down time where she did a one-on-one (not with me, thankfully) in one of the houses, then a quick dance in the funeral parlor where she acted like a corpse, and then it was off to the rave scene. I stayed for her post-rave dance with Hecate, and then lost track when she ran down the stairs to the banquet scene. I really didn't realize the banquet scene happened so soon after the rave. By that point, the crowd had gotten so large it was hard to follow people down smaller hallways. When I got to the bottom floor, the banquet scene had started already, but I saw it. (Mission No. 2 accomplished!) Then I met everyone in the Manderley, where I had a drink called Dragon's Blood, which was some kind of hot wine. It was a crazy night.
Points!
I came across a website with a Sleep No More point system while I was doing research. I didn't even read it, because I didn't want to have these missions in my head (or know that they existed). But, now that it's over, I think it's fun to see how many of these I got to experience. The points I earned are in bold; my thoughts are in italics.
Shut it! (-20)
Get caught speaking or with your mask off.
Though I must admit, when I needed Rayme's help to find the rave scene, I had to whisper to her a little.
Out of the Moment (-5)
Thinking about this point system during your stay.
I Want Candy (5)
Eat a piece of candy in the candy store.
Butterscotch!
A Toast (5)
Catch the banquet scene (not the finale).
Dirt on Your Shoes (5)
Explore the graveyard.
Though only very briefly. This is where I found Rayme.
None Shall Pass (5)
Be blocked or ushered by a steward in a black mask.
Multiple times.
Broken Wings (5)
Find the bird’s wing in Malcolm’s detective agency.
Wild Beast (5)
Find your way through the hedge maze.
I never really found my way into the hedge maze. I saw it through a wrought-iron fence. The fifth floor was not my priority, though.
Out, Out, Damned Spot! (5)
Hear Mrs. Macbeth ramble after she goes insane.
Love You / Hate You (5)
See any dance scene between characters that appears simultaneously amorous and violent.
In the Buff (5)
Spot an actor in any state of undress.
Court the Green Fairy (5)
Have a sip of absinthe from the bar.
I don't like anything that tastes like licorice. Michelle and I opted for the Champagne cocktail instead.
Where’d Everyone Go? (10)
Be the first person in your group out of the elevator.
Now Is the Time (10)
Catch the rave scene.
Twice!
Sweet Respite (10)
Duck out into the Manderley during the show and listen to the band.
Yeah, but only for a second to get a drink of water. I spent too much money on my ticket to listen to jazz music!
Choco? (10)
Get fake blood on you.
You rock me like the real thing.
Killer (10)
Catch a murder scene.
Let’s Keep Dancing (10)
Catch a performance of “Is That All There Is?” by a cast member.
Out of Place (10)
Find a prop that clearly doesn’t come from the early 20th century.
Enchanted (10)
Have any of the witches (or Hecate) touch you.
Glenn Miller Fan (10)
Watch the bellhop dance as he cleans up the lobby.
Ouch! (10)
A cast member accidentally runs into you.
Totally Alone (10)
Walk through a whole floor without encountering a single cast or audience member.
Not Afraid (10)
Walk through the 5th floor tree maze alone.
I also wouldn't have earned points if this were "Not Afraid: Don't be afraid."
Got Your Back (20)
Catching a fainting Lady McDuff.
"Caught" as in "I saw." I did not physically catch her.
Good Stuff (20)
Receive a shot of liquor from the speakeasy bartender.
For Your Ears Only (20)
Have an actor whisper in your ear something only you can hear.
I saw this happen to someone else.
Spill It! (20)
Be among the few locked into a room to see the interrogation scene.
Personal Escort (20)
After the final scene, one of the characters takes you by the hand and leads you back to the bar.
Practically Perfect (20)
Find a famous nanny in the guest registry.
Dust to Dust (20)
Hold a character’s umbrella in the graveyard.
Crack in the Wall (20)
Find the hidden AV room in the ballroom area.
May I Have This Dance? (20)
Dance with any cast member.
Hail The New Thane (20)
Watch Duncan get murdered.
Passage (20)
Go through the secret passage on the fourth floor.
Just You And Me (30)
Have a one-on-one with a cast member, with no other audience members around.
And how!
Should You Choose to Accept It (30)
Receive a mission from Hecate.
The Lady in the Red Dress (30)
Receive a note from a cast member for Hecate, and deliver it to her.
Masks Off (50)
Have a cast member take your mask off during a one-on-one.
Mur. Dered.
This Will Protect You (50)
Receive a necklace from a cast member.
This Is Your Floor (100)
Find a way onto the sixth floor.
Point Total (Assuming You Don't Get Extra Points If Something Happens to You Twice): 150
Though I reiterate that it's silly to put stock in these points, because, after all, they are full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.