Sleep No More is AMAZING

[SNAFU]

I believe the closet is locked. Like all the other secret doors.

[yay_gerb]

@NotScott

I was wondering the same thing last week so this past Monday I followed Malcolm around for an entire cycle. He has a very interesting storyline, especially since he interacts with both the Macbeth characters and the Rebecca characters. I also had a great 1-on-1 with him.

[Eos]

Hmm... So I'm thinking perhaps I should maybe rent the film "Rebecca", huh? I'm pretty familiar with MACBETH. I've been following this thread like crazy since it started, and I don't really mind spoilers at this point. If anyone has any tips, I'd love a pm. I've got a 7pm entrance -- I'm guessing that's a good thing?

[rclocalz]

Are you all talking about the closet in the "woman with a suitecase" bedroom? That room is locked util she opens it.

[FindingNamo]

Rebecca is less important that it was in Boston. And Eos, leave yourself some room for surprise.

[blaxx]

I think I'm going to try to catch this. Sorry, I will take a LONG flight for just one night to see it and I feel I need to ask specific questions, as some answers throughout the thread still seem a bit vague to me.

- What is the real difference between time slots? If I pick 8pm, does that mean I'm entering into a space where things have already been running for an hour? I know someone posted that the play re-starts several times, but all your posts make it seem like you can walk through the space randomly back and forth, so I don't understand how they can re-start everything for a new group to come in if others who got in earlier are able to go through the same spaces again? Do they repeat the scenes in specific intervals?

- How long is the experience ? Would coming in later mean mine will be shorter? Or do they "kick-out" the first group at some point and so on?

- Would the coatcheck take a small suitcase?

Thanks!

[luvtheEmcee]

The time slots are just entry times. The later your entry time, the less time you'll have in the space, because it ends at 10 pm (or 2 am for the late show). The story cycles through three times, though, so even if you enter the space in the middle of the story, you will have the opportunity to see scenes from the beginning once it starts over. The experience is really pretty non-linear unless you're able to stick with one character for the entire time -- and further, it doesn't need to be linear -- so jumping in in the middle isn't really something you should view as a problem if you aren't able to get a 7 pm entry ticket. They don't kick out groups in favor of new entries, they just let the audience in a little bit at a time. The story restarts every hour, approximately, so the restarts aren't timed with new group entries. So if you go at 7:20, you'll be dropped into the middle of a cycle. If you go in at 8 pm, you'll be pretty close to the beginning of the second cycle, although when I went it was a good 15-20 minutes between when I stepped in the front door and when I got into the actual performance.

Basically, the entry works like this. You'll line up outside, and be allowed in at your entry time. You'll check your coat, bag, etc., and then go up to the box office to check in, where you'll be given your tickets. You'll go upstairs to the bar/holding area, and they'll start bringing people into the space a few at a time. The tickets are playing cards with numbers, and they'll call a series of numbers. They'll take you into a little room where they give out masks, explain a few rules and safety things, and then take you up in an elevator, dropping small groups of people off on each floor. Once you get dropped off, though, you will have completely free reign of the space. You can move around from room to room and floor to floor as much and as quickly as you please. The characters move and you are welcome to choose to follow them, but your path is not dictated at all. Nobody tells you where to go when (except at the very end for the final banquet scene). In fact, I think the stewards are actually not allowed to tell you anything of that sort. (They can direct you toward the exit, etc. and are there for safety.)

Does that help?

[blaxx]

Yes, Em, thanks a lot - I guess maybe that explains why one would like to have an earlier entry time. Do you know the policy on late comers?

[luvtheEmcee]

Right. The earlier you go in, the more time you have to explore/watch/play.

I don't, but honestly the line to get in was so long and the process of actually getting inside takes so much time that if you're running a few minutes late it won't make a difference.

[SNAFU]

The room is left unattended and unlocked briefly during the show. Didn't know about the wardrobe at that point though.

I also noticed that one of the characters goes into the first room of the wardrobe area off the street, shutters the windows and locks the outside door the disappears. Later someone with a white mask (there are members of the crew in white masks I discovered) opens the whole place up again. The back room is accessible then I believe.

[yay_gerb]

@Eos

You can watch the entire Rebecca film on Youtube, if you want. Here's the link..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkraCshPB4w

[Eos]

Thanks gerb!

And Namo, you know how excited I am that I got a ticket, but yes -- I'll back off a little now...
:)

[NYUrickydrummer]

I'm not sure I went through the much-hyped "Narnia" door, but I had a similarly fantastic, personalized experience.

I just posted my review for Exeunt Magazine (which is a brand new, rather amazing online theatre mag) here:

http://exeuntmagazine.com/reviews/sleep-no-more/
SLEEP NO MORE, reviewed at Exeunt Magazine

[SNAFU]

There are secret doors throughout the place where various characters will spirit you away to. Should a cast member extend their hand to you by all means TAKE IT AND ENJOY!

[breathyfemalevocal]

I have tix to Sleep No More for an upcoming Friday at 11:20pm. Thinking of getting tix for the next late night, too, since I'm only in town for three days and won't be back in NYC during its run. Has anyone else been back-to-back nights? Is it worth it? I can't imagine I'll see more than a small percentage of action/rooms in one 2 1/2 hour time period with 100 rooms and 25 actors. (FYI: I'm seeing 5 more shows from Fri-Sunday -BOM, La Cage, Anything Goes, People in the Picture, and Priscilla= What a weekend!!!)

Also, I understand that the performance repeats 3 times beginning at 7pm and again at 11pm, but does this include the final banquet scene each time? I've read that they usher audience out at the end of the banquet, but since 7pm can stay until 10pm and 11pm can stay until 2am, seems like the banquet might just play out at the end of the third repeat. Which is it?

Thanks!

[viola13]

Spoilers:

The banquet scene plays out 3 times, but the last time has a different ending than the first two. I managed to see both versions when I went. lol.

[vegas2]

I went two nights in a row, and I'm glad I did. The second night, I made a real effort to see something different from the first night. If I could, I'd go a third time.

The banquet scene happens several times throughout the night, but it definitely ends differently at the end of the evening.

[Luscious]

Extended through June 25!

[FindingNamo]

Ad campaigns I'd like to see:

Celebrate Stonewall
with The MacBeths!

[yay_gerb]

@breathyfemalevocal That sounds like a great line-up of shows! If you can squeeze it in, I would say definitely give Sleep No More a second go around. It will be worth it if you're not going to be back soon enough to catch it again. A few weeks ago I was at both Friday shows and the late Saturday show, and I still felt like i could have kept going.

[billyboyA]

Is it just me, or is anyone else amazed by how many people in NYC - especially those working in the industry - have not yet heard of Sleep No More? I can't tell you how many blank stares I get when I ask friends, acquaintances and theater colleagues if they've seen this show yet... And when I start to fill them in on it, I'm always expecting some sign of recognition like "oh yeah, the MacBeth where you walk around", or some such thing... But more often than not, I'm the first many people have heard of this show.

There really ought to be more press for this show... It deserves it.

[luvtheEmcee]

SO happy about the extension. I'm not exactly sure when I'll be in NY next, but it won't be until at least mid-June. So now at least seeing it again is a possibility, yay!!

[Luscious]

@billyboyA: I can honestly say that there isn't one person who I've mentioned SNM to who has heard about it. And I've been talking about it for over a month. It's always the first they're hearing anything about it. And yes... I'm somewhat surprised; even more so since it opened to rave reviews. Which is why I believe it could benefit from some press. However, I also kind of like the "inside" feel of not everyone knowing about it or clamoring for tickets. It's getting to the point where you can't do anything anymore in NYC without planning months in advance. I tried taking my nephew to the Museum of Natural History yesterday. We got there at 11:30am. The lines were down the block and around the corner. All of the shows were sold out for the entire day. The wait to get into the museum would have been more than 2 hours if we had decided to stay. I mean really... you can't even go to a museum in NY without strategizing and planning ahead! So, I know it's selfish of me, but I kind of like that SNM is somewhat of a secret to most. This producers of this show truly believe in word of mouth advertising. And, so far, it seems to be working for them.

[yay_gerb]

Exactly, Luscious. They don't need the promotion because they will sell out without it. The only advertising i've gotten about SNM is an e-mail from Bowery Presents (a concert organization for most NYC and Brooklyn venues) during the second week of previews.

[breathyfemalevocal]

yay_gerb Thanks for the info. My partner and I are definitely considering doing Sat pm too. You make it sound enticing.

With the other five shows, 2X of SNM will mean this trip is shows and sleep only just to get through the 3 days, but I'm really looking forward to it.

What was your knowledge of MacBeth and Rebecca going in? Do I need a clift notes version of each or something more to have maximum impact?

[yay_gerb]

I usually send the Sparknotes plot summary of Macbeth to my friends to read before i take them to see the show and it has seemed to help them get through everything and understand it.

http://www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/macbeth/summary.html

As for Rebecca, i would say would say watch the movie but if you dont have time i'm sure there are summaries online for the movie and for the book(which, if i'm correct, differ a little).