a person who inherits or has a right of inheritance in the property of another following the latter's death.
2.
Law.
a.
(in common law) a person who inherits all the property of a deceased person, as by descent, relationship, will, or legal process.
b.
Civil Law. a person who legally succeeds to the place of a deceased person and assumes the rights and obligations of the deceased, as the liabilities for debts or the possessory rights to property.
3.
a person who inherits or is entitled to inherit the rank, title, position, etc., of another.
4.
a person or group considered as inheriting the tradition, talent, etc., of a predecessor.
LOTTERY (lŏt′ə-rē)
n. pl. lot·ter·ies
1. A contest in which tokens are distributed or sold, the winning token or tokens being secretly predetermined or ultimately selected in a random drawing.
2. A selection made by lot from a number of applicants or competitors: The state uses a lottery to assign spaces in the campground.
3. An activity or event regarded as having an outcome depending on fate: They considered combat duty a lottery.
As in, if you become an heir or a lotto winner, you might be able to afford to go back the Sleep No More without special consideration for your wallet. I think there is a lottery drawing tonight! Perhaps it is your or my lucky night!! Now, I just have to remember to buy that ticket...
I want to go as often as you do - do you have a hold of subsidized ticket expenses?
Hi Zhoup,
I understand the wish to go as many times as humanly possible! Unfortunately, I don't have any special treatment with regards to the tickets. The tickets are set in their pricing and my only recommendation is to go on the weeknights when prices are at their lowest, skip Maximilian's List (a $60+ additional cost) and become an heir or lotto winner. Hope to see you at the McKittrick.
That certain night, the night we met,
There was magic abroad in the air,
There were angels dining at the Ritz
And A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square.
I may be right, I may be wrong,
But I'm perfectly willing to swear
That when you turn'd and smiled at me
A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square.
Last night, visit #26, was the end of an era. Jeff was my first Fulton, my first cast friend and part of my first everything about the show. Seeing his Banquo for the first and last time made me cry because he is, after all this time, still such a consummate and evocative performer.
Thank you Jeff. Thank you for bringing your artistry to the show.
So many happy returns on my triple birthday celebration with the beloved Bloodwillhavebloodtheysay and Caoine. The gang was all there and what a joyful night it turned out to be.
The day started off kind of crap. But turned around when my lovely ladydate (the future Mrs. DreamingofManderley) and I went to the Heath for a quick pre-show meal and met several new residents of the McKittrick: Kit, John and Elizabeth. I'd never been for a regular dinner and I will say, it was surprisingly delicious. But perhaps the most surprising thing that happened at the Heath were the personal encounters that peppered our supper.
I won't give it away here, but I know I want to return to the Heath so I can solve more of the lupine mysteries of the McKittrick.
Highlights from the triple birthday show?
Emeri Fetzer as Sexy Witch - I am officially Missus MacCrinan but my heart did skip a beat when I danced with the gorgeous Sexy Witch under the moonlight. When she lured me into a dark closet with her promise of sweetness, I followed as if under a spell and fell in love.
Miguel Anaya Speakeasy Bartender - Have you seen Miguel dance with the Sexy Witch in the bar? The longing is palpable. The lines and movements are so crisp. I was mesmerized and dumbfounded as to why I hadn't followed him sooner! Oh and I beat out two enormous men for a shot of yummy whiskey. Teehee.
Ben Thys as Porter - Ben, Ben, Ben. So pretty still and I didn't laugh at Ben Porter this time! In fact, his Porter made me a bit misty-eyed. (Oh if only the sight of my face made him misty-eyed too!)
Matty Oaks as Fulton - What can I say? Matty. F-in. Oaks. I love MO. If it wasn't that the entire rest of the audience loved MO as well, I would have had a shot at following him. Matty was one of my first Fultons and I still love his incredibly creepy interpretation.
Topped off the night dancing with Maximilian, Rupert and a long birthday reading with Annabella, not to mention hanging out with some of my favorite people from the tumblrsphere.
Thank you for the kind birthday wishes and gifts. And much love still to the show that has brought together so many creative, talented and genuinely good people.
'Til next we meet...
- D
*as you can see by all my pretty feathery gifts, other people must know I am Missus MacCrinan too.
The King's Masquerade. New Year's Eve at the McKittrick, 2014.
The feast was incredible. The flowing drinks made our cheeks glow pink and warm. The highlights of the "Savoury Pye" and "Chocolate Foole" left us aching to unbutton our gowns and tails. But the magical a cappella rendition of "A Nightingale Sings in Berkeley Square" nearly brought tears to my eyes. A beautiful night spent dancing, drinking and feteing with gorgeous masked friends. A blessed way to harkening the dawn of a new year.
Maybe it's much too early in the game
Ooh, but I thought I'd ask you just the same
What are you doing New Year's
New Year's eve?
Hello my lovelies! Oh how the time flies and another year has almost gone by. I hope to see you at the King's Winter Masquerade this New Year's Eve! It's black and white AND a masquerade, so get inspired. I sure hope you kids will get creative with your costumes.
If you haven't gotten your tickets yet, hurry here. (Otherwise, how else will we celebrate with a New Year's Eve kiss?!) See you soon and until then, happy holidays!
My dear dear ones, there is so much to say about The Curse of the Mummy, that I am not sure how exactly to say it. It was two spectacular evenings spent with friends old and new. I shall break down The Curse of the Mummy into sections so as to better recall the madness.
Featured Extras
10/30 - Dinner & Curse of the Mummy
10/31 - Sleep No More & Curse of the Mummy
There are minor spoilers and such. So don't read this if A) you can travel back in time or if B) you hate recaps.
FEATURED EXTRAS
Some of you may have received a telegram announcing the Curse of the Mummy seeking Featured Extras. There was a number to call for those interested in learning more about being a Featured Extra. I made an appointment post haste -- because, well, who doesn't love "makin' pictures". The result was a private casting meeting with Gene, the director of the Curse.
The elevator boy lead me to the entrance of Gallow Green Station, where Kitty took my casting information -- asking for my name, age, and special characteristics. She called a producer and asked if they were ready. She lead me to a phone booth, pulled the curtain close and asked me to read my casting number to the girl on the other line. In the darkness, I strained to look at my handwritten casting number. As I inched closer to the light, the wall that once was behind me opened. A sweaty, nervous looking man I'd never seen before took my hand and lead me inside to a small office. The walls were obsessively covered in newspaper clippings and posters pertaining to The Curse of the Mummy. He spoke in a low voice ,"They told me it would be easy. They told me it would be a quick shoot..." all the while shining his flashlight on newspaper headlines proclaiming the disasters that have fallen on the production. He began coughing. Blood. There was blood (I say). He told me we were in grave danger and hurriedly placed a blue scarab necklace around my neck. He told me to wear it at the premiere party for my protection. And with that, I was lead out exhilarated and dazed (with just the slightest feeling of dread).
DINNER
The dinner was a delicious middle eastern affair with shared mezze and a lamb targine to die for. Speaking of death, I sat at a table with at least three undead souls, a handful archeologists and one manservant. Maximilian and Violet greeted us and were as funny as always. As we ate our "asp" dessert (and made countless asp and nuts jokes), Violet and Max raised a glass and explained that due to Violet's affair with Errol Flynn and "pulling a few strings" she and Maximilian were cast in the Curse of the Mummy. They'd never acted before but Maximilian was quite sure he would win an Oscar. The film was plagued by delays and mishaps but luckily Mr. McKittrick allowed them to film their final scene at the hotel. As we raised a glass to the undoubted success of the Curse of the Mummy, Maximilian gifted Violet with beautiful pendant taken from the tombs (er, always bad to steal from the undead) and invited all to watch the filming of the last scene and celebrate the premiere party afterwards.
THE SHOW
Thanks to a secret benefactor, I was able to return to the McKittrick on Halloween. I was the worst and somehow it was one of the best shows ever. The evening started with the ever lovely Evelyn (Mallory) offering an absinthe shot at the bar prior to the show.The highlight of the evening? Aside from the ever lovely Emeri Fetzer as Agnes (girl crush), Jonathan Lyon's Malcolm (mutual staring contest - I think he won), John W. Watkins as Speakeasy (1:1 I desperately needed) and Garth Johnson as increasingly amazing Boy Witch? I saw THE UNICORN. My long awaited bucket list completer - Ben Thys as Porter. Of course, I also managed to completely embarrass myself. As you may have suspected, I've a soft spot for the dashing Mr. Thys. In real life, I would like to think of myself as socially graceful and generally normal. However, whenever at the McKittrick and in the presence of the dreamy Mr. Thys, I am often reduced to blushing school girl idiocy. Case in point, Halloween.
I spent the majority of the evening following Ben as his new Porter character. His Porter is strange and melancholy, a recovering alcoholic and a whimsical, even comedic man when he thinks no one is looking. There were two highlights: the first, instead of giving the white mask a note for Hecate straight away, Ben Porter folded the note into a boat and, using his tie, slowly pulled the boat into his mouth where he held it between his teeth and "sailed" it from the locker room through the side office and down the hall into the ballroom.The second, Ben Porter "danced" when setting up the lobby. I've never seen such a burlesque shimmy from the Porter before.
Now for my dirty confession. I was so excited to see this Porter that I committed a 1:1 faux pas so heinous I would have slapped my ownself (had I been two people). Yes, boys and girls, I reached for his hand as he was selecting for a 1:1 -- when he was clearly offering it to another whitemask. Yes, that happened. Epic fail. Hanging my head in shame, I headed to the speakeasy bar for a much needed break. Luckily, JW Watkin's Speakeasy must have sensed my need for a drink because after his shot of whiskey I felt enough bravado to return to the lobby for more Porter viewing. The second time around, I was resigned to give up any hope of scoring an 1:1 after the premature hand-jacking attempt. Instead, I watched a bold whitemask kneel down and reach his hand towards the Porter. I was sure I was cursed. But, to my delight the Porter took pity on me and showed me to his office.
It was here that my second shame happened. Somewhat tipsy, I got the giddy giggles. Yes, there was Ben Porter, trying to show me his darkest secret. And I, like Jimmy Fallon in an SNL skit, could not stop the incoming guffaws. I bit my lips as he painted his. I tried to stifle my laughter but that only made it worse. It was not his performance, but the sight of "my" masculine Malcolm doing something entirely un-masculine that made me crack up. I couldn't help but whisper, "so pretty," as my eyes welled up from my attempts to stop laughing. Only when he slammed his mirror did I succumb to Porter's anguish. What can I say? Sorry Ben, old chap! I laughed because I love. Oh dear, I hope I am forgiven.
PARTY 10/30 & 31
Oh the party. Such a great party. In the Manderley, The Pharaohs, a trio of mummies, sang "In the Still of the Nile" and other doo wap songs. I always knew Jonothan Lyon had an amazing bass voice, but did you know Zach McNally had the voice to match his face? Voice of an angel, baby.
Down in the lobby, drinks were flowing and Maximilian and his side kick were filming their last scene. The director asked me to walk across the scene as a featured extra (did I mention I am wearing the blue scarab?) They do take after take. I can't help but notice another extra looking rather ill. As they shoot their 5th or 6th take, the ill-looking extra collapses and the set shuts down.
A klezmer band lead us into what should have been the lobby. But the cool sand beneath our feet and a pyramid where the stage once stood told us we were no longer in the McKittrick. We were in Egypt and a woman wrapped in mummy linens began an eerie dance in the center of the sand dune. Soon the cast and crew of Curse filtered into the crowd, calling "Quiet on the Set!". It was the finale. The lights dimmed. In the darkness, kerosene lamps illuminated Max and Violet's gorgeous faces. Max's sidekick said he was getting a bad feeling but they pushed on anyway. As they reached the mummy's tomb, Violet swore she could hear a heartbeat as Max quipped, "My heart always beats when I'm with you, kid!" Suddenly, the tomb burst open and inside, an enormous mummy and an army of smaller mummies began an undead dance. As they jerked around, the King Mummy coughed and started twitching. He shook violently, tore off his face wrappings and fell down dead. The set descended into chaos and lights began to flicker as a heavy beat pounded the dance floor. On the balcony, mummies tore into naked flesh and on stage, mummies moved malevolently on the set and in the sand. The music reached its crescendo as a bloody Violet cried out and grasped at the crowd with outstretched hands. Before anyone could save her, she was violently pulled back into the fog and strobes. A blood red light poured out onto the dance floor and a fast techno beats drowned out our cheers as the party officially began.
At some point in the evening a scantily dressed Pharaoh spied my blue scarab and grabbed my hands. "Where did you get that?" he asked. He said he knew of another place where he had seen the scarab before and pushed me through a door. Inside was the King Mummy. The one I'd seen die. We danced as he sang "Just The Way You Looked Tonight." We were having a ball until he realized I wore the scarab. I can't recall everything, but I was properly terrified.
The rest of the evenings were a blur of friends, cast and special guests. Two bonus 1:1's with evenghostandhorse's Death on the Nile and thebloodybusiness's Colonel were delights.
I am exhausted. It was a beautiful, bawdy Halloween bash and now it is time for me to sleep. Like a mummy.
Last night, I went to Manderley (I snagged a last minute ticket to the late show). And for my spontaneity, I was justly rewarded with murder most foul. Here are the vicious highlights:
Agnes (Isadora Wolf) and I were alone for a while and she led me gently into her boudoir. I under the impression she would be sweet throughout her monologue about that old estate. Not so, she gave an increasingly creepy reading and then savagely shoved me backwards out through the narnia closet. Thanks Agnes. That is one tough little gal!
Malcolm (Jonothan Lyon) nearly choked me to death and coughed out the wettest feather I've ever experienced. The magnifying glass was so close, I thought I could see into his mind through his iris. It was dark and unforgiving. So were his formidable mitts around my slender neck. He wahn't kiddin'. I a-scared of J-alcolm.
Speakeasy (Nick Bruder). Nick Bruder was my first SNM crush. He was pretty and intense when I first saw the show a year ago and remains a favorite. I've only ever had one of his 1:1's because -- though I like watching his performance, I dislike the crowding of the other Brud-ievers. Usually, I just give up. Last night, however, I was determined. Speaks refused to choose a white mask amongst the three of us for his 1:1. Instead, he opened his palm and made a little sweep of the hand as if to say, "go on in, whoever..." so I did. And fortune favored the bold. His speakeasy scared the c#$% out of me. Good thing I'd been fortified with whiskey.
Taxi (Erik Abbot-Main). I've never seen this famous EAM, so I felt determined to follow him through his stroll of the MacDuff apartments. He took rock-a-bye baby very literally and nearly took out another white mask with a violently flying crib. He then gave me a friendship bracelet...actually, I think he was trying to choke my wrist to death. He then made out with several taxidermied animals and attempted to make me do the same thing to a goat. His taxi is methodical and quietly menacing. Well played EAM, well played.
LAST BUT NOT LEAST - there was a NEW cast member...or at least, someone who I'd never seen before. He was so magnificent and mesmerizing, I nearly fell over when I saw him for the first time. Forget all my old loves at the McKittrick. This new cast member is perfection. His dark eyes pierced my mask and into my heart. I don't know his name, and I don't want to spoil it for anyone, so please click on the link only if you've seen the show recently. And let me know his name. I *heart* him...
"We don't tell them not to cross the line because 99 out of 100 get it..." says Barrett. "That's a boundary that we're really interested in pushing," says Doyle. Does it ever go too far? "We've had performers be kissed. It's good that it works. We want people to fall in love with them. But sometimes people don't quite get that it's not reciprocal."
Hey, I love reading you're stuff about TDM I went last night for the first time and found it absolutely incredible, I was wondering where I can listen to the 'soundtrack' you mentioned and if you remember the 'lively' song played right at the end during the dance routine ? Thanks :) x
Hi MB,
Thank you. I loved the show and wished there was more time to return! drinkthehalo has created a wonderful playlist that can be found here:
It will have all your favorites. I am very proud to have contributed one song. I'd recommend mailing drinkthehalo with any other songs you can remember to add to this list.
If Sleep No More is a sexy, sophisticated, subtle, trans-Atlantic lass, then The Drowned Man is her brassier, shinier, louder, and (in a word) "easier" cousin -- not unlike the dystopian America the show attempts to capture.
I saw The Drowned Man three times last week and wish I could see it three more times next week. Alas, visits to London don't come cheap but for those of you who can afford the time and cost of airfare, I highly recommend rushing over to England and seeing TDM (before it's rumored end date of December 2013).
This post is rather long because of the recap, so to sum it up, I loved TDM. A lot. It does not do it justice to compare it to SNM, but when you've seen SNM over 20 times, one cannot help but compare the two. The most obvious differences in the production are:
The set is massive and exceptionally intricate. The details are astounding. The richness of set is worth three visits alone.
The entrance into the show is different in that you do not enter from a bar. Therefore there are no MIB/WIB to officially welcome you from the start. The bar is a tad harder to find because of this.
There is a lot more dialogue. The characters talk to each other quite a bit and sometimes even encourage you to speak.
There are about twice as many characters and many more 1:1 performances.
It is easier to find performers and the audience is less aggressive (possibly because there is just more space and more performers to follow or some innate British sense of fair play). Although there is so much more to see and absorb, you can almost always find a performer and in that way, the show feels easier to follow and digest at first.
There are costume changes for several of the characters
The finale has people clapping every time
There is so much beautiful imagery and Punchdrunk has once again outdone itself with the mash-up of film, theater, supernatural symbolism, love, lost, death. I could go on. The rest of this post is my recap of the first of three visits. Yes, I know "recaps are all the same" -- this one is not particularly creative, since I am just trying to recall all that I saw in detail. I don't know all the character or cast members names, so please excuse the omissions. If the show goes past December of this year, there may be another visit from me and if not, then I'm glad to have seen the performances I did. After the jump, there will be some spoilers so please please please do not read this if you intend to see the show.
Visit #1
Mr. Sweeney and I arrive extra early at Paddington Station and spend a good 10 minutes searching for the entrance to Temple Studios. After some circling, we pass a set of bright red industrial shutters that are open ever so slightly. Peering inside, I see a security guard with an orange vest. When asked, he tells us that we are indeed at The Drowned Man, and that we should come back at the appointed time.
Being the SNM veteran that I am, I make the reluctant Mr. Sweeney wait outside the gate with me. We are 30 minutes early and the only people at the door. Soon there are a few others -- all American and Canadian foreigners -- followed by more and more visitors. We start a queue that eventually wraps around the block.
The show begins with moody, ethereal music and a familiar dark maze ending in a small dim room emblazened with the Temple Studio logo. Another door opens and a steward hands you a white mask and asks you to wait in front of a set of metal shutters. Soon, the booming disembodied voice of a man welcomes you to Temple Studio. You are a guest at the wrap party to their latest production, The Drowned Man. The party is in Studio 2, but you are welcome to explore the rest of the studio where there are many other films in production. The voice goes on about wearing the masks and being silent. At the end of this strange welcome, the shutters clang open and inside, a starlet-type woman wearing a shimmery silver gown and a circa 1960's bouffant hairdo ushers you into the elevator.
Once we are trapped in the elevator, she tells us a story about the biggest stars of the studio. She points to three photos on the walls showing, Dolores, Marshall and Wendy. She gabs on about Dolores being the star and Wendy being wound "very tightly." Then she excuses herself for rambling on and pushes some white masks off the elevator into the pitch black studio floor. Before everyone can get off the elevator, she forcefully shuts the doors and the elevator ascends again, the woman then asks if us if we believe in parallel lives and points at three photos of the maintenance crew showing William, Mary and Dwayne. She says, William has "his dreams turn to dust and now he cleans dust" and Mary is the girl he is in love with (and that is all that keeps him alive). She tells us that we can walk around and explore "the town" outside the Studio but that to “be careful, because the town can be dangerous”.
With that final intro, she opens the elevator gates and ushers everyone off. We enter through a maze of cardboard boxes and find a small town at the end of it. The town set is amazing, complete with toy shop, grocer, psychic, diner, motel, a trailer park, etc. There is so much to see that I am not sure where to start. So I wander into a grocery store where a man adjusts and polishes cans of peas. As I watch him, a girl, seemingly fresh off a bus, asks where the studio might be. Her name is Romola. She gets directions from the Grocer (Jesse Kovarsky) and rushes out. It's just me and the man with the peas for a few minutes. While no one is looking, he takes my hand and makes me clean the cans of peas with him. We stare at each other for what seems like an eternity. Then another white mask enters and shopkeeper pretends not to see him or me! The other White mask leaves and the shopkeeper stares at me again but I am distracted by William and Mary dancing around their shack. I step out and am about to follow William, when I notice a tall, blonde, and drunk cowboy. Badlands Jack (David Essing). He does a strangely menacing yet sexy dance (Punchdrunk classic) in a cowboy supply store and leads me into the soda shop/ diner where he engages unsuccessfully with the waitress, Katie. When she rejects him, Jack finds her boyfriend, Andy and they have a knife fight/ pas de deux in the woods. Badlands Jack is winning until the fight leads them into a strange dark chapel where a creepy straw figure sits in the pew. Jack freaks out and asks "What is that?" and runs away. He drinks some more stumbles toward his trailer where he extends his hand and takes me in.
We sit down and he tells me it's happening again. He pours a shot. He offers it to me while he drinks from his flask. It's real whiskey. I empty the glass. He pulls me up and takes me into a tunnel, where he blindfolds me ...he walks me backwards in the darkness, and tells me a story about the world being on fire. Branches poke me and somehow I end up in a desert. I feel sand on my heels and a burning sun on me. He tells me about the earth being hotter than hell. Just as I am at my optimal confusion, he tells me I'm on my own and pushes me out the door.
After that auspicious start, I follow William for a long portion of his loop. He lead me to a honky tonk bar where the cowboys and their women pound the ground in a violent line dance. It's a rollicking western hoe-down until suddenly the lights turn off and the only thing left illuminated is a window -- revealing the undulating bodies of a cheating Mary and her lover, Dwayne. William is filled with grief and rage. There is a bar brawl, and William is defeated by Dwayne. He and his friend Andy flee to the town where William and they perform a moving bro-mantic dance around the water fountain. A remorseful Mary, comes back to William and asks for forgiveness. He seemingly takes her back and leads her to a desert, an entire expansive floor of sand as far as the eyes can see. They share a tender moment before he strangles her and she magically disappears into the dunes. He is horrified and confused as to what happened and goes back to town looking for Mary. At the entrance of Temple Studios – in front of a closed studio gate, he does a mirror dance with a bloody Wendy who is trapped on the other side. Parallel lives indeed.
Once both leads clear the area, I see the incredibly gorgeous security guard (Oliver Hornsby-Sayer). The phone in his office began to ring and he shines his flashlight on it - as if to say, "pick it up". I do and a man begins to talk to me on the phone about replacing Dolores with Wendy. He asks me if that is a good idea. There are long silences and he repeats his questions. I finally say yes and answer his other questions -- all the time feeling very strange about talking in the show. Luckily no one else is in the security guard's room at the time.
Entering Temple Studio, I see a couple of studio executives. I realize one is the Studio Head, Mr. Stanford and the other his underling. They are auditioning a new actress, Faye Greener. She gets up on a checkered stage and does a strange song and tap dance while the studio executive attempts to molest/mold/fight with her. Ultimately, she triumphs and wins a part in the show. I follow Mr. Stanford into a screening room, where we can see a semi-nude Wendy being examined on the silver screen. She is behind the backlit screen and seemingly unaware of our gaze. We then head down to a basement where Mr. Stanford ritualistically sets up a table almost like a relics table or setting up for communion. He then lead me into his office, where he takes off my mask and pulls out a knife. He starts to cut an orange. Brandishing the knife, he says he has to ask me a question. I feel nervous about being trapped in a room with a rambling stranger with a sharp tool in his hand. He tells the story about a woman he once loved but that the camera did not love. He viciously slices the orange, then shoves a piece into my mouth. All the time, he asks, what he wants to know is, does the camera love you? He gets very close to my face and says, "Yes, yes, the camera loves you". I am terrified and slightly in love with a madman.
When Mr. Stanford leads me out of his room, he tells me he is going to show me how they make a star. We walk into a space with a checkerboard floor and three old bald men with bats. They are about to anoint a new star within the studio and that star is Frankie (played by none other than my favorite, Conor Doyle). There is hardcore David Lynch references as the group dance in the checkerboard room. Frankie's rise in the studio system is followed by an orgy where Wendy sees her man Marshall being “serviced” by movie diva, Dolores. Tragedy ensues. I follow the manic Frankie for an entire cycle.
Conor’s performance is funny, tragic and physically exhausting. His Frankie wants to make it in Hollywood. Wants to be a star so much, the audience can almost taste it. He dreams about winning an Oscar-like award. He pretends to be a straight leading man while all the while, he lusts for a male studio executive who may or may not be using him. His cycle takes him from a young upstart to someone who is anointed as the next "big star". We never see him truly make it, but you want to.
After Frankie, I wander a bit and follow Wendy to a party in a movie set made to look like two trailers in the woods. Off in a corner is a tent with party balloons and a small stage. Wendy and her man, Marshall appear at a birthday party with a drag queen, Dolores and another person. The party goes from fun to hostile as Wendy seems to lose her sanity somewhere in the middle. She storms off and I finally lay my eyes on the inimitable Paul Zivkovich, playing The Fool. He dances and mimes on the same stage where the birthday party takes place minutes earlier. There is a blue suitcase that he opens and in it, a puzzle. Piecing it together, you realize you are reading a scene from Woyzeck. A woman appears and The Fool entertains her with a mime dance that goes from happy to menacing.
I wander back to the studio floor to examine some smaller rooms I missed: A wig room -- terrifying with its disembodied head mannequins and strands of human hair; and the make up room that, with its hanging dried herbs, reminds me of a certain witch's apothecary.
I notice the black masks begin to usher people out of rooms and know the show is almost done. I walk into the doctor's room and expect to be lead out. However, the Doctor takes me into a private office for an examination. I take a Rorschach test and to read an eye exam chart (failing spectacularly in the dim light). He gives my diagnosis in Latin and explains the results are similar to that of his patient Wendy. I'd like to ask questions, but the good doctor kicks me out before I have a chance.
At this time, the black masks more forcibly guide everyone toward the finale. I file behind everyone else. The security guard, who happens to be a few feet ahead, reaches back and takes my hand. He gives me the "Fulton" special during the finale (which should be experienced, so I won't reveal it here) and nearly chokes me to death (as an aside, I'd like to nominate myself to be the future Mrs. Oliver Hornsby-Sayer -- just sayin').
The whole spectacle ends with a walk out by-now mentally-disturbed Romola -- who walks me out into Studio 2 (the "wrap party" I could not find for 3 hours) and kisses me. She tells me, "We're just makin' pictures!"
And...that's a wrap.
The show is just exquisite. Yes, there is a certain Punchdrunk formula that is familiar. But it works like magic every time. Theatre is all about that ephemeral, emotional moment between the performer and the audience. What makes The Drowned Man so extraordinary is the show's ability to linger on the mind long after the lights are up and the smoke has cleared. Writing about it just makes me want to go back. Until then, I will have to make do with the soundtrack (thanks, drinkthehalo), and remember.
Darlinks, I am back from merry ol' England and my, do I have a lot to say about The Drowned Man. But before we get there, I thought I'd offer some costume ideas for our upcoming Halloween party at the McKittrick.
Yes, if you haven't bought tickets to Temple Picture's premiere of "The Curse of the Mummy" starring Maximilian and Violet, hurry up and do it! I expect to see you all in your finest mummy rags and crowns of gold.
Visits #20 & 21 - Oh I am guilty of not recapping for so long that I have only the haziest of memories of these last two shows that took place over the last days of summer. I do remember spending almost the entire 20th show in the bar, dancing with Rupert, bantering with Leopold and and spellbinding with Annabella. I also met the new MAN-nurse, whose name escapes me (and I finally completed my bucket list of 1:1s). And the most beautiful Agnes (Emeri Fetzer) gave a distinctly different read during her 1:1 and almost made me see the moonlight in a room without a moon.
#21 was made up of cast members in roles I'd never seen before. Two new MIB who I'd never met sent me on a ride on the 6th Floor. James Graber as Fulton and Garth Johnson as Taxidermist. Before you ask how I got the bone trinket, please know that I did not snatch it from Lady Macbeth (like I've often wanted to do). Rather, it was given to me as a surprise from the Taxidermist as he tenderly walked me to witness a hanging.
I'll be unable to return for a while and the next time I post, I do hope it will be about The Drowned Man. Cheerio, my lovelies! I am off to jolly ol' England and will report back soon.
It is hotter than Hecate out there. Hotter than being "Popped" in the dark. Hotter than Sexy Witch's t*%s. Hotter than running up 5 flights of stairs in a tuxedo. It's burning hot my darlings, and I need to cool off.
One thing that seems to help brings my temperature down is listening to the Sleep No More soundtrack. Today, I can't seem to get enough of Close Your Eyes by Al Bowlly. It makes me think of brushing my hands against those inky velvet walls, the damp sweet smell of dirt, roses and licorice, and being whispered to in a lightless room. I need to return. Soon. Soon.
