This is a very vague description of my first stat at The McKittrick. I will be writing more describing the rest of my previous visits. Enjoy!
Over the past three months, I have spent ten plus hours within the walls of The McKittrick Hotel. Previous to my first visit a friend of mine told me "there is life before Sleep No More, and there is life after Sleep No More." At the time I though this statement was a bit of an exaggeration... now I know differently.
Lets start at the beginning, shall we. I went down to the show like I would any other, nice polo, pressed jeans etc. My friends pulled up in the driveway and off we went. As we walked up to the venue I was lost. There was no marquee, no stage door, there was no sign that the venue even existed. This state of confusion set the tone for life post-Sleep No More.
When we finally got to the lobby of The McKittrick, we stepping into an old 1930s esque elevator. This brought us up to the top floor where we would check in.
The doors opened into a dimly lit room. As I stepped out a woman dressed in 1930s clothing passed by me. Now normally this would seem like an elegant costume, or flashy steampunk, but it wasn't. The McKittrick IS the 1930s. The place is covered with wood floor panels. The walls are covered with wallpaper from the 30s. Live Jazz is playing in the Manderley bar. It smells of good booze. There is not a single person there that feels like they belong in the Twenty First Century. I had just taken a time machine to the 30s.
The check in process is simple and elegant. The bell hop asks, "Is this your first stay at The McKittrick?" To which I reply, "Yes, it is." She nods with a mischievous smile. "Enjoy your stay.", she says. She hands me a playing card and tells my that that is my ticket. She informs me that when the time is right, I will be able to access Sleep No More from the ground level. I will be brought up by the elevator from which I arrived. I nod and thank her. I don't remember what my friends were doing. I was lost in the mystique of The McKittrick.
From check in we head over to The Manderley. The music is vibrant, the crowd is enjoying themselves in a rowdy, yet calm way that you only see in the movies. The bartender is having an interesting conversation with a woman about music. He smiles at her and turns to me. I order Makers on the rocks. He smiles and walks off. The woman is still chatting about music. I engage that conversation for a bit until my drink arrives. Once I get my drink, I turn to my friend and tell him everything I'm telling you. He nods. He had seen the show once before and the magic had not worn off. What he said was true, life before and life after.
We finish our drinks and head downstairs. The time has come to head into the show. We stood in line for about five minutes before they took us up. About ten or twelve people crammed into the elevator. When the doors opened we stepped out into a dimly lit room. We walked for a bit and wound up in a pitch black hallway. The ground was cold and ambient noise rang out around us. Then, all of a sudden we were in a stunning replica of the Manderley. Folks offered us drink, to which we accepted. We took a seat and prepared to enter.
When our card was called we stepped into a tiny room. Everyone was handed a white mask. We were told not to removed the mask while inside Sleep No More. Then we we ushered into another elevator. A man greeted us, "fortune favors the bold." The doors opened and a woman bolted out of the elevator. The man then closed the doors with a smile, and brought the rest of us down one floor. The doors opened once more, and out we stepped.
This was sensory overload. I went from feeling like I was watching the 30s (somewhat aware that it was a show) to BEING in the 30s. Breathing in the 30s. Living in the 30s. Characters were in free roam, and the story was ours to figure out. I followed Duncan for a bit in an attempt to figure out what was going on. After about twenty minutes I left in search of something new. My first visit to the show went like that for the entire three hours. Looking around not truly following any character. For my first time I just wanted to live in The McKittrick. I did. I have been ever since.
I return for a fourth time tomorrow night.
Until then...
... Lets Keep Dancing
