read with joy

I posted a few thoughts on Instagram Monday morning. I'll be writing more as I think through all that the McKittrick has meant to me over the years (and process all the emotions!)

So sorry it took so long!

"Midtown! Where there's no food at night!"

Many people asked me last night after the show how I was feeling, and all I could say was, "My heart is full."

Walking back into the building was all I could have imagined. The space, the sounds, the people, the characters -- they were all there. I'm so incredibly grateful that the McKittrick Hotel has survived so far and that we have the chance to return to Manderley. It turns out...we can go back.

I don't want to say too much about specifics and spoil the surprise for those who will be returning soon, but there are some things that are different. Much of this is probably the result of a focus on safety in regards to Covid, but some changes have probably come from longer term planning. We will have to see which changes will be made permanent and which won't.

There currently are no 1:1s other than the 6th floor, and many of interactions that involve touch or food/drink are not happening. I do hope that this is a temporary change. Although I really loved some of the material that has been put in place of the 1:1s (it's really fantastic!) I will be sad if that part of the show doesn't return. There is something so special and so much a part of Punchdrunk in the hand that reaches out to you. Perhaps there will be a blend of the new material and audience interactions/1:1s in the future. One can hope! But in the meantime, the new moments and scenes and spaces are really lovely. I only saw a few of them, and I love that are mysteries to be found in the space!

Last night, in addition to wandering the space and just soaking everything in, I spent my evening following a new-to-me performer (Michael Bryan Wang as Boy Witch) and a long-time favorite (Ernesto Breton as the Speakeasy Barman.) Both of these loops were so satisfying. Michael is new to the role of Boy Witch (as far as I know he barely started the role before the shutdown,) but I love some of the choices he made last night. I think he is going to be a favorite after he settles into the role and becomes comfortable enough with the choreography to play with the character's motivations. Boy Witch is an incredibility difficult character for several reasons, and I enjoy watching new performers grow over the first few weeks they perform it. And then there's Ernesto. What to say? He's just delightful. And his Speakeasy is a ton of fun! Over the years, Ernesto has been a consistently good choice to spend an hour or so with in the Hotel. I'm hoping I can catch his Macduff soon, and perhaps we may even get a glimpse of his Fulton. (I haven't seen him play Fulton in ages, and I always loved how very scared his Fulton was.)

Thank you for this question! I just went down a rabbit hole of listening to music from TDM. It's amazing how a song can just drop you into a memory, isn't it?

Here is a Spotify playlist, although some of the songs aren't playable. They are still listed, so you might find them somewhere else?

As for a breakdown of what song is playing during which scene...I don't know if that is floating around the internet. Back in the day there were a bunch of spoiler documents, but I have no idea if they survived online anywhere.

I'm not the best person to ask about The Drowned Man since I was only able to see it four times (once at the very beginning of the run and then the final three shows.) I don't have the show memorized, and it lives in this very hazy and beautiful space in my memories.

Can anyone who knows TDM better than I do answer this one?

This is a great question that I am also curious about! I know that when the Shanghai show opened up again, there were initially no 1:1s. But those have been back in that show for awhile.

So...we may see no 1:1s or modified 1:1s (I wouldn't be surprised if anything involving eating or drinking is changed, at least for awhile.)

But you know what my hope is? That they have added to the show. There have been rehearsals and planning going on for while and this opportunity is unique. There will never have been a better time to add depth to certain characters. (*cough* Can Duncan DO something instead of take a nap????? *cough* The little chapel space is right there. *cough*) Can you imagine if Macduff has a 1:1? Or Bald Witch? And what if the relationship/rivalry/whatever between Speakeasy and Taxi was fleshed out a bit?? There are SO many possibilities that would be relatively easy to change with a bit of rehearsal time.

I'm not gonna lie...seeing Austin's Porter in the Lobby makes me glad I bought a ticket to this party.

Tonight, in the Manderley Bar, Mallory Gracenin hosted a McKittrick Follies as her delightful alter ego, Evelyn Grey.

It was an incredible experience to be back in the Manderley. Of course the evening was amazing and entertaining, full of music and laughter. But tonight was so much more than just entertaining. Walking up the stairs into the Manderley, stepping through those red curtains into the bar...it was yesterday and it was a thousand years ago.

And the people. Oh...all of you who came tonight...you fed my soul. To see you and hug you and talk with you... I've missed you. Even those of you I met in person for the first time time tonight, I've missed you as well! It felt like a coming home, and although I won't feel completely home until I'm running up the stairs after Boy Witch, this was such a good beginning.

Go check out the McKittrick calendar and you'll find a nice surprise. Proof of vaccine required, of course.

Here's a glimpse of from 2019 to set the mood!!

I'm not convinced this party will actually happen, as everything depends on the situation with COVID. But...it's a hopeful sign, and I bought tickets just to manifest that hope!

Am I nervous about it? Yes, a little. However, I interact with zero people who are under 12 years old, so I'm not as nervous about having a breakthrough infection that impacts others. (My students and I will also be masked 100% of the time, and they are the only people I see whose vaccine status I don't know.) That said...a ticket doesn't mean I have to go. I'll make that final decision when the time comes based on the current situation in New York.