When Strange Becomes Normal

A repository of Punchdrunk news and updates, currently focused on 'Sleep No More'.

Anonymous asked: Gender-swapped dream cast? PS. Mandatory Nicholas Bruder this time.

There’s been a lot of noise in the Twitterverse about a genderswap version of Sleep No More, the natural progression from our lists of dream cast members. Given the readiness with which the show employs a genderqueer worldview, taking things a step further wouldn’t be too difficult. And as myself and others have noted before, this wouldn’t be entirely new territory (c.f., Conor as Master Danvers, Omagbitse Omagbemi as the Barman).

That said, here’s my list with less elaboration than the dream cast list because, like, that took a while to complete.

Macbeth: Omagbitse Omagbemi. I initially wanted to place her in the role of the Boy Witch, but feel she has the strength and vulnerability necessary for such a complex role.

Lady Macbeth: Maybe it’s somewhat of a cop-out to cast someone directly opposite their primary role, but I do think Nick does descent-into-madness quite well.

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Anonymous asked: Sleep No More dream cast?

Correct me if I’m wrong, but I’m going to assume you mean dream cast of past/present cast and not, like, a production full of Kardashians. ::shudder::

Let’s start with the Macbeth characters, shall we?

Macbeth: Paul Zivkovich. While he’s the actor I’ve seen the least in this role, I love the enraged intensity he brings to the part.

Lady Macbeth: Tori Sparks. She wields manic sex appeal like a sidearm, and slips so believably, pathetically into madness. Lady Macbeth is often portrayed as a raging ice queen, but I’ve always read her part as being the perfect predecessor to film noir’s femme fatale, hence my choice.

Duncan: It wasn’t until May Fair that I’d seen anyone but Phil Atkins in the role, and he definitely brings the requisite stateliness to the part. That said, I’m usually a fan of verisimilitude with casting so, given Paul as Macbeth, the newer, better looking Tom Selleck Duncan would make more sense. (Edit: Thanks to the always right Frances for pointing out his name is Sam, and the fact that he danced at the Met and likes long walks along the beach.)

Malcolm: William Popp who, to quote Barry White, is “my first, my last, my everything”. I feel his filial admiration perfectly, naturally progresses into his sorrowful need for retribution. Granted, this means I can’t have him as Calloway but that’s alright.

Macduff: Luke Murphy. Is there anything more to say?

Lady Macduff: Isadora Wolf. Her vulnerability is palpable, which renders the harm that befalls her both at the hands of Mrs. Danvers/Catherine Campbell and Macbeth so much more painful.

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More Tickets Released for 'The Crash of the Elysium'

For those in the UK:

“THE CRASH OF THE ELYSIUM plays Ipswich Arts Festival 15 June to 8 July. Due to overwhelming demand, tickets have been made available to people aged 13 plus on several more performances of The Crash of The Elysium this summer in Ipswich. From Tuesday 3 July until Friday 6 July performances from 3pm to 3.50pm will become ‘Daytime After Dark’ shows to accommodate the huge demand from the public who want to see the show.”

Visit the Sixth: Malcolm, Malcolm, Malcolm

        

Finishing visit 5, I immediately got back in line for part 2 of my double-header. Somewhat surprisingly, I was behind the exact same guys as I was for the early show. Apparently the double-header is de rigueur, at least for those of us from out of town. Friend #2 was supposed to meet me at 10:15; she didn’t show up until 10:50, at which point she asked if she could purchase a ticket inside. ::sad trombone:: Surely, this foreshadowed things to come.

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Tech writer and educator Dan Dixon live blogs his participation in the Punchdrunk/NESTA/MIT Media Labs ‘Sleep No More’ online experience. (That’s a mouthful!) Thanks to Kathryn Yu for a heads-up.

Here’s a beautiful photo from the May Fair of Jeffrey Jeffery Lyon and an anonymous reveler that perfectly encapsulates the evening. (Photo by Egami Obscura, original image here.)

Here’s a beautiful photo from the May Fair of Jeffrey Jeffery Lyon and an anonymous reveler that perfectly encapsulates the evening. (Photo by Egami Obscura, original image here.)

Visit the Fifth, and the Magic of Calloway

I began to wonder if I was somewhat overzealous planning a Sleep No More double header, especially the day after the May Fair, when I woke up at noon, head throbbing, chest inexplicably covered in glitter. Having returned home at 5 in the morning, it goes without saying I didn’t get much sleep, and had en epic (read: long) night ahead of me. But I had two different friends eagerly awaiting their first trips; it was nothing several glasses of water and couple of Ibuprofen couldn’t fix, right?

Friend #1 and I arrived at the McKittrick at 6:30 and were, to my surprise, the third people in line. The man who manages the door - why can’t I remember his name - laughed when he saw me. He was, after all, the one who escorted us onto the streets barely 12 hours earlier (shout out here to the cast and crew who do such an awesome job keeping up their game faces after countless late nights).

Once inside, I found it immensely pleasurable to watch my friend, with great terror, navigate her way through the entry maze and gaze with wide-eyed wonder at the bar on the other side. Inside the bar, we were immediately approached by Calloway. (Allow me to take a moment to heap praise upon the cast who perform the roles of Man and Woman in the bar; I’m always tempted to stay there the entire night and just watch them do their thing. Without fail, I am reduced to a speechless, blushing schoolboy - no small feat.)

Anyway, Calloway reached up and began to stroke the rather large astronaut logo on the breast of my shirt. “What is that?” he asked.

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