Because Punchdrunk’s theatrical installation “Sleep No More” relies so much on the interaction between audience, set and performers, your experience of the show can vary wildly depending on the way your fellow travelers behave. As I mentioned in an earlier post, there are ways to make the most of your time at the McKittrick Hotel. But during a second visit on Friday 13 (the date was too perfect to miss), it became clear that some are going a little overboard.

Yes, you can touch (almost) everything, open doors and look into dark corners. But on Friday, I saw people rush from room to room and engage into crazed searches. I saw people power-walk through floors without stopping to enjoy anything. But I also saw men overturn mattresses and frantically search drawers as if they were on a CSI team or undertaking a treasure hunt. I saw people rudely insert themselves into performances and stand inches away from actors in defiant “show me what’s what” poses. I was pushed and elbowed by audience members running after actors as if their lives depended on it.

Don’t get me wrong: I enjoyed my return tremendously, especially since I saw scenes and rooms I’d completely missed the first time. I was able to avoid crowds and find quiet spots. But it felt harder to achieve than on my initial visit in April.

A great deal of the fun at “Sleep No More” is to drift through the environment, to accept that you’re in an alternate reality where time and space have different meanings. You can slow down, look around, take a minute or ten to drift off. This is a stretch for alpha New Yorkers who want to mark their territory — instead of letting the territory mark them.