Just say it already ...
Let me take my producer/director hat off for a minute and just let it all out in my own unfiltered words:
I'm running out of air to a degree with all the begging and pleading. I realize it's not sexy to go on and on about how bad we need attendance, but just bear with me for a few more days and it'll all be over for a while. I'll go back to just posting pictures of my dogs and yard and talking about Top 5's and random shit like everyone else on the internet.
This show, The Lieutenant of Inishmore, has been more work than anything else I've ever tried to do. Even planning it scared the holy bejeesus out of me. It's a special-effects laden, hilarious motherfucking bloddy-assed mess. Sure, it's some grisly shit but it's also so absurd in the presentation I don't really think it's actually going to make anyone sick. In almost a month, we've only had one person leave over it being too gross out of over 1,000. Sure, it's also loud but I haven't had a single complaint. If you've not come because you thought it would be too gross or too loud, it won't be.
I know a lot of you don't really like to go to theater. You look at it like work. Something to pinch your nose and swallow every once and a while so you keep that one friend you have.
That's ok, fair enough, I don't generally like most theater. This show is *not* most theater. If you saw In Bruges, you know the writing. McDonagh is a clever dude, with an uncanny ear for dialogue. If you enjoy the wordplay in his last movie or in films by Tarantino or Kevin Smith - you're going to love this show. If you love shit like Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels or Snatch or True Romance or Natural Born Killers or Gangster No. 1 or Layercake - you're going to love this show. If you made it out to the other McDonagh plays we've produced The Pillowman or The Beauty Queen of Leenane - how the hell could you pass this one up?
I have a cast and crew of around a dozen who've busted their ass like mad to bring it, oh and they've fully brought it. Any group of people that spend more time setting up and cleaning up their mess than they do the actual show without a solitary bitch about it is a good crew no matter where you are. If you love great acting by a hot lot, you're going to love this show.
And yeah, back to the spectacle - if you love gallons of blood shooting out of people, gunfights live on stage, a dude getting strung up from chain suspended from the grid and crazy crap like that you are going to love this show.
We do shit like this not only because we want to be challenged and we think it's great material, but so that other people like us who may or may not be predisposed to going to the theater will come out and see that not all theater is bad. Not all theater is "theatRE." Not all theater is inaccessible or too expensive or just too fucking weird.
Attendance last weekend was not what it should have been. It's looking even worse this weekend and we frankly stand to take a loss on this if we can't get people to turn out. That's some sad shit - for all the above reasons.
So, enough with the excuses. Make a plan. Buy a ticket.
If you're broke, and I know some of you are, we can work around that. Here are a few options:
Thu., April 9 8pm - PAY WHAT YOU CAN NIGHT. Come on now, don't tell me you can't afford even anything? Skip just ONE of those $5 lattes or $7 pack of smokes. You can call anytime (813.229.7827) or just buy a ticket at the window.
Sun., April 12 4pm - 50% off tickets with promo code THOMAS. That makes them just $12.25 each. You can buy these tickets now at TBPAC.ORG, over the phone or at the window.
And if you're a student, senior or member of the military you can get a ticket to any show, any night for just $10 with a valid ID and cash at the window.
None of that is working for you but you really do want to see the show? Email me. I'll work something out.
But, promise me this: If you don't make it out - don't come up to me after the fact and tell me you wanted to but [...]. That's just rubbing salt in it. And I probably won't believe you anyway, even if what you're saying is legit. When we close Sunday, we will have been playing for a month. You'd think you could find a spot in there somewhere if it's something you really wanted to do.
If you do come, I promise you that you won't regret it. If you do, I'll even give you your money back out of my own pocket.
I'm running out of air to a degree with all the begging and pleading. I realize it's not sexy to go on and on about how bad we need attendance, but just bear with me for a few more days and it'll all be over for a while. I'll go back to just posting pictures of my dogs and yard and talking about Top 5's and random shit like everyone else on the internet.
This show, The Lieutenant of Inishmore, has been more work than anything else I've ever tried to do. Even planning it scared the holy bejeesus out of me. It's a special-effects laden, hilarious motherfucking bloddy-assed mess. Sure, it's some grisly shit but it's also so absurd in the presentation I don't really think it's actually going to make anyone sick. In almost a month, we've only had one person leave over it being too gross out of over 1,000. Sure, it's also loud but I haven't had a single complaint. If you've not come because you thought it would be too gross or too loud, it won't be.
I know a lot of you don't really like to go to theater. You look at it like work. Something to pinch your nose and swallow every once and a while so you keep that one friend you have.
That's ok, fair enough, I don't generally like most theater. This show is *not* most theater. If you saw In Bruges, you know the writing. McDonagh is a clever dude, with an uncanny ear for dialogue. If you enjoy the wordplay in his last movie or in films by Tarantino or Kevin Smith - you're going to love this show. If you love shit like Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels or Snatch or True Romance or Natural Born Killers or Gangster No. 1 or Layercake - you're going to love this show. If you made it out to the other McDonagh plays we've produced The Pillowman or The Beauty Queen of Leenane - how the hell could you pass this one up?
I have a cast and crew of around a dozen who've busted their ass like mad to bring it, oh and they've fully brought it. Any group of people that spend more time setting up and cleaning up their mess than they do the actual show without a solitary bitch about it is a good crew no matter where you are. If you love great acting by a hot lot, you're going to love this show.
And yeah, back to the spectacle - if you love gallons of blood shooting out of people, gunfights live on stage, a dude getting strung up from chain suspended from the grid and crazy crap like that you are going to love this show.
We do shit like this not only because we want to be challenged and we think it's great material, but so that other people like us who may or may not be predisposed to going to the theater will come out and see that not all theater is bad. Not all theater is "theatRE." Not all theater is inaccessible or too expensive or just too fucking weird.
Attendance last weekend was not what it should have been. It's looking even worse this weekend and we frankly stand to take a loss on this if we can't get people to turn out. That's some sad shit - for all the above reasons.
So, enough with the excuses. Make a plan. Buy a ticket.
If you're broke, and I know some of you are, we can work around that. Here are a few options:
Thu., April 9 8pm - PAY WHAT YOU CAN NIGHT. Come on now, don't tell me you can't afford even anything? Skip just ONE of those $5 lattes or $7 pack of smokes. You can call anytime (813.229.7827) or just buy a ticket at the window.
Sun., April 12 4pm - 50% off tickets with promo code THOMAS. That makes them just $12.25 each. You can buy these tickets now at TBPAC.ORG, over the phone or at the window.
And if you're a student, senior or member of the military you can get a ticket to any show, any night for just $10 with a valid ID and cash at the window.
None of that is working for you but you really do want to see the show? Email me. I'll work something out.
But, promise me this: If you don't make it out - don't come up to me after the fact and tell me you wanted to but [...]. That's just rubbing salt in it. And I probably won't believe you anyway, even if what you're saying is legit. When we close Sunday, we will have been playing for a month. You'd think you could find a spot in there somewhere if it's something you really wanted to do.
If you do come, I promise you that you won't regret it. If you do, I'll even give you your money back out of my own pocket.