Blackbird, the first show of our 2008-09 season closed on Sunday around 5:30pm. It was a solid run of a tremendous show, even if I feel like we should have had a few more people see it. Hell, maybe we just get spoiled sometimes by selling out so many of our shows – it seems like it should just always be that way.
Don’t take me the wrong way – the show didn’t do poorly by any means, and we met our financial goals, so we have to look at that as a success. Maybe it’s the economy, maybe it was the subject matter, but I still can’t help feeling like we left a lot out there in the way of getting people in the door. If you didn’t come out and would care to share why, my ears are always open.
Still, the show pulled great reviews and comments from those who did come out. I found it a fascinating show. A struggle to watch sometimes due to the subject matter, but still not anything you could really pull yourself away from. Theater like that has a power you simply can’t find anywhere else – not on TV, in a movie theater – nowhere. We’re fortunate to be able to produce work like this.
It’s probably worth noting again here how much we all appreciate the work of everyone who was involved with the show. The actors were simply top-notch, as were the designers, and Karla Hartley has once again directed a fine piece of theater for Jobsite. Even though this was a pretty small show in regards to cast and crew – it took a solid group effort and that should be recognized.
We’ll be back in a month from now with Clive Barker’s epic courtroom black comedy – The History of the Devil – our 10th anniversary production. Unsurprisingly, the show is already selling like hotcakes. For the better part of 9 years people have been asking us when we’d bring this show back, and here it is. If sales this far (including our whopping 42% increase in season ticket sales) in advance mean anything (and they always do) – we’re going to have a hell of a run on our hands. Make your plans now, and get those tickets while they last. We CANNOT hold this show over past Nov. 16 due to other needs in the space.
