1
00:00:02,278 --> 00:00:03,900
My name is Nathan Fielder,

2
00:00:04,004 --> 00:00:06,247
and I graduated from one of
Canada's top business schools

3
00:00:06,351 --> 00:00:08,491
with really good grades.

4
00:00:08,594 --> 00:00:10,079
Now I'm using my knowledge

5
00:00:10,182 --> 00:00:12,736
to help struggling
small business owners make it

6
00:00:12,840 --> 00:00:15,498
in this competitive world.

7
00:00:15,601 --> 00:00:18,501
This is "Nathan for You."

8
00:00:19,916 --> 00:00:22,229
Life isn't easy for smokers
these days

9
00:00:22,332 --> 00:00:24,714
as smoking bans
throughout America have made

10
00:00:24,817 --> 00:00:27,717
the outdoors the only option
for lighting up.

11
00:00:27,820 --> 00:00:30,133
But hit worst of all
has been the bars.

12
00:00:30,237 --> 00:00:32,411
And proprietors
like Ellen Sancer

13
00:00:32,515 --> 00:00:35,173
of the 1881 Club
in Pasadena, California,

14
00:00:35,276 --> 00:00:36,622
claim that smoking restrictions

15
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have caused her profits
to plummet.

16
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We lost a lot
of our customers.

17
00:00:40,281 --> 00:00:43,008
Our business went down
by half.

18
00:00:43,112 --> 00:00:45,735
As a smoker herself,
she's not happy.

19
00:00:45,838 --> 00:00:47,461
So I paid Ellen a visit
with a way

20
00:00:47,564 --> 00:00:51,223
she might be able to return
to those profitable glory days.

21
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In my opinion,

22
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smokers shouldn't be treated
like second-class citizens.

23
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Absolutely.

24
00:00:56,297 --> 00:00:57,678
If anything,
they should be treated better

25
00:00:57,781 --> 00:01:00,508
than the rest of us because
they're gonna die so young.

26
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Or at least as well
as the rest of them.

27
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Right, so you think
people should be allowed

28
00:01:06,583 --> 00:01:08,240
- to smoke in here?
- Yeah.

29
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Well, I might have a way
to make that happen.

30
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Okay.

31
00:01:12,727 --> 00:01:14,626
Right now,
California state law

32
00:01:14,729 --> 00:01:18,008
prohibits smoking in a business
unless it happens to be

33
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part of a theatrical production

34
00:01:19,838 --> 00:01:22,220
where smoking is integral
to the plot.

35
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So if Ellen added a small
audience section to her bar

36
00:01:25,361 --> 00:01:26,810
and then classified
every patron

37
00:01:26,914 --> 00:01:29,227
as an actor
in a free-form play,

38
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the 1881 Club would become
the only drinking hole in town

39
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where people
could legally smoke.

40
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That could be possible.

41
00:01:36,820 --> 00:01:41,135
I never thought about turning it
around that way.

42
00:01:41,239 --> 00:01:43,068
Well, most theater
is terrible.

43
00:01:43,172 --> 00:01:44,828
I have seen
a few bad ones, yeah.

44
00:01:44,932 --> 00:01:47,555
Yeah, so who's to say
a bar filled with smokers

45
00:01:47,659 --> 00:01:50,800
can't be a boundary-pushing
theatrical experience?

46
00:01:50,903 --> 00:01:53,906
- Right.
- In the eyes of the law.

47
00:01:54,010 --> 00:01:55,011
It's an idea.

48
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It's definitely an idea.

49
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Ellen was thrilled
at the prospect

50
00:01:58,946 --> 00:02:01,880
of bringing smokers back
to her bar, so the next day,

51
00:02:01,983 --> 00:02:04,227
I had my team bring in
a couple of theater seats

52
00:02:04,331 --> 00:02:06,264
to create
a small audience section

53
00:02:06,367 --> 00:02:08,024
and then threw up a curtain
to complete

54
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the theater experience.

55
00:02:09,853 --> 00:02:11,545
I also chose a title
for the play,

56
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"Smokers Allowed"
that would conveniently double

57
00:02:14,134 --> 00:02:17,137
to attract clientele,
then put up a sign on the door

58
00:02:17,240 --> 00:02:19,553
informing patrons
that by entering the bar,

59
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they're legally agreeing
to be actors

60
00:02:21,658 --> 00:02:22,970
in a theatrical production.

61
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So when nighttime came,

62
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I headed to some other bars in
the area to get word spreading

63
00:02:27,630 --> 00:02:30,805
about L.A.'s hottest new
smoking destination.

64
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You got to smoke
outside here, huh?

65
00:02:33,498 --> 00:02:36,363
Yeah, have you been
to 1881 Club?

66
00:02:38,744 --> 00:02:40,160
They allow you
to smoke there.

67
00:02:45,130 --> 00:02:48,202
Yeah, a loophole.

68
00:02:48,306 --> 00:02:49,962
Theater law.

69
00:02:50,066 --> 00:02:51,585
Yeah.

70
00:02:51,688 --> 00:02:53,518
My promotional efforts
seemed to be working...

71
00:02:53,621 --> 00:02:55,865
All right, smokers unite.

72
00:02:55,968 --> 00:02:58,281
Because, within minutes,
customers began arriving

73
00:02:58,385 --> 00:03:02,423
at the 1881 Club for a night
of legal indoor smoking.

74
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As a final precaution,

75
00:03:04,253 --> 00:03:06,496
I had two women recruited
from the theater district

76
00:03:06,600 --> 00:03:09,050
who were interested
in seeing an exciting new play.

77
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- So for two?
- For two.

78
00:03:11,156 --> 00:03:12,192
Okay, you're in luck.

79
00:03:12,295 --> 00:03:14,263
We have two front-row seats
still available.

80
00:03:14,366 --> 00:03:15,609
Very cool.

81
00:03:15,712 --> 00:03:17,680
I knew an audience
would be the final piece

82
00:03:17,783 --> 00:03:20,372
to legitimize my production
in the eyes of the law.

83
00:03:20,476 --> 00:03:21,753
So with the women
in their seats,

84
00:03:21,856 --> 00:03:23,893
it was time
to begin the show.

85
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All right, welcome.

86
00:03:25,412 --> 00:03:27,068
Thank you so much
for coming.

87
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So it took a lot of work to get
this play off the ground.

88
00:03:30,762 --> 00:03:32,212
I don't want
to say too much

89
00:03:32,315 --> 00:03:35,249
'cause I don't want to spoil
anything, but all I'll say is,

90
00:03:35,353 --> 00:03:39,460
I hope you enjoy this as much
as we enjoyed making it.

91
00:03:39,564 --> 00:03:43,430
So without further ado,
"Smokers Allowed."

92
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My plan was working great.

93
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People could now smoke freely
without the bar

94
00:04:07,039 --> 00:04:10,042
having to worry
about any legal repercussions.

95
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And with the audience
shoved away in the corner,

96
00:04:12,252 --> 00:04:15,669
hardly any customers seemed
to notice they were there.

97
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Best of all, I had never seen
Ellen look happier.

98
00:04:19,189 --> 00:04:20,743
So after an hour and 20 minutes

99
00:04:20,846 --> 00:04:22,710
when the bar crowd
started to dwindle,

100
00:04:22,814 --> 00:04:25,092
I decided to close the curtain
and say the play was over.

101
00:04:25,195 --> 00:04:28,026
All right, so that's it.

102
00:04:28,129 --> 00:04:29,476
Thank you so much
for coming.

103
00:04:29,579 --> 00:04:31,995
I hope you enjoyed
"Smokers Allowed."

104
00:04:33,997 --> 00:04:35,827
It was a successful evening,

105
00:04:35,930 --> 00:04:38,519
but then something happened
that I never expected.

106
00:04:38,623 --> 00:04:41,384
The audience actually
seemed to enjoy the play.

107
00:04:41,488 --> 00:04:42,558
Oh, man,
they were awesome.

108
00:04:42,661 --> 00:04:44,698
- Yeah, yeah, they were.
- They were awesome.

109
00:04:44,801 --> 00:04:46,320
It's so funny
'cause it's, like,

110
00:04:46,424 --> 00:04:50,635
so nothing in a way
but incredibly profound.

111
00:04:50,738 --> 00:04:53,603
It reminded me
of Sam Shepard.

112
00:04:53,707 --> 00:04:55,536
I didn't really know
what to make of this.

113
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After all, these ladies
could be total kooks.

114
00:04:58,228 --> 00:04:59,920
But if what happened
in there somehow

115
00:05:00,023 --> 00:05:02,060
had genuine theatrical value,

116
00:05:02,163 --> 00:05:05,512
it could be a whole new source
of revenue for the 1881 Club.

117
00:05:05,615 --> 00:05:08,238
So later that week, I arranged
a meeting with the chair

118
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of the theater department
at Glendale Community College

119
00:05:11,241 --> 00:05:12,898
to find out if I was
actually onto something

120
00:05:13,002 --> 00:05:16,419
with my play,
"Smokers Allowed."

121
00:05:16,523 --> 00:05:20,043
The guy by himself
stands out to me

122
00:05:20,147 --> 00:05:22,252
because he looks lonely.

123
00:05:22,356 --> 00:05:26,671
The couple stands out to me
because it tells a story

124
00:05:26,774 --> 00:05:27,637
that maybe
they're in a new relationship...

125
00:05:27,741 --> 00:05:28,673
Uh-huh.

126
00:05:28,776 --> 00:05:30,640
And I think that curiosity

127
00:05:30,744 --> 00:05:33,574
is what makes me want
to continue to watch.

128
00:05:33,678 --> 00:05:36,819
Do you think
this has theatrical merit?

129
00:05:36,922 --> 00:05:41,168
Yeah, you know,
this is "slice of life" theater,

130
00:05:41,271 --> 00:05:44,516
and for that aspect,
I think it's important.

131
00:05:44,620 --> 00:05:45,897
Wow.

132
00:05:46,000 --> 00:05:48,727
I was amazed that Jeanette
saw value in my play...

133
00:05:48,831 --> 00:05:51,109
It's reminiscent
of playwrights

134
00:05:51,212 --> 00:05:52,766
like John Patrick Shanley.

135
00:05:52,869 --> 00:05:55,009
And even compared it
to the work of who I assumed

136
00:05:55,113 --> 00:05:56,770
were famous playwrights.

137
00:05:56,873 --> 00:05:58,910
It was clear
something happened that night

138
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that I couldn't ignore.

139
00:06:00,498 --> 00:06:03,397
So the next day,
I returned to the 1881 Club

140
00:06:03,501 --> 00:06:06,849
to see if Ellen was interested
in adjusting our approach.

141
00:06:06,952 --> 00:06:08,022
I don't know what it was,

142
00:06:08,126 --> 00:06:10,231
but people really responded
to this thing.

143
00:06:10,335 --> 00:06:11,854
I didn't get to pay
much attention.

144
00:06:11,957 --> 00:06:13,062
I was busy.

145
00:06:13,165 --> 00:06:14,650
I mean,
you can make good money

146
00:06:14,753 --> 00:06:15,754
having people smoke in here.

147
00:06:15,858 --> 00:06:16,962
Right.

148
00:06:17,066 --> 00:06:20,518
But you could make millions
with a hit play.

149
00:06:20,621 --> 00:06:21,553
That's possible, yeah.

150
00:06:21,657 --> 00:06:23,072
I mean, at this point,

151
00:06:23,175 --> 00:06:25,074
it's hard to know if the play
would actually be a success,

152
00:06:25,177 --> 00:06:28,318
but I think we'd be idiots
not to give it a shot.

153
00:06:30,493 --> 00:06:31,908
Yeah, we should.

154
00:06:32,012 --> 00:06:34,255
I was happy to have Ellen
on board with my new plan,

155
00:06:34,359 --> 00:06:35,429
but as I spent the next day

156
00:06:35,533 --> 00:06:37,189
going over the footage
from that night,

157
00:06:37,293 --> 00:06:39,847
I was no closer to figuring out
what made this play

158
00:06:39,951 --> 00:06:41,435
so interesting.

159
00:06:41,539 --> 00:06:43,817
That was until I noticed
a few exciting moments

160
00:06:43,920 --> 00:06:45,715
that may have gripped
the audience.

161
00:06:45,819 --> 00:06:48,546
At one table, there was
a couple that shared a kiss,

162
00:06:48,649 --> 00:06:51,134
so I knew there was
a romantic story line.

163
00:06:51,238 --> 00:06:52,377
There was also a moment

164
00:06:52,481 --> 00:06:54,448
where a man
showed off his skateboard deck

165
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while, at the same time,
a three-person selfie

166
00:06:57,175 --> 00:06:58,590
was happening at the bar,

167
00:06:58,694 --> 00:07:01,144
the perfect climactic
action scene.

168
00:07:01,248 --> 00:07:02,663
I didn't see it before,

169
00:07:02,767 --> 00:07:05,597
but this night had all
the ingredients of a hit play.

170
00:07:05,701 --> 00:07:08,635
So I figured the surest way
to guarantee success would be

171
00:07:08,738 --> 00:07:12,121
to re-create every moment
exactly as it happened.

172
00:07:12,224 --> 00:07:14,641
So I spent the afternoon
compiling all the audio

173
00:07:14,744 --> 00:07:16,815
and video footage
we had from that night

174
00:07:16,919 --> 00:07:19,473
and then hired a team
of professional transcribers

175
00:07:19,577 --> 00:07:22,338
to write down every word
that was spoken.

176
00:07:22,442 --> 00:07:24,651
It was a lengthy,
multi-day process,

177
00:07:24,754 --> 00:07:26,722
so I tried to make sure
their working environment

178
00:07:26,825 --> 00:07:28,309
was as comfortable
as possible.

179
00:07:28,413 --> 00:07:29,966
Want some apple juice?

180
00:07:30,070 --> 00:07:31,692
No.

181
00:07:31,796 --> 00:07:33,660
Do you want
some apple juice?

182
00:07:33,763 --> 00:07:35,282
- I'm fine, thank you.
- Okay, sure.

183
00:07:35,385 --> 00:07:37,249
When the transcription
was finally done,

184
00:07:37,353 --> 00:07:40,563
I had the dialogue compiled
and converted into a script

185
00:07:40,667 --> 00:07:42,634
and then blew up images
from our footage,

186
00:07:42,738 --> 00:07:46,120
so I could cast professional
actors to play each role.

187
00:07:46,224 --> 00:07:47,536
But since it was crucial

188
00:07:47,639 --> 00:07:49,848
that they were able
to embody the exact essence

189
00:07:49,952 --> 00:07:51,332
of the original person,

190
00:07:51,436 --> 00:07:54,922
I set up auditions with my top
picks for later that week.

191
00:07:55,026 --> 00:07:56,441
But for Ellen's role,

192
00:07:56,545 --> 00:07:58,788
I thought it would be simplest
if she could just play herself,

193
00:07:58,892 --> 00:08:01,722
so I paid her a visit to see
if she was right for the part.

194
00:08:01,826 --> 00:08:04,863
So you're reading for the role
of female bar owner.

195
00:08:04,967 --> 00:08:06,727
- Okay.
- All right.

196
00:08:06,831 --> 00:08:08,936
Do you want to just slate
with your name first?

197
00:08:10,766 --> 00:08:11,905
My name's Ellen.

198
00:08:12,008 --> 00:08:14,183
Okay,
whenever you're ready.

199
00:08:15,978 --> 00:08:17,876
You did not just say that.

200
00:08:17,980 --> 00:08:20,396
Yes, he did.

201
00:08:20,500 --> 00:08:22,467
All right, here you go.

202
00:08:22,571 --> 00:08:23,882
Thank you.

203
00:08:23,986 --> 00:08:26,885
Excuse me, sweetheart.

204
00:08:26,989 --> 00:08:29,509
All right, great.
Well, we'll be in touch.

205
00:08:29,612 --> 00:08:31,269
- Okay, great.
- Okay.

206
00:08:31,372 --> 00:08:32,512
- Thank you.
- Thanks.

207
00:08:32,615 --> 00:08:34,444
I thought
Ellen did a pretty good job,

208
00:08:34,548 --> 00:08:36,723
but it was only fair
to hold off on my decision

209
00:08:36,826 --> 00:08:39,588
until the rest of the auditions
I had scheduled were done.

210
00:08:39,691 --> 00:08:42,073
So you're reading for the part
of bar patron number six.

211
00:08:42,176 --> 00:08:43,281
Mm-hmm.

212
00:08:43,384 --> 00:08:46,249
All right,
so whenever you're ready.

213
00:08:46,353 --> 00:08:47,457
Bud Light, please.

214
00:08:51,289 --> 00:08:52,255
- All right.
- Cool.

215
00:08:52,359 --> 00:08:53,740
That's great.
You got the part.

216
00:08:53,843 --> 00:08:54,913
Awesome.

217
00:08:55,017 --> 00:08:56,294
As more and more actors
came in,

218
00:08:56,397 --> 00:08:58,503
the roles
were filling up nicely,

219
00:08:58,607 --> 00:08:59,953
and I was especially
blown away

220
00:09:00,056 --> 00:09:02,369
by an actress
who nailed the part of Ellen.

221
00:09:02,472 --> 00:09:04,336
You did not
just say that.

222
00:09:04,440 --> 00:09:05,924
Yes, he did.

223
00:09:06,028 --> 00:09:07,857
All right, here you go.

224
00:09:07,961 --> 00:09:09,583
Thank you.

225
00:09:09,687 --> 00:09:11,205
Excuse me, sweetheart.

226
00:09:11,309 --> 00:09:14,415
Wow,
that was really good.

227
00:09:14,519 --> 00:09:17,522
With every role now cast,
I gave all my actors a week

228
00:09:17,626 --> 00:09:19,869
to familiarize themselves
with the script

229
00:09:19,973 --> 00:09:21,871
and then brought them
to a church I rented

230
00:09:21,975 --> 00:09:24,391
for three days
of intense group rehearsal

231
00:09:24,494 --> 00:09:26,255
over a holiday weekend.

232
00:09:26,358 --> 00:09:29,914
So ready and action.

233
00:09:43,617 --> 00:09:44,722
It seemed like
most of my actors

234
00:09:44,825 --> 00:09:46,344
had a pretty good handle
on their lines,

235
00:09:46,447 --> 00:09:47,828
and with a little bit
of practice,

236
00:09:47,932 --> 00:09:49,899
they were getting
closer to nailing the blocking

237
00:09:50,003 --> 00:09:54,041
of key action sequences that
happened on the original night.

238
00:09:54,145 --> 00:09:56,768
But as the rehearsal
went on, I became concerned

239
00:09:56,872 --> 00:09:59,599
about the performances
of my romantic leads.

240
00:09:59,702 --> 00:10:02,774
Their chemistry was the glue
holding this play together,

241
00:10:02,878 --> 00:10:05,121
but so far,
I wasn't buying it.

242
00:10:05,225 --> 00:10:07,330
So after the rest of the group
left that day,

243
00:10:07,434 --> 00:10:10,851
I kept the pair behind to work
with them one on one.

244
00:10:10,955 --> 00:10:12,681
I'd wanna, like,

245
00:10:12,784 --> 00:10:15,615
personally give
your daughter a sibling.

246
00:10:15,718 --> 00:10:17,893
Now, I know
she'd be like, "Dad."

247
00:10:17,996 --> 00:10:19,688
I would love
to do that for her.

248
00:10:22,173 --> 00:10:23,105
I love you.

249
00:10:23,208 --> 00:10:24,796
I love you too.

250
00:10:24,900 --> 00:10:27,281
All right, stop.

251
00:10:27,385 --> 00:10:30,733
I really want this
to feel like a real connection,

252
00:10:30,837 --> 00:10:33,149
a real love story
between you guys,

253
00:10:33,253 --> 00:10:36,359
but I'm not getting
that sense right now.

254
00:10:36,463 --> 00:10:37,809
How about we try
an exercise, okay?

255
00:10:37,913 --> 00:10:38,914
Okay.

256
00:10:39,017 --> 00:10:40,122
- Is that okay?
- Yeah, yeah, yeah.

257
00:10:40,225 --> 00:10:42,365
So, Gabriel,
you stand up here.

258
00:10:44,851 --> 00:10:46,024
So let's try this.

259
00:10:48,268 --> 00:10:52,444
Look into my eyes and say,
"I love you."

260
00:10:52,548 --> 00:10:53,653
Okay.

261
00:10:56,932 --> 00:10:59,003
I love you.

262
00:10:59,106 --> 00:11:02,385
Okay, now I'm not
believing that at this point,

263
00:11:02,489 --> 00:11:04,422
- so say it again.
- Okay.

264
00:11:04,525 --> 00:11:06,458
I love you.

265
00:11:07,908 --> 00:11:09,807
Again.

266
00:11:09,910 --> 00:11:11,118
I love you.

267
00:11:13,983 --> 00:11:15,433
Again.

268
00:11:15,536 --> 00:11:17,573
I love you.

269
00:11:19,264 --> 00:11:21,059
Again.

270
00:11:21,163 --> 00:11:22,785
I love you.

271
00:11:24,511 --> 00:11:25,754
Again.

272
00:11:27,652 --> 00:11:29,136
I love you.

273
00:11:30,690 --> 00:11:31,691
Again.

274
00:11:31,794 --> 00:11:33,451
I love you.

275
00:11:36,557 --> 00:11:38,490
- Again.
- I love you.

276
00:11:41,839 --> 00:11:43,081
Again.

277
00:11:44,565 --> 00:11:45,774
I love you.

278
00:11:50,640 --> 00:11:52,608
Again.

279
00:11:52,712 --> 00:11:54,092
I love you.

280
00:11:57,993 --> 00:12:00,167
Again.

281
00:12:00,271 --> 00:12:02,100
I love you.

282
00:12:05,621 --> 00:12:07,174
Again.

283
00:12:07,278 --> 00:12:08,451
You have tears
in your eyes, so...

284
00:12:08,555 --> 00:12:09,729
Oh, really?

285
00:12:09,832 --> 00:12:11,075
Yeah.

286
00:12:11,178 --> 00:12:14,423
Oh, my God.Sorry.

287
00:12:14,526 --> 00:12:16,977
Um, okay.

288
00:12:17,081 --> 00:12:18,599
See, that--
that felt real to me.

289
00:12:18,703 --> 00:12:20,498
Good.

290
00:12:20,601 --> 00:12:22,880
Did it feel more real
when you did it with me

291
00:12:22,983 --> 00:12:24,191
than when you did it
with him?

292
00:12:24,295 --> 00:12:27,470
Um, well,
I did it more times with you.

293
00:12:27,574 --> 00:12:29,058
Right, but it did?

294
00:12:29,162 --> 00:12:30,784
Well, so yes, yes.

295
00:12:30,888 --> 00:12:32,752
Okay, so it did,
more than with him.

296
00:12:32,855 --> 00:12:36,652
Okay, so...

297
00:12:36,756 --> 00:12:38,965
You understand?

298
00:12:39,068 --> 00:12:40,104
Yeah.

299
00:12:40,207 --> 00:12:42,554
And what did you learn
by watching that?

300
00:12:42,658 --> 00:12:45,109
That she loves you.

301
00:12:45,212 --> 00:12:49,492
Well, I mean, she's--
she's acting.

302
00:12:49,596 --> 00:12:50,908
Yeah.

303
00:12:51,011 --> 00:12:52,772
- So that's good.
- Yeah.

304
00:12:52,875 --> 00:12:56,327
So that's what we want
from the scene.

305
00:12:56,430 --> 00:12:58,985
- We want that type of connection.
- Okay.

306
00:12:59,088 --> 00:13:01,366
- I mean, does that make sense?
- Yeah.

307
00:13:01,470 --> 00:13:04,266
Great.
So let's, uh, let's try that.

308
00:13:04,369 --> 00:13:05,646
With my expert guidance

309
00:13:05,750 --> 00:13:07,441
and a few more hours
of rehearsal,

310
00:13:07,545 --> 00:13:10,479
the chemistry between them
was now all too real.

311
00:13:10,582 --> 00:13:11,791
I love you.

312
00:13:14,414 --> 00:13:15,795
I love you too.

313
00:13:15,898 --> 00:13:17,313
With the actors
in good shape,

314
00:13:17,417 --> 00:13:19,695
my crew and I
returned to the 1881 Club

315
00:13:19,799 --> 00:13:21,904
to prepare
for the big premiere.

316
00:13:22,008 --> 00:13:23,872
Along with expanding
the audience section

317
00:13:23,975 --> 00:13:25,114
to seven seats,

318
00:13:25,218 --> 00:13:27,358
I added a selection
of branded merchandise

319
00:13:27,461 --> 00:13:29,256
to maximize our revenue

320
00:13:29,360 --> 00:13:30,810
and increased
the cost of drinks

321
00:13:30,913 --> 00:13:33,295
to reflect theater prices.

322
00:13:33,398 --> 00:13:34,675
And after
a bit of promotion...

323
00:13:34,779 --> 00:13:37,368
It's a new play called
"Smokers Allowed."

324
00:13:37,471 --> 00:13:40,474
It's kind of
a slice of life.

325
00:13:40,578 --> 00:13:42,304
- Okay.
- Okay, hope to see you there.

326
00:13:42,407 --> 00:13:43,546
- Maybe, I don't know.
- Okay.

327
00:13:43,650 --> 00:13:46,101
It was finally time
for opening night.

328
00:13:48,793 --> 00:13:50,001
I had no idea
if we'd get an audience,

329
00:13:50,105 --> 00:13:51,865
but as show time neared,
it looked like

330
00:13:51,969 --> 00:13:53,315
we might have a sellout
on our hands,

331
00:13:53,418 --> 00:13:55,075
as a line comprised mostly

332
00:13:55,179 --> 00:13:56,697
of family and friends
of the actors

333
00:13:56,801 --> 00:13:58,941
began filling up the seats.

334
00:13:59,045 --> 00:14:02,496
Meanwhile, backstage was abuzz
with my cast running lines

335
00:14:02,600 --> 00:14:04,671
and getting
some final touch-ups.

336
00:14:04,774 --> 00:14:07,570
But before we could begin,
I still had the tough task

337
00:14:07,674 --> 00:14:10,194
that I'd been putting off
of breaking the news to Ellen

338
00:14:10,297 --> 00:14:11,712
that she didn't
get the part.

339
00:14:11,816 --> 00:14:14,060
- So opening night.
- Yeah.

340
00:14:14,163 --> 00:14:15,682
- Are you excited?
- Yeah, I am.

341
00:14:15,785 --> 00:14:17,166
I'm looking forward to it.

342
00:14:17,270 --> 00:14:20,583
Before we begin, I just want
to say your audition was great.

343
00:14:20,687 --> 00:14:21,964
Thank you.

344
00:14:22,068 --> 00:14:24,587
Unfortunately, it wasn't quite
what I was looking for,

345
00:14:24,691 --> 00:14:27,383
for the role
of female bar owner.

346
00:14:27,487 --> 00:14:29,420
Right, no problem.
I understand.

347
00:14:29,523 --> 00:14:31,905
Okay, so that being said,

348
00:14:32,009 --> 00:14:34,770
I'd like to introduce you
to Amy.

349
00:14:34,874 --> 00:14:36,737
She's the actress
that will be playing you.

350
00:14:36,841 --> 00:14:38,187
All right.

351
00:14:38,291 --> 00:14:41,811
And I think you'll find
she really honors the character.

352
00:14:41,915 --> 00:14:44,573
Amy, do you want to show her
a bit of your Ellen?

353
00:14:46,540 --> 00:14:49,750
Nice to see you.
Can I get you a drink?

354
00:14:49,854 --> 00:14:51,373
Yeah,
that sounds good.

355
00:14:51,476 --> 00:14:53,271
All right,
so you guys want to switch out?

356
00:14:53,375 --> 00:14:54,755
Okay.

357
00:14:54,859 --> 00:14:56,240
Even though
Ellen wouldn't be in the play,

358
00:14:56,343 --> 00:14:58,552
I still wanted her
to enjoy the show,

359
00:14:58,656 --> 00:15:00,451
which is why
I had a front-row seat

360
00:15:00,554 --> 00:15:03,247
in the audience reserved
especially for her.

361
00:15:03,350 --> 00:15:05,387
With just a few minutes
until show time,

362
00:15:05,490 --> 00:15:08,321
I had a final look-over
to ensure that every prop

363
00:15:08,424 --> 00:15:11,220
and every actor was
in the exact right position,

364
00:15:11,324 --> 00:15:14,189
and once the scene was set,
we were ready to begin.

365
00:15:14,292 --> 00:15:16,363
- Hello, everyone.
- Hello.

366
00:15:16,467 --> 00:15:18,918
Thank you--
thank you so much for coming.

367
00:15:19,021 --> 00:15:20,436
We're very excited.

368
00:15:20,540 --> 00:15:22,231
I'm always hesitant
to say too much

369
00:15:22,335 --> 00:15:24,302
'cause I don't want
to spoil anything,

370
00:15:24,406 --> 00:15:27,098
but I'll just say
I hope you enjoy this play

371
00:15:27,202 --> 00:15:29,135
as much as we enjoyed
making it.

372
00:15:30,757 --> 00:15:35,072
So, without further ado,
"Smokers Allowed."

373
00:16:05,136 --> 00:16:06,689
It was
such an amazing feeling

374
00:16:06,793 --> 00:16:10,003
to see my play finally launch,
and 20 minutes in,

375
00:16:10,107 --> 00:16:12,730
it was clear
our rehearsals had paid off,

376
00:16:12,833 --> 00:16:16,147
as my actors were able to stay
faithful to the original night,

377
00:16:16,251 --> 00:16:17,838
matching the dialogue
and actions

378
00:16:17,942 --> 00:16:19,944
as closely as possible.

379
00:16:20,048 --> 00:16:21,152
But instead
I stay at home,

380
00:16:21,256 --> 00:16:23,637
and I watch "The Real Housewives
of New York City."

381
00:16:23,741 --> 00:16:24,880
Have you ever seen that?

382
00:16:24,984 --> 00:16:26,295
And I could sense
that the audience

383
00:16:26,399 --> 00:16:29,057
was really connecting
with their performance.

384
00:16:29,160 --> 00:16:31,783
My romantic leads
had finally found a chemistry

385
00:16:31,887 --> 00:16:33,751
that felt as genuine
as the love

386
00:16:33,854 --> 00:16:36,374
that real-life couple
they were playing shared.

387
00:16:37,997 --> 00:16:39,446
But all this
would mean nothing

388
00:16:39,550 --> 00:16:41,966
if the play's climax
didn't land,

389
00:16:42,070 --> 00:16:43,968
the guy showing off
his skateboard deck

390
00:16:44,072 --> 00:16:47,385
while a three-person selfie
happened at the same time.

391
00:16:47,489 --> 00:16:49,491
The audience was on the edge
of their seats,

392
00:16:49,594 --> 00:16:52,701
craving something to put this
over the top,

393
00:16:52,804 --> 00:16:57,050
and I'm happy to say
we delivered.

394
00:16:57,154 --> 00:17:00,088
It was a strong first showing
for the entire cast,

395
00:17:00,191 --> 00:17:02,642
and I was hopeful this would be
a real money-maker

396
00:17:02,745 --> 00:17:04,713
for the 1881 Club.

397
00:17:04,816 --> 00:17:07,785
So once the play was done
and the cast took their bows,

398
00:17:07,888 --> 00:17:10,305
I felt compelled
to express my gratitude

399
00:17:10,408 --> 00:17:11,789
for everyone's support.

400
00:17:16,863 --> 00:17:17,933
Ah.

401
00:17:18,037 --> 00:17:20,142
Thank you so much
for coming out.

402
00:17:20,246 --> 00:17:22,524
On behalf of the cast
and myself,

403
00:17:22,627 --> 00:17:26,252
we're so amazed
at this turnout.

404
00:17:26,355 --> 00:17:28,219
Now even though
a lot of the characters

405
00:17:28,323 --> 00:17:30,497
you saw in the play tonight
were smoking,

406
00:17:30,601 --> 00:17:32,637
it's important
to remember that smoking

407
00:17:32,741 --> 00:17:35,916
does kill over 400,000 Americans
per year.

408
00:17:36,020 --> 00:17:39,196
Another 8.6 million
live with a serious illness

409
00:17:39,299 --> 00:17:41,888
that was caused by smoking
or secondhand smoke.

410
00:17:41,991 --> 00:17:44,063
So think before you light up.

411
00:17:44,166 --> 00:17:46,582
Thank you so much
for coming out, and good night.

412
00:17:52,588 --> 00:17:54,832
My play was
a bona fide success,

413
00:17:54,935 --> 00:17:56,592
and I was so proud of my cast

414
00:17:56,696 --> 00:17:58,560
for giving
such a memorable performance

415
00:17:58,663 --> 00:18:00,320
the audience
would never forget.

416
00:18:00,424 --> 00:18:03,151
I would probably not
recommend it to anybody

417
00:18:03,254 --> 00:18:05,291
as far as saying
it's a really good show.

418
00:18:08,742 --> 00:18:10,537
The response
was overwhelming,

419
00:18:10,641 --> 00:18:13,540
but the only opinion that
really mattered was Ellen's.

420
00:18:13,644 --> 00:18:14,990
So once the bar cleared out,

421
00:18:15,094 --> 00:18:18,062
I nervously checked in with her
to get her thoughts.

422
00:18:18,166 --> 00:18:20,306
So, um...

423
00:18:20,409 --> 00:18:23,585
what did you think
of the play?

424
00:18:23,688 --> 00:18:25,034
It was okay.

425
00:18:25,138 --> 00:18:27,313
It was a little boring as far
as I was concerned, but...

426
00:18:27,416 --> 00:18:29,453
So you didn't like it?

427
00:18:29,556 --> 00:18:30,695
Not particularly.

428
00:18:30,799 --> 00:18:33,353
It wasn't--it just wasn't--

429
00:18:33,457 --> 00:18:34,768
they were
just sitting there.

430
00:18:34,872 --> 00:18:37,357
Nobody was really
doing anything.

431
00:18:37,461 --> 00:18:39,842
So does that mean you're not
going to keep doing it here?

432
00:18:39,946 --> 00:18:40,912
I doubt it.

433
00:18:41,016 --> 00:18:42,362
Seriously doubt it.

434
00:18:42,466 --> 00:18:46,055
Our customers come in here
to watch sports, watch TV,

435
00:18:46,159 --> 00:18:49,887
not just to sit and watch
somebody sit there smoking.

436
00:18:51,199 --> 00:18:52,614
All right, well...

437
00:18:52,717 --> 00:18:54,926
I appreciate your honesty.

438
00:18:55,030 --> 00:18:56,756
I appreciate you trying.

439
00:18:56,859 --> 00:18:59,103
Ellen saying she didn't want
to do my play anymore

440
00:18:59,207 --> 00:19:00,967
was the ultimate blow.

441
00:19:01,070 --> 00:19:04,867
After all my hard work,
I felt sad and rejected.

442
00:19:04,971 --> 00:19:07,284
But I realized that maybe
there was still a way

443
00:19:07,387 --> 00:19:09,217
to get the feeling
I was hoping for.

444
00:19:09,320 --> 00:19:11,978
So...what'd you think
of the play?

445
00:19:12,081 --> 00:19:15,050
- I thought it was brilliant.
- Really?

446
00:19:15,154 --> 00:19:17,017
Yeah, I really did.

447
00:19:17,121 --> 00:19:18,536
And you're gonna
keep doing it here?

448
00:19:18,640 --> 00:19:19,813
Without a doubt.

449
00:19:19,917 --> 00:19:22,126
So you really liked it?

450
00:19:22,230 --> 00:19:23,403
I loved it.

451
00:19:25,474 --> 00:19:27,131
Say that again.

452
00:19:27,235 --> 00:19:28,270
I loved it.

453
00:19:30,686 --> 00:19:32,171
Again.

454
00:19:32,274 --> 00:19:33,793
I loved it.

455
00:19:40,109 --> 00:19:42,077
Say it again.

456
00:19:42,181 --> 00:19:43,975
I knew this wasn't real,
but her looking at me

457
00:19:44,079 --> 00:19:45,425
- in the eyes...
- I loved it.

458
00:19:45,529 --> 00:19:49,533
And saying these words
was strangely satisfying.

459
00:19:49,636 --> 00:19:51,811
Like, I know it's fake,

460
00:19:51,914 --> 00:19:55,539
but it feels really good
to--to hear.

461
00:19:55,642 --> 00:19:58,576
It's not fake.

462
00:19:58,680 --> 00:20:00,337
I loved it.

463
00:20:00,440 --> 00:20:03,478
They say reality
is what you make of it,

464
00:20:03,581 --> 00:20:05,963
so in a world
that's cruel and hurtful,

465
00:20:06,066 --> 00:20:10,036
who's to say
mine can't be nice?

466
00:20:10,139 --> 00:20:12,694
Okay, thanks.

467
00:20:20,529 --> 00:20:23,118
Well, congratulations
and good luck.

468
00:20:27,226 --> 00:20:29,469
Hit me--hit me
in the back with it, dude.

469
00:20:29,573 --> 00:20:31,851
- Seriously, come on.
- I just want to be home.

470
00:20:39,548 --> 00:20:41,274
Neither were we.

471
00:20:41,378 --> 00:20:44,898
We actually saw some guy
with a PBR grip tape.

472
00:20:45,002 --> 00:20:46,417
- Really?
- Yeah.

473
00:20:52,665 --> 00:20:53,942
Awesome.

474
00:20:54,045 --> 00:20:55,046
He was just talking
about that too.

475
00:20:55,150 --> 00:20:57,152
Hanging out
with a mail-order bride?

476
00:21:10,579 --> 00:21:14,065
Oh, look,
this one's doing them too.

477
00:21:14,169 --> 00:21:18,169
At least you know
you have a place.


