In the last post, I told you how much I need you to give me your hard-earned money to get this play on its feet. Now I’m about to tell you that I am going to give one night of our box office earnings to a charity of my choosing. That night is Sunday, May 23 @ 11:45pm.

See a play on a Sunday at midnight? I don’t even want to — and I HAVE to be there. Staying up late on a school night was fun and subversive when I was 22. Now it sounds like hardship. Maybe it sounds like hardship to you too? Well, I’m coming up with options to make it go down a little easier.

1. All audience members get fun Tropical Depression-themed swag!
2. Anyone who wants to gets to taste real, homemade pimiento cheese!
3. Other free snacks and beverages available after the show!

What? You’re not compelled by the delicious allure of pimiento cheese? Ok, I’m throwing down…

I will give the entire box office from the show to the Save the Manatee Club. Why them? Well, the play is set on Florida’s Gulf coast, an area which may feel the impact of the recent oil spill. According to Save the Manatee’s website:

The disastrous oil spill caused by the recent explosion of the drilling rig off the coast of Louisiana is currently drifting toward the Gulf Coast states. If efforts to stop its progress fail, the consequences could be catastrophic for birds, fish, sea turtles, manatees, and other wildlife found in these areas. This is especially troubling since it comes on the heels of the worst manatee winter die-off ever experienced, with over 500 total manatees dead already this year.

Manatees are widely distributed at this time of the year and can be found along the coasts of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. In addition, manatees are herbivores, feeding on a large variety of marine and freshwater vegetation. Oil can damage seagrass beds and other vegetation that manatees eat. In addition, exposure to oil could potentially cause significant injury or death to manatees and other marine organisms.

Also, I really love manatees.

I felt a little weird, choosing an animal support organization, instead of something that would help human beings struggling to recover from the spill. Or a group that’s not environmentally-related, like the Venice Public Library or a nice arts group. But you know who doesn’t feel bad about my choice? The manatees.

See how happy he looks! And it’s all because you were willing to stay up late.

Oh, and back to the money issue that we opened with. Not to be all negative, but this is not a peak time;  having a full house would be pretty miraculous. In fact, I’d even toyed with canceling that performance. What’s most important to me is having a healthy audience. My team has worked so hard, and I want to make sure they have a good experience. It’s more important to me than the money I could make. Is this a stunt to get butts in seats? Absolutely.

You know who doesn’t care that it’s a stunt? The manatees.