THEN SHE FELL will not re-open

[JBroadway]

Posted: 8/10/20 at 11:13am

Per an email from Third Rail: 

 

"Dear Friends,

We are writing today to let you know that we will be closing Then She Fell. It is with careful consideration and heavy hearts that we announce this. Like so many other businesses at this time, we are suffering the results of the pandemic shutdown and found ourselves unable to continue to pay rent and the associated costs of holding a show in indefinite limbo without foreseeable income from ticket sales. Not wishing to compromise the design of the show or risk anyone’s health, we have made the difficult decision to end this amazing run at 4,444 performances. We hope that someday there will be another way to share Then She Fell again. 

We recognize the impact of this decision is great and affects many: the directors, staff, the many performers, designers, vendors, and partners, our audiences, and the culture of immersive theater at large. Without a doubt, it is a loss.

But we are also so grateful for the successful run that afforded us the chance to share the work so widely, expanding our reach nationally and internationally and fostering rich collaborations with artists, communities, and industries that will continue into the future. Then She Fell has always been one of our most intimate and unique works. We will miss it, but we are also energized to help shape the current culture we find ourselves in, and help define what comes next, with brand new projects."

 

Very sad news! I hope Third Rail makes it through, even if Then She Fell didn't. Glad I finally got around to seeing Then She Fell a couple years ago. Beautiful show! 

[Jarethan]

Posted: 8/10/20 at 11:19am

I have never heard of this show.  What is it?

[hork]

Posted: 8/10/20 at 11:26am

That is sad news. I wasn't quite as enamored of this show as others were but it was beloved by a lot of people that I know and along with Sleep No More it's the cornerstone of immersive theater, not just for New York but for the whole country.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 8/10/20 at 12:05pm

Almost half a year into this new hell we’re living in, I’m still shocked there haven’t been more announcements like this.

[Kad]

Posted: 8/10/20 at 12:29pm

This is very sad. I never got to see it- like so many others, I assumed I’d have an opportunity eventually- but I know folks involved and it meant the world to them.

But it had quite an enviable run, and its success was remarkable.

[jpbran]

Posted: 8/10/20 at 12:49pm

Really sucky news. Thoroughly enjoyed every weird, sometimes uncomfortable moment of this immersive experience. It’s like a smaller, less sweaty, less crowded, less tourist-filled, more “personal” Sleep No More. Went in April ‘19 and had planned on going again.  

[quizking101]

Posted: 8/10/20 at 2:29pm

Jordan Catalano said: "Almost half a year into this new hell we’re living in, I’m still shocked there haven’t been more announcements like this."

I have a feeling that there are some producers with really deep pockets or theatre owners who are maybe quietly cutting breaks with productions on rent or other things so they won’t have to worry about filling the theatre once things start opening again.

[HogansHero]

Posted: 8/10/20 at 3:49pm

quizking101 said: "Jordan Catalano said: "Almost half a year into this new hell we’re living in, I’m still shocked there haven’t been more announcements like this."

I have a feeling that there are some producers with really deep pockets or theatre owners who are maybe quietly cutting breaks with productions on rent or other things so they won’t have to worry about filling the theatre once things start opening again."

I think it is most often the (stupid) landlords that are driving these decisions, not negotiating and making concessions so the can rent the places to ... no one. When we eventually come out of the other end of this, there is going to be a huge amount of empty space, and not a lot of reliable new tenants. The smart landlords are doing everything in their power to keep the good tenants from closing up shop, but there are plenty of them that are not smart. And let us not forget that greed is one of the seven deadly sins. (And of course there are also tenants who are not smart and don't know how to negotiate.) 

[George in DC]

Posted: 8/10/20 at 5:01pm

I can not even begin to express the sadness I have over this show closing. We have lost so much and it is because of Dumb as **** republicans refusing to wear a mask. New Zealand hasn't had a case in how many days? Americans are entitled, worthless morons who have  made this crisis so much worse than it should be. F&ck America.

 

[Highland Guy]

Posted: 8/10/20 at 5:50pm

George in DC said: "F&ck America."

 

I spent most of my adult life in or working for the U.S. military.  I honored my oath to defend my country.  There were difficulties along the way, especially as an openly gay man, but I have always maintained an optimistic attitude.  This Administration and this Pandemic have offered challenges I wish I didn't have to face in my twilight years, but I am and always will be a proud American.

I appreciate your anger, but your quoted statement above offends me.

Updated On: 8/10/20 at 05:50 PM

Posted: 8/11/20 at 4:27am

im very very sad to hear about this closing. My memory may be off but after seeing sleep no more very early in its run (about 10 years ago? i know i can google this) i looked up other "immersive" theater experiences and this came up. They had a late show for which tickets were cheaper and i took a long subway ride ( i lived in queens, show was in brooklyn) and i was genuinely scared walking to the address since it was so dark though that probably says more about me at the time than the neighborhood which i don't actually remember where it was. I was expecting a theater. It wasn't one. It was like 10 audience members (i think? it felt that way) and unlike sleep no more we were guided room to room so linear but we all had personal interactions and afterwards, while lost on my way back to the subway station, i was like, that was really cool, how in the hell does that stay in business? and it lasted like ten years! now that it's closed i regret i only saw it that once. It was a show that must have been a labor of love for someone (or some people). I hope that the experience gave them great pleasure and I will definitely go more than once to any of their future endeavors (i will go research their names right now).

[JBroadway]

Posted: 8/11/20 at 9:35am

I’ve been lucky enough to see 4 productions from this theatre company, Third Rail. I saw “Then She Fell,” “The Grand Paradise,” “Ghost Light,” and “Midsummer: A Banquet.” The only one I disliked was “Ghost Light.” The rest, I thought we’re brilliant.

Then She Fell was undoubtedly their flagship production. I find Then She Fell to be a fascinating product of its time; it’s one of the most well-crafted pieces of immersive theatre I’ve ever seen, but it’s also the most derivative of Sleep No More in terms of its aesthetic. Everyone coveted the rare one-on-one interactions in Sleep No More, so Third Rail came along and made this show that was almost entirely one-one-one interactions, or at least small groups. It was very much a response to Sleep No More. Later, I think they managed to use that same structural model to tell stories that didn’t feel derivative of Sleep No More, but I think Then She Fell was still always the most well-crafted of the bunch.

A couple years ago I returned to Sleep No More, after having seen Then She Fell. Sleep No More is deservedly the gold standard of immersive theatrical experiences; the set is unparalleled, as are the scale, and the degree of audience freedom. And every piece of immersive theatre is compared to it, on some level.

But it occurred to me, this 2nd time around, that while SNM was an unmatched experience, it wasn’t necessarily the most cohesive piece of theatre from a storytelling perspective. By contrast, Then She Fell manages to provide a comparable level of immersion and variability (on a smaller scale) while also feeling like a cohesive piece of theatrical storytelling. The story is abstract, subtle, non-linear, and up to interpretation. But there IS a loose story being conveyed, and an arc to the evening. And I just find that so impressive.

[52889j]

Posted: 8/11/20 at 9:47am

Before the pandemic, they were making tentative plans to relocate the show to Manhattan so I imagine that's what they mean by "we hope that someday there will be another way to shareThen She Fell again." They planned to let their lease on St. John's expire around this time anyway, though I'm sure the pandemic and the ensuing lack of revenue has decimated that plan for the time being.




 

 

[Elfuhbuh]

Posted: 8/11/20 at 1:31pm

George in DC said: "I can not even begin to express the sadness I have over this show closing. We have lost so much and it is because of Dumb as **** republicans refusing to wear a mask. New Zealand hasn't had a case in how many days? Americans are entitled, worthless morons who have made this crisis so much worse than it should be. F&ck America.

I suppose you are the super special and enlightened exception to the general rule of Americans being worthless pieces of garbage, right? Would you like a medal?