Whales

See it if You enjoy drinking! Ok, alcohol aside, this fast-paced, high-energy theater piece is a real exquisite example of blending high and low brow

Don't see it if You hate beer. No, truly, if you don't like to drink, don't go. Landlubbers need not apply. Otherwise, get your swarmy ass to the PIT now!

See it if you want to see an energetic and playful performance that engages an audience to the play, making everybody laugh and participate.

Don't see it if you are boring :) you are looking for a traditional theater experience.

Also From the first seconds of entering the premise, we sensed that's gonna be a good one. We laughed and enjoyed every minute of the show + we really learned something new. "Visual effects" were very cool and clever, actors great, approach and unconventionality of the play made it a great experience all along. Hip Hip Hurray!... Read more Read less

See it if you want a fun easy quirky funny evening about whales. Such a clever talented cast who made so much out of so little.

Don't see it if you are looking for a straight drama and don't enjoy snark.

See it if Funny. Great music. Giving the audience some background to the whaling industry, putting Moby Dick in context.

Don't see it if If you want a highly polished, lavish show.

See it if you hate whaling, love free beer, and don't mind getting in on the fun.

Don't see it if you need shows to have an actual plot rather than a message, or if you prefer a barrier between you and the performers.

Also Whales is a show that is pretty much impossible to describe, but I'm going to do my best. It is a punk rock variety hour based on Herman Melville's "Moby Dick" which uses drinking games, shadow puppets, and sketch comedy to protest the whaling industry, which is still just as grotesque as it was in the late 19th century. This show is not for the faint of heart. Located at the mainstage of an improv/comedy bar (The PIT), actors are clad in punk rock versions of old-timey sailor outfits. There is grog-a-plenty for willing volunteers of the S.S. PIT's crew (AKA: You sing, you play, you drink). I personally had a blast at Whales, and I'm definitely going to see it again, hopefully with a larger audience.... Read more Read less

See it if you like interactive theater. The cast interacts with the audience making each show unique.

Don't see it if you don't like interactive theater.

See it if you like quirky, cleverly staged shows that shine a light (pun!) on interesting areas of history

Don't see it if you're looking for a plot-based story or a traditional character narrative show

See it if you enjoy audience interaction that isn't completely awkward; you like seeing how clever people can be with paper cut-outs

Don't see it if you feel awkward about being a teetotaler

See it if you love great punkish music w/a creative puppet show; good humored historical information w/fun audience interaction

Don't see it if You don't like edgy music;if u don't like sm amounts of beer served to consenting adults w/in the audience playing a game show on stage

See it if You like informational rock opera with a talented band and multimedia puppetry with audience participation and drinking games

Don't see it if You only like traditional Broadway shows

See it if adventure, sea faring punk/shanties, informational gameshow drinking games with giant dice, creatively minimal shadowPuppet theatre thrill u

Don't see it if garage band sound, now at the PIT, audience participation, tattoos, shadow puppets, drinkingGames, slaughter of whales bother you

See it if you appreciate imaginative fun & obscure info. 40 seats allows cast to communicate one to one with audience members. Free tattoo & alcohol

Don't see it if you need a plot, a themed variety show. The audience as the crew of a whaling ship is invited to roll giant dice determining their adventure

See it if Whale hunting facts, and the story behind Moby Dick and playing Audience drinking games. Plus shadow pictures moving on stage

Don't see it if Drinking game, and loud music. Audience participation.

See it if You want to learn about human treatment of whales or enjoy educational theatre. This is social activism art at its most creative!

Don't see it if You like a larger theatre space and don't particularly care for animal abuse. There's a lot of wonderful audience interaction as well!

See it if Avant-garde punk rock fun

Don't see it if It closes soon

See it if Fun original show, surprisingly educational.

Don't see it if Looking for polished production. Do not like loud music

See it if you enjoy participatory theater that is both informational and funny, with some lovely shadow puppets. And you learn a lot about whaling.

Don't see it if you only like traditional theater, rather than something more participatory that has a DIY vibe.

See it if You like to learn something with your punk rock and drinking games, in this case, a little something about saving the whales.

Don't see it if You don’t like very informal theatre. It’s more fun if you participate but they don’t make you feel self conscious if you don’t.

See it if you looking for a lesson on the whaling industry told in a fun and interesting way. I enjoyed the show, but it's not for everyone.

Don't see it if you are not interested in learning about the whaling industry or moby dick. Some of the songs can also be annoying to some.

Also I enjoyed the uniqueness of the show. I felt the Game show portion with the rolling of the dice could have gone quicker.. I thought the music was awesome, but the songs not as much.
Make sure to go in with a few drinks in, and have a full one during the show to make it more fun.... Read more Read less

See it if You want historical fun facts about whaling in a relaxed setting. You enjoy immersive musicals & non-traditional staging.

Don't see it if You prefer a traditional adaptation of Moby Dick. You don't like immersive staging. You don't like audience participation & drinking games.

See it if You want to have a good time and see something different. Educational but still adult oriented

Don't see it if You don’t like audience participation

See it if With a creative team of six players, the show had whole audience involved while telling the whaling industry. We had a whale of great time!

Don't see it if You are looking for elaborate production design and don’t like audience participation.

See it if you would like to spend a pleasant hour with engaging performers among a friendly audience for a piece that looks good & sounds great.

Don't see it if you are allergic to even the least intimidating forms of audience participation.

Also I was happy that drinking games play a smaller part in “Whales” than advance word led me to expect. The visuals, the music, the engagement with the audience, especially for 2 extended stretches that require a few recruited participants, were all more consequential for the show. The principal visual element, several sequences in which shadow puppets enact material about 19th century whaling & the story of Moby Dick in particular, are quite wonderful, the flat puppets delicate & sturdy at once. The occasional intrusion of a silhouetted human performer into this uncanny world can feel funny or ominous. The rock band plays for a lot of the piece & in fact rocks. All 6 performers sing & have little trouble getting most of the audience to sing too. The weak link is the script: it’s fun but thin. I’d love to see Hit the Lights!, a personable, even magnetic, bunch of performers, take its impressive pooled skill set & tackle something a little chewier than “Whales.”... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see a shadow puppet, drinking game, audience interactive, surprisingly educational, rock musical version of Moby Dick.

Don't see it if audience interaction isn’t your thing, prefer proscenium staging, or if you have sensitive hearing (the guitar is absurdly loud).

Also Also, there is tons of cursing. Not for kids, obviously.

See it if you like shadow puppets, loud music, improv and whaling infotainment.

Don't see it if you are looking for a straight forward show about Moby Dick.