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The Killing Kompany Diaries |
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The Killing Kompany Diaries |
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Killing Kompany Does Indiana
| We are now very popular with the "high rollers"at the Aztar Hotel and Casino in Evansville, Indiana. |  |
I am completely at a loss as to exactly what "Aztar" means.
A} Wealthy Aztecs on holiday?
B} A sinister vehicle powered by AZT?
C} Beyond human comprehension and experience?
I am opined the joint makes money.
Food and entertainment are the loss leaders
to get the locals to stay at the casino/hotel.
This is S.O.P. for Casino Management 101.
The actual Riverboat is required by Indiana law
to be moving under its own power/floating
around the water
- unless there is some
extenuating set of circumstances which prevents it
from doing so -
while the gaming rooms are open.
| The ship is designed with a lobster
trap mentality. One way in. No way out. |
|
Upon our arrival we were picked up at the
airport
by the courtesy van
which had the casino logo tattooed upon it
which read in a colorful fun way:
"Every Day is a Party" or "Have a winning
day."
I forget which...?
and we were informed that
barnacles or muscles were clogging something
therefore the ship would not actually be sailing that night
but rather
would remain docked
| as the paying shellfish made their way onboard for the 11 pm sailing cruise. | |
This "barnacle/muscle" problem
falls under the heading of
extenuating circumstances
and
allowances have been provided under the
Gaming Commission Laws of the State of Indiana
to allow the boat to open the gaming rooms
{three decks worth}
even though
the boat was docked.
{Saving the casino money on fuel etc. too}
{Le cruise consisted usually of a brief voyage
down the Ohio River as far as the
power station
carefully avoiding the Kentucky side of the river
since the unenlightened Kentucky Coast Guard
would then come aboard
pirate - like
and arrest everyone!*
* Gambling being prohibited in the Blue Grass State.
A few hours later the boat is supposed to
return
however
once the shellfish are on board
they can gamble all night long
so long as they stay put.
Only if they get off the boat
will they be prevented
from returning and continuing to gamble.
Hence: Lobster trap mentality.
WE were treated very well.
We ate comped.
We ate a lot.
We had nice rooms.
Everyone was duly gracious and our
New York-ese was refreshing for the management's ears
since many of them come from New Jersey
and have failed to hear English spoken correctly
for some time.
The casino is one of four in the state
operated by
some humongous corporation
of which TropWorld in Atlantic City
and the Tropicana in Las Vague-us
are under the same umbrella...
Are you getting the picture?
The staff are very professional
and know how to run the operation.
I have seen suchness executed in a
similar fashion at other locations.
The clientele are happy to lose their money.
This is what counts.
After the show we received a handsome check
and a free pass onto the Riverboat.
Everyone except Samme checked out
the docked gambling experience
onboard the ship.
We had performed in the hotel complex in a big room
located across the street from the boat
and connected to same
by a covered walkway over the main thoroughfare...
which we all enjoyed walking through and over.
At first the "high rollers" were psychologically
unprepared for our offerings.
Our brash manners
and over the top conduct
soon put them at ease.
We appeared to them as
flying gaping assholes
and THEIR lack of sophistication
and such
was actually a haven against all
we brought to the party.
After Samme left one table
during the preliminary improv's
of introduction
I (playing ...THE Head Waiter - Vic Timirate)
overheard a patron remark:
"That's the biggest line of bullshit
I have ever heard!"
and he was smiling as he said it.
Samme was really "on".
I knew we'd be a big hit
at that point
and all pre-performance jitters
faded away...
The man who'd actually hired us to appear
was present for the entire show.
A careful marketing program had gone into
our
appearing as "entertainment"
and the clientele was to be quizzed following the show
to gauge our efforts and management's...
He laughed with
almost everything we did.
He was VERY pleased.
So was the clientele.
We did good.
Most people didn't even guess I was part of the act.
And no one looked at my shoes.
Only the real staff pointed out
that my shoes were not shined
before we began...
they noticed that right away.
THIS WAS SUCCESS.
While Samme slept off several Rum and Cokes
which she had imbibed during the performance
three members of the cast
dropped money at the slot machines
and one cast member
dropped his paycheck totally.
| I stood behind the blackjack tables and entertained moiself watching the many ways the lobsters lost their money. | |
Having exhausted this form of
diversion
I purchased a pack of Marlboros
and left the gaming rooms and the dock area
and returned to my room
having kept all the filthy lucre I'd earned
from the show
in my pocket.
Good Theatre Training.
