Bay Street Theater & Sag Harbor Center for the Arts presents “The Grift,” an immersive, site-specific theater experience throughout Sag Harbor village.
The Grift is conceived, written, and directed by Tom Salamon, and premiered in San Diego in 2015 before opening to acclaim in London in 2018. Performances begin Thursday, March 24, and continue through Sunday, April 3, with 12 shows over the course of its two-week run.
Part theater and part game, “The Grift” is an immersive, site-specific experience beginning and ending at Bay Street, and moving through several locations nearby in Sag Harbor. Dropping its audience of 50 per show into the middle of an adventure in which they are trained in the art of the con, participants meet characters, solve clues, and get a master class in the ways of the grifter, all in the interest of pulling off one final grift to take down a seamy criminal mastermind. Audiences will have their intelligence tested and get trained in scams like The Pig In The Poke, The Round-The-Corner, and The Money Swap — but will they be sharp enough to take down an evil genius at his own game?
The Grift premiered in 2015 to rave reviews and to sold-out performances in San Diego, produced by the Tony Award-winning La Jolla Playhouse. Writer-director Tom Salamon makes his return after his other immersive UK successes, “Accomplice” (produced by the Tony Award-winning Menier Chocolate Factory) and “Goosebumps Alive” (The Vaults at Waterloo).
“I’m thrilled to be returning to the ‘seen-it-all’ sophisticated audiences of the Hamptons and across Long Island,” said Salamon. “They’re up for anything and love to get involved and play along, and I think we’re giving them something entirely unique that they haven’t experienced before.”
An experience unlike anything ever performed on a stage, “The Grift” sweeps its audience into a thrilling adventure, turning everyday theatergoers into master cons. And when the show ends? They’re released into the world with a whole new skill set — one that can pay off for years to come.
Masks and proof of vaccination are required for entry. Tickets start at $39 and are available at baystreet.org.