Man: Places, everyone.

[ Indistinct conversations ] My name is kl, and my play is called "Tower."

"Tower" is about a group of employees at a Tower Records kind of in the middle of the country who are about to sell tickets for a Prince tour, but they can't find the tickets or the store manager.

The inspiration for the play came from my dad, who did work at a Tower Records in the '80s and who did sell tickets for major tours.

So the opening of the play actually comes straight from a story he used to tell me.

Damn.

Do you see this?

[ Laughs ] [ Sighs ] You trippin on air, Tasha.

I'm telling you.

They should be here.

We open in ten minutes.

Yeah, well, Marv's a flake.

He's a flake, but he's not stupid.

He'll be here.

Eddy's not here either.

Yeah, well, he's stupid and a flake.

Uh, you supposed to be sweeping.

I am sweeping.

No, you're just pushing dirt around.

Here.

Let me do it, since you can't.

Fine by me, Your Anal Highness.

You two don't start.

God, I hate ticket sale days.

We know.

And this one's going to be absolute murder.

Ticket sale days are very important here at Tower.

They're the day we sell the most records.

They bring more attention to the store, and they maintain... All: ...the prestige of the brand overall.

We know, Tasha.

It's the same speech every time.

[ Doors open, people cheering ] [ Doors close, cheering stops ] Where the hell have you been?

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry I couldn't get through.

I was out there for 10 minutes before I could get to the door.

The crowd is wild.

Yeah, well, just wait till they get in here.

It's going to be a nightmare.

I told you to get here early and come in through the back.

I'm sorry.

I forgot.

I forgot.

You said it was gonna be a -- What is this gonna be again?

What?

Oh, God.

A ticket sale day.

You forgot today was a ticket sale day?!

Tasha, take it easy on the kid.

[ Laughs ] Stupid and a flake.

What did I tell you?

Ticket sale days are very important here at Tower.

They're the day we sell the most records.

It brings more attention to the store -- Tasha.

Enough.

He's here, the store's set up.

We're good.

No, we're not good, because Marv's not here, and Marv has the tickets.

What?

I thought you always got the tickets.

Not for a concert this big.

Marv's got them.

Who's Marv?

You've been here for three weeks and you don't know who Marv is?

I was here for three months before I met Marv.

Marvin is the store manager.

I thought you were the store manager.

Ha!

Yeah, well, she thinks she is, too.

Tasha.

[ Muttering ] I'm the assistant manager.

Marv is the actual manager, but he's a bit of a... Dumb... A... show?

So I handle things here at the store, like ticket sale days, normally, except this Prince concert is shaping up to be the biggest we've ever had.

So Marv is in charge of the tickets, and we open in less than ten minutes, and he's still not here.

Did you call his house?

Obviously.

Did you try the strip club?

Which club?

All of them.

I have tried every club within a 20 mile radius.

Nobody's got eyes on him.

What about the hospital?

Call the hospital and say what?

"Did you see a mid-30s white man who needed his stomach pumped?"

Did you try his office?

Oh, Tasha.

Girl, you are slipping.

You didn't check his office?

When the hell does he ever get here before me?

Girl.

Mm-mm-mm-mm-mm.

I don't know how she made it to manager.

That's crazy.

Mr. Marv, sir?

You in there?

Marv?

Hello?

That is a lot of cocaine!

What?!

[ Laughs ] Percy: If that's what's left over, I can't even imagine how much he snorted.

-Oh, is he dead?

-He looks dead.

Marv is dead?!

O-Oh, God.

No, no, no, no, no.

He can't be dead.

Not today.

T-This is bad.

This -- This is very bad.

We open in five minutes on a ticket sale day.

A-And not just that, a very big ticket sale day for a freaking Prince tour, which is going to sell out in minutes.

Only it can't sell out in minutes because we don't have any freaking tickets because Marv is supposed to have the tickets and Marv is dead.

[ Crying dramatically ] Tasha.

I like ticket sale days.

Okay?

I know everybody else hates them, but I like them.

I like when everyone rushes into the store and gets excited about whatever stupid concert we have tickets for.

And I like that even though we aren't New York or L.A. or even Nashville, people get excited about music and concerts here, and I hate that I'm always fixing Marv's messes.

I know that's what being an A.M. means in a place like this with a guy like that, but I'm tired of cleaning up after him, and now he's died and ruined ticket sale day.

Instead of selling tickets and records and being excited about Prince, I'm going to have to call 911 and report a dead body.

Tasha, would you get a grip?

Xavier, that is not helpful.

No, I mean it.

She needs to get it together.

Tasha, look at me.

You said it yourself.

You're always fixing Marv's messes.

And I know it sucks, and I know you hate it.

And I know I'm always riding you about that stick you got so far up your... Xavier.

But, but, but, but, but, you are very good at it.

You have been ever since I got here.

You are a hard... And it's one of the best things about you.

It's what keeps this store running.

So I don't know where this weak, crying version of Tasha came from, but send her back, because we need our pushy, annoying, bossy Tasha back, and we need her back now.

Get me?

That was a very lovely speech, Xavier.

Truly.

Thank you.

No problem.

But it doesn't change the fact that Marv is dead.

And this is the biggest mess I've ever had to clean up.

I don't know where to start.

We're not going to be able to open the store.

He's not dead!

What?

He's not dead.

He's got a pulse.

He just looks very dead, very pale.

That's just his complexion.

He's not dead?

[ Gasps ] He's not dead.

This is great, Tasha.

You've dealt with drunk Marv before, right?

Yeah.

Okay, so this is that basically.

Which means that you can fix this, right?

Because today is a ticket sale day, and ticket sale days... All: ...are very important at Tower.

Okay.

Yeah, okay.

We open in less than five minutes, and we have an incapacitated boss, an angry mob looking to buy tickets, and no tickets to sell.

Okay, This is -- This is fine.

This is fine.

Percy, you go find the tickets.

Tear up his office.

If Marv is here, chances are they're here, too.

Xavier, y-you get Marv, take him out back.

You wake him.

I don't care what you got to do, just get him conscious.

Go.

Okay.

[ Chuckles evilly ] Okay.

Are we going to call an ambulance?

Tasha: That would ruin the vibe.

No.

I hate to say it, but it would be the responsible thing to do.

No, no, no, no, no.

Not yet.

An ambulance would ruin ticket sale day.

Xavier, try for ten minutes, and then we'll call.

Ten minutes?

Ten minutes.

Anyone who really wants tickets will have gotten them by then.

And -- And as long as the ambulance stays in the back, it won't be a problem.

That's if we can find the tickets.

Percy: I found the tickets!

Oh, thank God!

They were in his bag.

But I also found a... load of coke, so.

[ Laughs ] Oh, yikes.

If Marv weren't half dead, I'd kill him.

We could flush it.

No way.

He's got so much, he's got to be dealing.

We flush this, we're flushing his money.

He'll kill us when he wakes up.

I did not need this today.

Not today of all days.

No, wait.

This is good.

Good?

If we call 911, they're going to send cops, and cops are going to ask questions and start looking around, and, I don't know, maybe find a... load of coke in the office and then we'll all be in deep...

Okay.

So we don't call them.

Then who do we call?

No one?

We call Tower.

We are Tower.

Okay, so we call headquarters, call San Francisco.

Sacramento.

Call Sacramento.

Call the district manager or somebody.

Somebody who cares about ticket sale days just as much as Tasha.

Oh.

We gotta call Marv's boss.

His... is gonna get fired.

Mm-hmm.

Oh, and then Tasha can be the store manager, right?

Exactly.

You ready to get promoted, Tasha, girl?

You think it'll work?

You think they'll send someone?

Tower can't handle a scandal being a town this small.

You'll be doing them a favor.

Hmm.

Okay.

Yeah, I'll call him.

You handle those.

Oh, but Tasha, you said you love this part.

And nobody else does.

Okay.

We open in less than ten minutes.

Xavier, forget about Marv.

I'll deal with him when I get off the phone.

Percy, you handle the VIP tickets.

Is Eddie -- Eddie, Xavier, you split the rest.

And don't stop until we sell out or I tell you to stop.

And, Eddie, it's your first ticket sale day.

So take these and do the honors of letting the masses into the store.

Okay.

Okay.

Get around that -- get behind the counter and start the music.

And -- And Percy, um, set aside four VIP tickets.

All: What?

You don't understand, Eddie.

She never lets us do this.

VIP tickets for a Prince concert?!

Are you insane?

What the hell, right?

We earned it.

I am never complaining about a ticket sale day ever again.

All: Yes, you will.

Shut up.

Okay, now, listen.

I want to see orderly lines when I get back.

And don't let people crowd the counter and be a mess, okay?

And the old Tasha is back.

Ugh.

Happy ticket sale day, everybody?

Make Tower proud.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Everybody ready?

Get by the door, Eddie.

Because it looks like we're on in five, four, three, two... ♪♪ [ Cheers and applause ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪