ASK ME HOW TO BET {ON THE LOSING HORSE}
On May 5, 2018, Think Tank Presents collaborated again with Mezcal El Silencio, as well as the Santa Anita Racetracks, on Ask Me How to Bet {On The Losing Horse} at The Californian Festival. Think Tank collaborated with #metaforyou to write and produce a solo immersive theatre experience for the festival, which took place during the Kentucky Derby and Cinco De Mayo.
The piece took place in a century-old information booth at the entrance to the grandstands, where a performer and bartender improvised one-on-one interactions with guests – many of whom were unaware of the performance piece before entering it. During the performance, guests would be interviewed about their horse betting experience before they were entertained with a curated, site-specific Bukowski poem written about the venue, and then provided with the worst possible betting advice for the upcoming race. Throughout the ten minute interaction, the bartender would mix a free Cinco De Derby mezcal mule cocktail for each guest.
Ironically, as the performance also gave very basic instruction on how to bet on horse racing, many guests ended up winning big on our performer’s intentionally and expressly poor suggestions to bet on horses with terrible odds (but huge returns). Many of them came back and tipped the performers very well.