1. - My name is Nathan Fielder,Copy !req
2. and I graduated from one of
Canada's top business schoolsCopy !req
3. with really good grades.Copy !req
4. Now I'm using my knowledgeCopy !req
5. to help struggling
small business owners make itCopy !req
6. in this competitive world.Copy !req
7. This is "Nathan for You."Copy !req
8. Life isn't easy for smokers
these daysCopy !req
9. as smoking bans
throughout America have madeCopy !req
10. the outdoors the only option
for lighting up.Copy !req
11. But hit worst of all
has been the bars.Copy !req
12. And proprietors
like Ellen SancerCopy !req
13. of the 1881 Club
in Pasadena, California,Copy !req
14. claim that smoking restrictionsCopy !req
15. have caused her profits
to plummet.Copy !req
16. - We lost a lot
of our customers.Copy !req
17. Our business went down
by half.Copy !req
18. - As a smoker herself,
she's not happy.Copy !req
19. So I paid Ellen a visit
with a wayCopy !req
20. she might be able to return
to those profitable glory days.Copy !req
21. In my opinion,Copy !req
22. smokers shouldn't be treated
like second-class citizens.Copy !req
23. - Absolutely.Copy !req
24. - If anything,
they should be treated betterCopy !req
25. than the rest of us because
they're gonna die so young.Copy !req
26. - Or at least as well
as the rest of them.Copy !req
27. - Right, so you think
people should be allowedCopy !req
28. to smoke in here?
- Yeah.Copy !req
29. - Well, I might have a way
to make that happen.Copy !req
30. - Okay.Copy !req
31. - Right now,
California state lawCopy !req
32. prohibits smoking in a business
unless it happens to beCopy !req
33. part of a theatrical productionCopy !req
34. where smoking is integral
to the plot.Copy !req
35. So if Ellen added a small
audience section to her barCopy !req
36. and then classified
every patronCopy !req
37. as an actor
in a free-form play,Copy !req
38. the 1881 Club would become
the only drinking hole in townCopy !req
39. where people
could legally smoke.Copy !req
40. - That could be possible.Copy !req
41. I never thought about turning it
around that way.Copy !req
42. - Well, most theater
is terrible.Copy !req
43. - I have seen
a few bad ones, yeah.Copy !req
44. - Yeah, so who's to say
a bar filled with smokersCopy !req
45. can't be a boundary-pushing
theatrical experience?Copy !req
46. - Right.
- In the eyes of the law.Copy !req
47. - It's an idea.Copy !req
48. It's definitely an idea.Copy !req
49. - Ellen was thrilled
at the prospectCopy !req
50. of bringing smokers back
to her bar, so the next day,Copy !req
51. I had my team bring in
a couple of theater seatsCopy !req
52. to create
a small audience sectionCopy !req
53. and then threw up a curtain
to completeCopy !req
54. the theater experience.Copy !req
55. I also chose a title
for the play,Copy !req
56. "Smokers Allowed"
that would conveniently doubleCopy !req
57. to attract clientele,
then put up a sign on the doorCopy !req
58. informing patrons
that by entering the bar,Copy !req
59. they're legally agreeing
to be actorsCopy !req
60. in a theatrical production.Copy !req
61. So when nighttime came,Copy !req
62. I headed to some other bars in
the area to get word spreadingCopy !req
63. about L.A.'s hottest new
smoking destination.Copy !req
64. You got to smoke
outside here, huh?Copy !req
65. Yeah, have you been
to 1881 Club?Copy !req
66. - They allow you
to smoke there.Copy !req
67. - Yeah, a loophole.Copy !req
68. Theater law.Copy !req
69. Yeah.Copy !req
70. - My promotional efforts
seemed to be working...Copy !req
71. All right, smokers unite.Copy !req
72. Because, within minutes,
customers began arrivingCopy !req
73. at the 1881 Club for a night
of legal indoor smoking.Copy !req
74. As a final precaution,Copy !req
75. I had two women recruited
from the theater districtCopy !req
76. who were interested
in seeing an exciting new play.Copy !req
77. So for two?
- For two.Copy !req
78. - Okay, you're in luck.Copy !req
79. We have two front-row seats
still available.Copy !req
80. - Very cool.Copy !req
81. - I knew an audience
would be the final pieceCopy !req
82. to legitimize my production
in the eyes of the law.Copy !req
83. So with the women
in their seats,Copy !req
84. it was time
to begin the show.Copy !req
85. All right, welcome.Copy !req
86. Thank you so much
for coming.Copy !req
87. So it took a lot of work to get
this play off the ground.Copy !req
88. I don't want
to say too muchCopy !req
89. 'cause I don't want to spoil
anything, but all I'll say is,Copy !req
90. I hope you enjoy this as much
as we enjoyed making it.Copy !req
91. So without further ado,
"Smokers Allowed."Copy !req
92. My plan was working great.Copy !req
93. People could now smoke freely
without the barCopy !req
94. having to worry
about any legal repercussions.Copy !req
95. And with the audience
shoved away in the corner,Copy !req
96. hardly any customers seemed
to notice they were there.Copy !req
97. Best of all, I had never seen
Ellen look happier.Copy !req
98. So after an hour and 20 minutesCopy !req
99. when the bar crowd
started to dwindle,Copy !req
100. I decided to close the curtain
and say the play was over.Copy !req
101. All right, so that's it.Copy !req
102. Thank you so much
for coming.Copy !req
103. I hope you enjoyed
"Smokers Allowed."Copy !req
104. It was a successful evening,Copy !req
105. but then something happened
that I never expected.Copy !req
106. The audience actually
seemed to enjoy the play.Copy !req
107. - Oh, man,
they were awesome.Copy !req
108. - Yeah, yeah, they were.
- They were awesome.Copy !req
109. - It's so funny
'cause it's, like,Copy !req
110. so nothing in a way
but incredibly profound.Copy !req
111. It reminded me
of Sam Shepard.Copy !req
112. - I didn't really know
what to make of this.Copy !req
113. After all, these ladies
could be total kooks.Copy !req
114. But if what happened
in there somehowCopy !req
115. had genuine theatrical value,Copy !req
116. it could be a whole new source
of revenue for the 1881 Club.Copy !req
117. So later that week, I arranged
a meeting with the chairCopy !req
118. of the theater department
at Glendale Community CollegeCopy !req
119. to find out if I was
actually onto somethingCopy !req
120. with my play,
"Smokers Allowed."Copy !req
121. - The guy by himself
stands out to meCopy !req
122. because he looks lonely.Copy !req
123. The couple stands out to me
because it tells a storyCopy !req
124. that maybe
they're in a new relationship...Copy !req
125. - Uh-huh.Copy !req
126. - And I think that curiosityCopy !req
127. is what makes me want
to continue to watch.Copy !req
128. - Do you think
this has theatrical merit?Copy !req
129. - Yeah, you know,
this is "slice of life" theater,Copy !req
130. and for that aspect,
I think it's important.Copy !req
131. - Wow.Copy !req
132. I was amazed that Jeanette
saw value in my play...Copy !req
133. - It's reminiscent
of playwrightsCopy !req
134. like John Patrick Shanley.Copy !req
135. - And even compared it
to the work of who I assumedCopy !req
136. were famous playwrights.Copy !req
137. It was clear
something happened that nightCopy !req
138. that I couldn't ignore.Copy !req
139. So the next day,
I returned to the 1881 ClubCopy !req
140. to see if Ellen was interested
in adjusting our approach.Copy !req
141. I don't know what it was,Copy !req
142. but people really responded
to this thing.Copy !req
143. - I didn't get to pay
much attention.Copy !req
144. I was busy.Copy !req
145. - I mean,
you can make good moneyCopy !req
146. having people smoke in here.Copy !req
147. - Right.Copy !req
148. - But you could make millions
with a hit play.Copy !req
149. - That's possible, yeah.Copy !req
150. - I mean, at this point,Copy !req
151. it's hard to know if the play
would actually be a success,Copy !req
152. but I think we'd be idiots
not to give it a shot.Copy !req
153. - Yeah, we should.Copy !req
154. - I was happy to have Ellen
on board with my new plan,Copy !req
155. but as I spent the next dayCopy !req
156. going over the footage
from that night,Copy !req
157. I was no closer to figuring out
what made this playCopy !req
158. so interesting.Copy !req
159. That was until I noticed
a few exciting momentsCopy !req
160. that may have gripped
the audience.Copy !req
161. At one table, there was
a couple that shared a kiss,Copy !req
162. so I knew there was
a romantic story line.Copy !req
163. There was also a momentCopy !req
164. where a man
showed off his skateboard deckCopy !req
165. while, at the same time,
a three-person selfieCopy !req
166. was happening at the bar,Copy !req
167. the perfect climactic
action scene.Copy !req
168. I didn't see it before,Copy !req
169. but this night had all
the ingredients of a hit play.Copy !req
170. So I figured the surest way
to guarantee success would beCopy !req
171. to re-create every moment
exactly as it happened.Copy !req
172. So I spent the afternoon
compiling all the audioCopy !req
173. and video footage
we had from that nightCopy !req
174. and then hired a team
of professional transcribersCopy !req
175. to write down every word
that was spoken.Copy !req
176. It was a lengthy,
multi-day process,Copy !req
177. so I tried to make sure
their working environmentCopy !req
178. was as comfortable
as possible.Copy !req
179. Want some apple juice?Copy !req
180. - No.Copy !req
181. - Do you want
some apple juice?Copy !req
182. - I'm fine, thank you.
- Okay, sure.Copy !req
183. When the transcription
was finally done,Copy !req
184. I had the dialogue compiled
and converted into a scriptCopy !req
185. and then blew up images
from our footage,Copy !req
186. so I could cast professional
actors to play each role.Copy !req
187. But since it was crucialCopy !req
188. that they were able
to embody the exact essenceCopy !req
189. of the original person,Copy !req
190. I set up auditions with my top
picks for later that week.Copy !req
191. But for Ellen's role,Copy !req
192. I thought it would be simplest
if she could just play herself,Copy !req
193. so I paid her a visit to see
if she was right for the part.Copy !req
194. So you're reading for the role
of female bar owner.Copy !req
195. - Okay.
- All right.Copy !req
196. Do you want to just slate
with your name first?Copy !req
197. - My name's Ellen.Copy !req
198. - Okay,
whenever you're ready.Copy !req
199. - You did not just say that.Copy !req
200. - Yes, he did.Copy !req
201. - All right, here you go.Copy !req
202. - Thank you.Copy !req
203. - Excuse me, sweetheart.Copy !req
204. - All right, great.
Well, we'll be in touch.Copy !req
205. - Okay, great.
- Okay.Copy !req
206. - Thank you.
- Thanks.Copy !req
207. I thought
Ellen did a pretty good job,Copy !req
208. but it was only fair
to hold off on my decisionCopy !req
209. until the rest of the auditions
I had scheduled were done.Copy !req
210. So you're reading for the part
of bar patron number six.Copy !req
211. - Mm-hmm.Copy !req
212. - All right,
so whenever you're ready.Copy !req
213. - Bud Light, please.Copy !req
214. - All right.
- Cool.Copy !req
215. - That's great.
You got the part.Copy !req
216. - Awesome.Copy !req
217. - As more and more actors
came in,Copy !req
218. the roles
were filling up nicely,Copy !req
219. and I was especially
blown awayCopy !req
220. by an actress
who nailed the part of Ellen.Copy !req
221. - You did not
just say that.Copy !req
222. - Yes, he did.Copy !req
223. - All right, here you go.Copy !req
224. - Thank you.Copy !req
225. - Excuse me, sweetheart.Copy !req
226. - Wow,
that was really good.Copy !req
227. With every role now cast,
I gave all my actors a weekCopy !req
228. to familiarize themselves
with the scriptCopy !req
229. and then brought them
to a church I rentedCopy !req
230. for three days
of intense group rehearsalCopy !req
231. over a holiday weekend.Copy !req
232. So ready and action.Copy !req
233. - It seemed like
most of my actorsCopy !req
234. had a pretty good handle
on their lines,Copy !req
235. and with a little bit
of practice,Copy !req
236. they were getting
closer to nailing the blockingCopy !req
237. of key action sequences that
happened on the original night.Copy !req
238. But as the rehearsal
went on, I became concernedCopy !req
239. about the performances
of my romantic leads.Copy !req
240. Their chemistry was the glue
holding this play together,Copy !req
241. but so far,
I wasn't buying it.Copy !req
242. So after the rest of the group
left that day,Copy !req
243. I kept the pair behind to work
with them one on one.Copy !req
244. - I'd wanna, like,Copy !req
245. personally give
your daughter a sibling.Copy !req
246. Now, I know
she'd be like, "Dad."Copy !req
247. - I would love
to do that for her.Copy !req
248. - I love you.Copy !req
249. - I love you too.Copy !req
250. - All right, stop.Copy !req
251. I really want this
to feel like a real connection,Copy !req
252. a real love story
between you guys,Copy !req
253. but I'm not getting
that sense right now.Copy !req
254. How about we try
an exercise, okay?Copy !req
255. - Okay.Copy !req
256. - Is that okay?
- Yeah, yeah, yeah.Copy !req
257. - So, Gabriel,
you stand up here.Copy !req
258. So let's try this.Copy !req
259. Look into my eyes and say,
"I love you."Copy !req
260. - Okay.Copy !req
261. I love you.Copy !req
262. - Okay, now I'm not
believing that at this point,Copy !req
263. so say it again.
- Okay.Copy !req
264. I love you.Copy !req
265. - Again.Copy !req
266. - I love you.Copy !req
267. - Again.Copy !req
268. - I love you.Copy !req
269. - Again.Copy !req
270. - I love you.Copy !req
271. - Again.Copy !req
272. - I love you.Copy !req
273. - Again.Copy !req
274. - I love you.Copy !req
275. - Again.
- I love you.Copy !req
276. - Again.Copy !req
277. - I love you.Copy !req
278. - Again.Copy !req
279. - I love you.Copy !req
280. - Again.Copy !req
281. - I love you.Copy !req
282. - Again.Copy !req
283. - You have tears
in your eyes, so...Copy !req
284. - Oh, really?Copy !req
285. - Yeah.Copy !req
286. - Oh, my God.
Sorry.Copy !req
287. Um, okay.Copy !req
288. See, that—
that felt real to me.Copy !req
289. - Good.Copy !req
290. - Did it feel more real
when you did it with meCopy !req
291. than when you did it
with him?Copy !req
292. - Um, well,
I did it more times with you.Copy !req
293. - Right, but it did?Copy !req
294. - Well, so yes, yes.Copy !req
295. - Okay, so it did,
more than with him.Copy !req
296. Okay, so...Copy !req
297. You understand?Copy !req
298. - Yeah.Copy !req
299. - And what did you learn
by watching that?Copy !req
300. - That she loves you.Copy !req
301. - Well, I mean, she's—
she's acting.Copy !req
302. Yeah.Copy !req
303. So that's good.
- Yeah.Copy !req
304. - So that's what we want
from the scene.Copy !req
305. We want that type of connection.
- Okay.Copy !req
306. - I mean, does that make sense?
- Yeah.Copy !req
307. - Great.
So let's, uh, let's try that.Copy !req
308. With my expert guidanceCopy !req
309. and a few more hours
of rehearsal,Copy !req
310. the chemistry between them
was now all too real.Copy !req
311. - I love you.Copy !req
312. - I love you too.Copy !req
313. - With the actors
in good shape,Copy !req
314. my crew and I
returned to the 1881 ClubCopy !req
315. to prepare
for the big premiere.Copy !req
316. Along with expanding
the audience sectionCopy !req
317. to seven seats,Copy !req
318. I added a selection
of branded merchandiseCopy !req
319. to maximize our revenueCopy !req
320. and increased
the cost of drinksCopy !req
321. to reflect theater prices.Copy !req
322. And after
a bit of promotion...Copy !req
323. It's a new play called
"Smokers Allowed."Copy !req
324. It's kind of
a slice of life.Copy !req
325. - Okay.
- Okay, hope to see you there.Copy !req
326. - Maybe, I don't know.
- Okay.Copy !req
327. It was finally time
for opening night.Copy !req
328. - I had no idea
if we'd get an audience,Copy !req
329. but as show time neared,
it looked likeCopy !req
330. we might have a sellout
on our hands,Copy !req
331. as a line comprised mostlyCopy !req
332. of family and friends
of the actorsCopy !req
333. began filling up the seats.Copy !req
334. Meanwhile, backstage was abuzz
with my cast running linesCopy !req
335. and getting
some final touch-ups.Copy !req
336. But before we could begin,
I still had the tough taskCopy !req
337. that I'd been putting off
of breaking the news to EllenCopy !req
338. that she didn't
get the part.Copy !req
339. So opening night.
- Yeah.Copy !req
340. - Are you excited?
- Yeah, I am.Copy !req
341. I'm looking forward to it.Copy !req
342. - Before we begin, I just want
to say your audition was great.Copy !req
343. - Thank you.Copy !req
344. - Unfortunately, it wasn't quite
what I was looking for,Copy !req
345. for the role
of female bar owner.Copy !req
346. - Right, no problem.
I understand.Copy !req
347. - Okay, so that being said,Copy !req
348. I'd like to introduce you
to Amy.Copy !req
349. She's the actress
that will be playing you.Copy !req
350. - All right.Copy !req
351. - And I think you'll find
she really honors the character.Copy !req
352. Amy, do you want to show her
a bit of your Ellen?Copy !req
353. - Nice to see you.
Can I get you a drink?Copy !req
354. - Yeah,
that sounds good.Copy !req
355. - All right,
so you guys want to switch out?Copy !req
356. - Okay.Copy !req
357. - Even though
Ellen wouldn't be in the play,Copy !req
358. I still wanted her
to enjoy the show,Copy !req
359. which is why
I had a front-row seatCopy !req
360. in the audience reserved
especially for her.Copy !req
361. With just a few minutes
until show time,Copy !req
362. I had a final look-over
to ensure that every propCopy !req
363. and every actor was
in the exact right position,Copy !req
364. and once the scene was set,
we were ready to begin.Copy !req
365. Hello, everyone.
- Hello.Copy !req
366. - Thank you—
thank you so much for coming.Copy !req
367. We're very excited.Copy !req
368. I'm always hesitant
to say too muchCopy !req
369. 'cause I don't want
to spoil anything,Copy !req
370. but I'll just say
I hope you enjoy this playCopy !req
371. as much as we enjoyed
making it.Copy !req
372. So, without further ado,
"Smokers Allowed."Copy !req
373. - It was
such an amazing feelingCopy !req
374. to see my play finally launch,
and 20 minutes in,Copy !req
375. it was clear
our rehearsals had paid off,Copy !req
376. as my actors were able to stay
faithful to the original night,Copy !req
377. matching the dialogue
and actionsCopy !req
378. as closely as possible.Copy !req
379. - But instead
I stay at home,Copy !req
380. and I watch "The Real Housewives
of New York City."Copy !req
381. Have you ever seen that?Copy !req
382. - And I could sense
that the audienceCopy !req
383. was really connecting
with their performance.Copy !req
384. My romantic leads
had finally found a chemistryCopy !req
385. that felt as genuine
as the loveCopy !req
386. that real-life couple
they were playing shared.Copy !req
387. But all this
would mean nothingCopy !req
388. if the play's climax
didn't land,Copy !req
389. the guy showing off
his skateboard deckCopy !req
390. while a three-person selfie
happened at the same time.Copy !req
391. The audience was on the edge
of their seats,Copy !req
392. craving something to put this
over the top,Copy !req
393. and I'm happy to say
we delivered.Copy !req
394. It was a strong first showing
for the entire cast,Copy !req
395. and I was hopeful this would be
a real money-makerCopy !req
396. for the 1881 Club.Copy !req
397. So once the play was done
and the cast took their bows,Copy !req
398. I felt compelled
to express my gratitudeCopy !req
399. for everyone's support.Copy !req
400. Ah.Copy !req
401. Thank you so much
for coming out.Copy !req
402. On behalf of the cast
and myself,Copy !req
403. we're so amazed
at this turnout.Copy !req
404. Now even though
a lot of the charactersCopy !req
405. you saw in the play tonight
were smoking,Copy !req
406. it's important
to remember that smokingCopy !req
407. does kill over 400,000 Americans
per year.Copy !req
408. Another 8.6 million
live with a serious illnessCopy !req
409. that was caused by smoking
or secondhand smoke.Copy !req
410. So think before you light up.Copy !req
411. Thank you so much
for coming out, and good night.Copy !req
412. My play was
a bona fide success,Copy !req
413. and I was so proud of my castCopy !req
414. for giving
such a memorable performanceCopy !req
415. the audience
would never forget.Copy !req
416. - I would probably not
recommend it to anybodyCopy !req
417. as far as saying
it's a really good show.Copy !req
418. - The response
was overwhelming,Copy !req
419. but the only opinion that
really mattered was Ellen's.Copy !req
420. So once the bar cleared out,Copy !req
421. I nervously checked in with her
to get her thoughts.Copy !req
422. So, um...Copy !req
423. what did you think
of the play?Copy !req
424. - It was okay.Copy !req
425. It was a little boring as far
as I was concerned, but...Copy !req
426. - So you didn't like it?Copy !req
427. - Not particularly.Copy !req
428. It wasn't—it just wasn't—Copy !req
429. they were
just sitting there.Copy !req
430. Nobody was really
doing anything.Copy !req
431. - So does that mean you're not
going to keep doing it here?Copy !req
432. - I doubt it.Copy !req
433. Seriously doubt it.Copy !req
434. Our customers come in here
to watch sports, watch TV,Copy !req
435. not just to sit and watch
somebody sit there smoking.Copy !req
436. - All right, well...Copy !req
437. I appreciate your honesty.Copy !req
438. - I appreciate you trying.Copy !req
439. - Ellen saying she didn't want
to do my play anymoreCopy !req
440. was the ultimate blow.Copy !req
441. After all my hard work,
I felt sad and rejected.Copy !req
442. But I realized that maybe
there was still a wayCopy !req
443. to get the feeling
I was hoping for.Copy !req
444. So... what'd you think
of the play?Copy !req
445. - I thought it was brilliant.
- Really?Copy !req
446. - Yeah, I really did.Copy !req
447. - And you're gonna
keep doing it here?Copy !req
448. - Without a doubt.Copy !req
449. - So you really liked it?Copy !req
450. - I loved it.Copy !req
451. - Say that again.Copy !req
452. - I loved it.Copy !req
453. - Again.Copy !req
454. - I loved it.Copy !req
455. - Say it again.Copy !req
456. I knew this wasn't real,
but her looking at meCopy !req
457. in the eyes...
- I loved it.Copy !req
458. - And saying these words
was strangely satisfying.Copy !req
459. Like, I know it's fake,Copy !req
460. but it feels really good
to—to hear.Copy !req
461. - It's not fake.Copy !req
462. I loved it.Copy !req
463. - They say reality
is what you make of it,Copy !req
464. so in a world
that's cruel and hurtful,Copy !req
465. who's to say
mine can't be nice?Copy !req
466. Okay, thanks.Copy !req
467. - Well, congratulations
and good luck.Copy !req
468. - Hit me—hit me
in the back with it, dude.Copy !req
469. Seriously, come on.
- I just want to be home.Copy !req
470. - Neither were we.Copy !req
471. - We actually saw some guy
with a PBR grip tape.Copy !req
472. - Really?
- Yeah.Copy !req
473. - Awesome.Copy !req
474. He was just talking
about that too.Copy !req
475. - Hanging out
with a mail-order bride?Copy !req
476. - Oh, look,
this one's doing them too.Copy !req
477. - At least you know
you have a place.Copy !req