George V. Higgins' The Friends of Eddie Coyle

Since it was published in 1972, George V. Higgins' The Friends of Eddie Coyle has set the bar by which all badass Boston crime stories are measured.  Written by a master of dialogue and a federal prosecutor, the dialogue sounds as if it was pulled from wiretaps and the story is among the most realistic, unforgiving, portrayals of criminals ever written.

We're launching a world premirre of the first stage adaptation of The Friends of Eddie Coyle, bringing the dialogue, the characters, and perhaps the most realistic depiction of crime's underbelly to the stage.  We open at Oberon, Harvard Square, in December -- and we're seeking funds to ensure tickets remain affordable so we can tell this one of a kind story in a new way, to a new audience.

Eddie Coyle is a couple of weeks away from a jail sentence for trucking stolen booze, and making some money supplying guns to a crew of bank robbers.  He's trying to stay alive and out of jail among his friends: robbers, bartenders, cops, rats, and hitmen.

Elmore Leonard called it the best crime novel ever written.  Writers from David Mamet to Quentin Tarantino learned from the use of dialogue.  And no one has captured the character, the humor, and the poetry of the Boston dialect as well, before or since. 

Performed live, in a nightclub style theater, the story can unfold all around the audience.  A story of lies and betrayal at the lowest rungs of the crimnal underworld. 

No fake accents -- Local talent

We're casting locally grown, experienced actors to bring this story to life and be true to the time and place where it's set:  greater Boston, winter of 1969-70.  The play swirls around from neighborhood bars, to supermarket parking lots, to a trailer park in Orange, to banks, to the Boston Garden to watch Bobby Orr play. 

And this is why we're asking for help.  To bring the story to life properly, it takes a crew of eleven actors, lighting designers, sound techs, costume designers, and set designers to do justice to the story.  All of these people will be working diligently to produce a quality show, and bring The Friends of Eddie Coyle to new audiences.

All funds raised support these professionals and produce a quality and affordable show for greater Boston.

December 8 - Jan. 15

We will run for 11 performances at Oberon, Harvard Square -- and ticket prices will largely be determined by the success of our fundraising.  All contributors -- at any amount - will be listed in the program as A Friend of Eddie Coyle and we make no bones about it:  You helped make the show possible. 

We mean business

Got a business and want to advertise in our program?  We'd love to talk to you.  Send us an email at admin@stickballproductions.com or call 857.756.7056 for advertising and sponsorship information.

Make Eddie New Friends

If you can give, we thank you.  If you can't, we ain't mad at ya.  There's other ways to help. 

Post this link on your Facebook page with a nudge to your friends.  Tweet us.  Email your friends.

Whether they give, or decide to come to the show -- that's enormous -- we thank you in advance. 

Got a lot of time and not a lot of money?  There are volunteer opportunities to see the show for free.  Email us at admin@stickballproductions.com. 

Come see The Friends of Eddie Coyle in December

Most important:  Oberon, Harvard Square, December 8 through January 15.  The bar's open throughout the performance,  Tickets will be on sale in November -- get on the mailing list at admin@stickballproductions.com

We're looking forward to seeing you there.

Thank you

On behalf of all of us at Stickball Productions, Inc. -- thank you!