Paul Blart 3: Blart of Darkness

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Alan Talaga

Cast members of "Paul Blart 3: Blart of Darkness."

Sibley, Adrian Beyer, Anthony Cary and Joel Davidson (from left) in "Paul Blart 3: Blart of Darkness," Broom Street Theater, 2023.

In a not-too-distant future, one woman tries to bring society back together after the collapse by creating a traditional gathering place: the mall. But who will protect this fledgling enterprise? From the mind of Madison comedian and writer Alan Talaga comes Paul Blart 3: Blart of Darkness, finally making it to the Broom Street Theater stage for a full production after a few years' delay courtesy of COVID. Shows are at 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, Nov. 3-18, plus 2 p.m. on Nov. 12 and 19.

Oct. 16 update: Thanks, Covid. 

Due to a Covid outbreak among the cast, Broom Street will be rescheduling the run of Paul Blart 3: Blart Of Darkness. The show will now open on November 3 and close November 19. 

media release: Broom Street Theater is proud to present Paul Blart 3: Blart of Darkness written by Alan Talaga and directed by Doug Reed.

Paul Blart 3: Blart of Darkness is a post-apocalyptic tale that takes place ten years after the collapse of society. All that remains of humanity is a scattering of isolated villages. From the ashes, one brave woman tries to restart civilization by building a place where people can once again come together: a shopping mall. But the warlords who thrive in chaos want to destroy this new mall before it can even open. To save the mall, to save humanity itself, she will need to find and recruit the greatest mall cop the world has ever known.

This is the first play by Alan Talaga, a Madison comedian and writer. While he has never seen either of the Paul Blart films, Talaga says he was inspired by the trend of media franchises that won’t let their heroes retire. "From Captain Picard to Indiana Jones, we’ve seen every aging pop culture hero trotted out for one last adventure. I thought it would be funny to give that legacy sequel treatment to Paul Blart." says Talaga. 

Even before the script was completed, director Doug Reed was eager to be involved with the show. “Back in 2019, Alan put up a Facebook post talking about a Paul Blart dream he'd had, and the outline of a play he'd written. I loved the idea, and swore an oath that if he completed the script, we'd produce it at Broom Street," says Reed. "Four years, and several covid outbreaks later, we're finally here!"

Bringing the script to life onstage is a talented cast that includes: Amy Rowland, Meaghan Heires, Kyla Vaughan, Sibley, Adrian Beyer, Joel Davidson, Shivam Patel, and Anthony Cary as the mysterious Booker Walden. Reed says, “I can't wait to see this ensemble come together. We have some very talented, very funny people in this cast.”

An equally incredible design crew is working on this show including music by Andrew Rohn, fight choreography by Stephen Montagna, sound design by Ron Collins, lighting design by Taylor Kokinos, and set design by Christa Dahman. “I thought some of my ideas were too grandiose to do at Broom Street but, under Doug’s direction, this team has gone beyond anything I originally imagined. Christa Dahman’s set design is unreal, she’s spent months hoarding literal trash in order to realize a world made of scavenged scraps,” says Talaga.

Performances begin at 8pm Thursday - Saturday night from November 3 - November 18. Two Sunday matinees have been scheduled for November 12 & 19 at 2pm. Advance tickets are available at www.bstonline.org. 

Broom Street Theater is located at 1119 Williamson St, Madison, WI 53703. The theater always reserves a block of seats for walk-up audience members. Walk-up tickets are always Pay-What-You-Can. "Even if the website says we're sold out," says Reed, "we're not sold out. You can always get in line at the theater and see the most affordable show in town."