The Hole in the Coffin

The Hole in the Coffin is a 50-minute story told through words and music by Nick Jaina about a strange experience he had in New Orleans of going to the funeral of his hero and ending up inside the coffin with a gun and a bible. He tries to unravel the information he is given, reconnect with his former love, and piece together the perfect love song.

Music Highlights

Show Basics

On stage right is a hollow-body electric guitar on a guitar stand. On stage left is a piano. In the middle is an open space. 

Nick walks on stage and picks up the electric guitar. He plays a sad sweet melody, loops it and layers expressive distorted guitar over it. He puts the guitar back on its stand, stands and looks at it and tells a story.

The story is about Nick's love for a New Orleans singer named Charlie King. He tells of how he moved to New Orleans to be closer to that music, which is where he fell in love with a girl named Natalie. When that relationship didn't work out, he left town. Later his guitar was stolen on the same day he found out that Charlie King committed suicide. Nick decided to come back to New Orleans for the funeral.

When he gets to town, Nick gets a ride from a cabbie who tells him that Charlie King was actually murdered. Nick shakes this off as crazy, but starts to believe it after he's dropped off and a cop car pulls up asking him what he was talking about with the cab driver.

Nick is told different things by these two men. Nick alternates between sitting at the piano and standing center stage, interspersing songs and offering a soundtrack to what is going on. 

Eventually Simon reveals his plan: He asks Nick to get in Charlie's empty coffin with a gun, where he will avenge his murder during the funeral parade.

Upcoming Performances

November 20 - 23, 2014
New Orleans Fringe Festival
at Siberia
2227 St. Claude
New Orleans, LA

January 24, 2015
Push Festival
at Performance Center
Vancouver, Canada