Straight down the center, boys. Look left. Guard the right.

The Unfortunates is a darkly comic musical set against the backdrop of war and plague, about the pains of loss, the search for salvation and our ability to love in times of adversity, all steeped in a red-hot score of gospel, hip-hop and blues. Created by Jon Beavers, Casey Hurt, Ian Merrigan and Ramiz Monsef, with additional material by Pulitzer Prize finalist Kristoffer Diaz (The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity), The Unfortunates was originally developed and produced by The Oregon Shakespeare Festival and later by American Conservatory Theater.

"The Unfortunates convinces us that any great challenge can be faced with dignity, grace, and compassion." - Oregon Shakespeare Festival

"There are rare times when live theater transcends reality and becomes believably magical. The Unfortunates... plays like a dream, a dream that plays into the hearts and souls of its characters and its audiences." - Herald and News

Big Joe McKinney— gambler, brawler, and life of the party— can solve any problem with his fists. Until he can’t. Chasing after the beautiful Rae, Joe’s bravado lands him and his two best friends on the front lines of a terrible war where they are captured and sentenced to be executed. Awaiting death, the friends begin to sing their favorite song- The St James Infirmary Blues. Unable to face the end or bare the weight of his responsibility, Joe cowers and can’t sing. When he’s knocked unconscious, Joe’s mind transports him into the world of the song— a fever dream where he must save Rae, mourn his friends, and face fate all while battling an evil doctor, confronting a vicious gambler, and fighting to keep everyone he loves out of St James.