The Speed The Plow producers reacted brilliantly, finding great replacements and making snarky comments about Piven to the media. My favorite was playwright David Mament's line, "I talked to Jeremy on the phone, and he told me that he discovered that he had a very high level of mercury. So my understanding is that he is leaving show business to pursue a career as a thermometer."
Now, the producers plan to file for arbitration against Piven for his early departure. The production did recoup it's investment.
Below is a chart showing blog trends of American Buffalo (In Blue) and Speed The Plow (Orange), they both played on Broadway at the same time. The blue line gives you an idea of the press attention a typical Broadway play can expect, the orange is irregular.
You see that huge orange spike in mid-December? That's everyone talking about Piven leaving the show. You see that spike in late October? That's the show's Broadway opening, organized by marketing, advertising, and publicity experts.
It's clear that Piven leaving the show was a larger story than Piven doing the show. You can't buy that kind of publicity. I'd cast Piven in anything I produce, as long as he promises not to finish the run.
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