Why would they release this in only 34 theaters??

I'm surprised it got that wide a release, only 6 theatres less than 'Star Wars' (1977). I'm going to assume 33 of them were in NYC, probably including the same venue where Taymor's live version was staged. How many other films featuring this level of violence (rape, torture, dismemberment, impalement, spooning, stabbing, human sacrifice, desecration of corpses, cannibalism) have had wider releases? However appealing you may find this film, however stimulating you might find its action or content, whatever enjoyment you may personally derive from it, you cannot possibly consider it mainstream entertainment. Neither do film distributors.