Happy Hour: A Staged Reading of Short Plays Set in Bars

Curated by Maria Burnham
Playwrights: DC Cathro, Scott Carter Cooper, Rishi Chowdhary, Bruce Karp, Alli Hartley-Kong, Annie Hogan, Karissa Murrell Myers and James Nelson
Directors: Justin Broom, Maria Burnham, Sean Harklerode, Kaeli Meno, Khnemu Menu-Ra, Zoe Sjogerman, John Gleason Teske and Alexis Vaselopulos

In March, Ghostlight Ensemble will present a staged reading of short plays with one thing in common — they’re all set in bars. The setting for this event will be, naturally, a bar. So, join us as at My Buddy’s as we raise a glass to a playwright’s favorite haunt (and favorite setting for plays, apparently — we received over 300 script submissions and they’re still rolling in).

Happy Hour features primarily writers from the greater Chicago area, but also submissions from Washington, D.C., North Carolina and Florida.

The eight stories that make up the show include tales of new loves, old loves, connections new and old, grief, joy and craft beer.

Selected scripts include:

  • The Last Pub in Burtonsville, NY by DC Cathro. Late Christmas Eve at a shut-down bar, two people come to say goodbye to the business in very different ways. An unconventional Christmas tale.

  • PS I Love You, Gerard Butler - Scott Carter Cooper. A funny story of grief and the impact Hollywood has on the process.

  • Mind the Gap by Rishi Chowdhary. A group of people find commonalities as they mind the generational gap at a bar one evening.

  • Swiping Right by Bruce Karp. Two friends, a gay man and a straight woman, feeling old and invisible, lament their frustrated love lives in a gay bar...on Wet Underwear Night.

  • The Grape Nerds Reunion by Alli Hartley-Kong. Mike and Alyssa are connected by a past he can’t remember. When they meet at a high school reunion, Alyssa confides in Mike her mental health history — and he realizes the impact an encounter from a decade ago could have.

  • LOL by Annie Hogan. Gus and Eleanor have a budding online relationship and have decided to take the leap to an in-person meeting.  Gus, afraid of disappointing Eleanor, brings Aiden, a digital communication liaison, to their date.  The couple explores what it means to connect in person versus online.

  • Jury Selection by Karissa Murrell Myers. Jesse is in Florida, defending one of the most hated men in America. When his ex, Raina, surprises him with a job offer in Chicago, will he take it? Based on the real-life events surrounding the trial of Parkland shooter Nikolas Cruz.

  • Beer Culture by James Nelson. Two craft beer connoisseurs have their evening ruined by a guy with terrible taste.

Details
Where: My Buddy’s (4416 North Clark St., Chicago, IL 60640)
When: Tuesday, March 18, 2025
What time: 7 p.m.
How Much: Suggested donation of $5 at the door that will help pay for our upcoming mainstage show Drink the Past Dry.