- Staged at 12 Miles West Theatre
- from May. 20th − June 12th, 2005
- Written by John Wooten
- Directed by Lenny Bart
- Lighting Designer: Sean Hennessy
- Scenic Designer: Jessica Parks
- Costume Design: Liz Zazzi
- Starring: Heather Tom
About the Play Happy Hour:
In its new home, a former Bloomfield vaudeville and movie house built more than 90 years ago, 12 Miles West winds up its season with John Wooten's volatile barroom drama "Happy Hour." Unfolding in roadside New Mexico, somewhere between El Paso and Los Cruces, dreams are shattered and violence erupts among a seedy assemblage of local losers and an innocent traveler. Cutting direction and sharply defined acting give the drama a compelling thrust.
Synopsis of Happy Hour:
Frank (Sam Kitchin), owner of the Desert Cocktail Lounge, a tacky topless saloon on a remote strip of rural highway, is anxiously awaiting state approval for a gambling license to revitalize his floundering business. He has unwisely enlisted necessary additional funding from ruthless prairie biker Beck (Jimmy Gushue). An innocent traveling college journalist (Paul Reisman) stumbles into the nest of vipers when his car overheats, and finds some comfort with the barkeep's comely daughter, Jenn, acted with fetching allure by Heather Tom.
Above text by Robert L Daniels & courtesy of Variety.com
Lighting Design Concept for Happy Hour:
A dingey roadside topless joint is the sole setting for the gritty Happy Hour. The bar lighting is realistic and dim: neon bar signs, a cigarette machine and the corner juke box provide noticable illumination for the joint, and dirty overhead fixtures leave dim shadowy corners. You can see thick, acrid smoke in the air and the brightest light onstage comes throogh the solitary window off stage left. The only real color onstage is provided by the slowly flashing lights that draw attention to the unfortunate strippers occupying the dance floor.
Return to the Lighting Design Page
Printer Friendly Version