FDR'S VERY HAPPY HOUR To Receive Industry Readings As Part Of APAP

HIGH HARD HEAT will present special industry presentations of FDR's Very Happy Hour on Friday, January 9 at 3pm, Saturday, January 10 at 10am, Sunday, January 11 at 10am, and Monday, January 12 at 1pm at The Jerry Orbach Theater at The Theater Center as part of APAP 2026. Space is limited.

Industry members can request more information from Tour Booking Manager Megan Carter. This immersive civics experiment conceived by Regan Linton and M. Graham Smith asks: how might FDR's triumphs and failures illuminate our own civic health?

Inspired by Franklin Delano Roosevelt's tradition of hosting nearly daily cocktail hours at the White House-welcoming folks from different backgrounds to sip martinis, laugh, and connect-this 90-minute play (no intermission) mixes humor and history to build community in challenging times. As FDR invites us to ponder life, a complicated legacy, and the pursuit of connection, strangers become friends-and perhaps, together, we can find ways to talk with our neighbors again. Combining eclectic elements including game-show trivia, personal reflections on polio and disability, "cozy" activities for guests to engage with each other, a different "changemaker" from the local community for each performance, and surprise guests, FDR's VERY HAPPY HOUR strategically unfolds to both highlight the successes and missteps of an accomplished leader (who, by the way, lived with a significant disability), and also invite guests to engage and reflect honestly on the challenges and possibilities of their own lives. The show is designed with a uniquely comprehensive accessibility aesthetic, which includes multimodal communication (spoken English, American Sign Language, and gestural communication), captioning, audio description, ASL interpretation, and open seating options for mobility and sensory needs.

FDR's Very Happy Hour was originally commissioned by PAC NYC, and has been workshopped at Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Arena Stage, The Kennedy Center, American Conservatory Theater, Washington Center for Performing Arts, and Actors Theatre of Louisville.