QUEEN FOR A DAY at The Tank

American fashion designer Halston is down on his luck. He's packing up his chic-as-hell Olympic Tower office for reasons he doesn't want to discuss. To make matters worse, Elizabeth I is knocking on his door. Yes, Elizabeth I, whose reign as Queen of England ended in 1603. But it's 1984 in New York City. All that time spent at Studio 54 might be starting to catch up to him. Elizabeth I demands that he make her a new gown to die in. Oh, and she needs it by the end of the day. Halston agrees, and the unlikely pair moves forward with the design of a lifetime. That is, until Halston’s best friend, Liza Minnelli, shows up seeking help with her new act.

QUEEN FOR A DAY is "a spectacular high-concept comedy" (Chicago Reader) that "thrives on a kind of elegant chaos, where glamour and grief collide" (Newcity Stage). "Brilliant... The humor, the bite and the energy level of this play all revs up to an exhilaratingly exciting production. Smith’s play constantly tops itself at every turn" (Chicago Theatre Review).

QUEEN FOR A DAY premiered in 2025 at the Bramble Arts Loft in Chicago, presented by Hell in a Handbag Productions.