Feast

by Adam Hunter Howard

In 1925, a young Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald, fresh off of The Great Gatsby's debut, took a memorable road trip from Lyon to Paris, as chronicled, both humorously and sincerely, in Hemingway's posthumously-published text, A Moveable Feast. The late work not only reflected on Hemingway's expat experience in “Jazz Age” Paris, but also tipped its cap to some of the characters and adventures that were...

In 1925, a young Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald, fresh off of The Great Gatsby's debut, took a memorable road trip from Lyon to Paris, as chronicled, both humorously and sincerely, in Hemingway's posthumously-published text, A Moveable Feast. The late work not only reflected on Hemingway's expat experience in “Jazz Age” Paris, but also tipped its cap to some of the characters and adventures that were brought to life in his masterpiece The Sun Also Rises (1926).

Cut to 2023, nearly one hundred years later. Jack, a passionate fan and scholar of the “Lost Generation,” is in Lyon for his best pal, Dexter's, wedding. But first, there's an opportunity: a relic of literary history, lost a century ago, has resurfaced. Will Jack come away with the prize, and at what cost? Will Dexter, a jazz guitarist and man in search of deeper answers of identity, make peace with his clouded past? Two eras converge on stage, side-by-side, perhaps even...overlapping.

Feast is a play about generations - those we've honored, those we've lost, and those we never knew.

Feast was developed at the Road Theatre Company, as part of the Under Construction 3 playwriting cohort.

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Feast

Recommended by

  • Shayne Eastin: Feast

    It's easy to fall in love with the characters and situation in this wonderful play. Howard has a knack for exploring the complexities of friendship and relationships through specific and clever dialogue. The Hemingway and Fitzgerald scenes inspire so many laugh out loud giggles, and you'll just love going on Jack and Dexter's road trip...and you'll especially love where it ends. Such an adventure-must be staged immediately!

    It's easy to fall in love with the characters and situation in this wonderful play. Howard has a knack for exploring the complexities of friendship and relationships through specific and clever dialogue. The Hemingway and Fitzgerald scenes inspire so many laugh out loud giggles, and you'll just love going on Jack and Dexter's road trip...and you'll especially love where it ends. Such an adventure-must be staged immediately!

  • Tira Palmquist: Feast

    What a great ride! What I love about this play is that Howard weaves the present and the past so masterfully -- and, in fact, present and past colliding both metaphorically and dramatically. Jack and Dexter (in France for Dexter's wedding) embark on a road trip inspired by Fitzgerald and Hemingway -- Jack, in the hopes of securing some long lost Hemingway manuscripts, Dexter, to ensure his friends safety and sanity. The themes of loss, of legacy, of identity are rich and resonant.

    What a great ride! What I love about this play is that Howard weaves the present and the past so masterfully -- and, in fact, present and past colliding both metaphorically and dramatically. Jack and Dexter (in France for Dexter's wedding) embark on a road trip inspired by Fitzgerald and Hemingway -- Jack, in the hopes of securing some long lost Hemingway manuscripts, Dexter, to ensure his friends safety and sanity. The themes of loss, of legacy, of identity are rich and resonant.

  • Ryan Elliot Wilson: Feast

    Reports of the English major's demise have been greatly exaggerated! This is a play for all the scarf-donning, cafe sipping, cheap red drinkers. Howard's use of Hemingway and Fitzgerald to frame a contemporary friendship between two men who are asking key questions about the purpose and authenticity of their lives is a wonderfully fun device. It's also a highly impressive balancing act of tone--never taking itself too seriously while offering the audience universal thematic connection. A fun night at the theater!

    Reports of the English major's demise have been greatly exaggerated! This is a play for all the scarf-donning, cafe sipping, cheap red drinkers. Howard's use of Hemingway and Fitzgerald to frame a contemporary friendship between two men who are asking key questions about the purpose and authenticity of their lives is a wonderfully fun device. It's also a highly impressive balancing act of tone--never taking itself too seriously while offering the audience universal thematic connection. A fun night at the theater!

Character Information

  • Jack
    Character Age
    Late 30s
    Character Race/Ethnic Identity
    White
    Character Gender Identity
    Male
  • Dexter
    Character Age
    Late 30s
    Character Race/Ethnic Identity
    Black / African-American
    Character Gender Identity
    Male
  • F. Scott Fitzgerald
    The author in 1925
    Character Age
    Late 20s
    Character Race/Ethnic Identity
    White
  • Ernest Hemingway
    The author in 1925
    Character Age
    Late 20s
    Character Race/Ethnic Identity
    White
  • Laura
    Doubles as ZELDA FITZGERALD
    Character Age
    Late 30s
    Character Race/Ethnic Identity
    Open ethnicity
    Character Gender Identity
    Female
  • The Frenchman
    Transcends eras; plays Bellhop, Waiter, Mechanic, Rental Car Agent, Curator, Hotel Manager, Room Attendant, and Server (all with French accent, except where indicated)
    Character Age
    Ageless

Development History