SMOKING FAGS ON A ROOFTOP

by Craig Houk

Dystopian Satirical Drama • 3 Male, 1 Male/Trans Male • Playlet • ~10 Mins

On a smoke-choked London rooftop, three young, impeccably pink-clad men pass the time with cigarettes and brittle optimism while a new fascist regime cages others below and inexplicably spares them above. Convinced they are being preserved for their “usefulness” and cultural sparkle, Kemper, Logan, and Merrick rationalize their relative...

Dystopian Satirical Drama • 3 Male, 1 Male/Trans Male • Playlet • ~10 Mins

On a smoke-choked London rooftop, three young, impeccably pink-clad men pass the time with cigarettes and brittle optimism while a new fascist regime cages others below and inexplicably spares them above. Convinced they are being preserved for their “usefulness” and cultural sparkle, Kemper, Logan, and Merrick rationalize their relative comfort even as the air grows hotter and the moral cost of their survival becomes harder to ignore. When Vince, an older outsider misplaced by a clerical error, joins them with a book and a blunt awareness of reality, their self-congratulatory logic begins to unravel. As smoke thickens and the truth becomes unavoidable, the playlet exposes the peril of complacency, the seduction of perceived exceptionalism, and the illusion that anyone can remain untouched while the world burns.

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SMOKING FAGS ON A ROOFTOP

Recommended by

  • Scott Sickles: SMOKING FAGS ON A ROOFTOP by Craig Houk
    “

    I have a phobia about smoking. (It's called capnophobia - Google it.) As such it's EXTREMELY difficult for me to endure even references to it without agitation or nausea. It is a testament to Houk's skill that I made it through all ten minutes! The play perfectly captures that "eye of the inferno at the end of the world" vibe. While, the characters are all gorgeously rendered, I especially loved Vince who strives to reach a poetically beautiful objective while the world runs down the clock. Exquisite!

    I have a phobia about smoking. (It's called capnophobia - Google it.) As such it's EXTREMELY difficult for me to endure even references to it without agitation or nausea. It is a testament to Houk's skill that I made it through all ten minutes! The play perfectly captures that "eye of the inferno at the end of the world" vibe. While, the characters are all gorgeously rendered, I especially loved Vince who strives to reach a poetically beautiful objective while the world runs down the clock. Exquisite!

    ”
  • David Adam Gill: SMOKING FAGS ON A ROOFTOP by Craig Houk
    “

    Complacency has it's consequences. In Craig Houk's dark dystopian comedy we find ourselves at first laughingly entertained by it's three protagonists. We know them. We may be them. The golden boys; the chosen. But as the play moves forward (and the night sky starts to glow eerily brighter) we slowly learn we've been duped and, along with our trio of characters, begin to realize that the higher the elevation the more devastating the fall, and the horrible cost of inaction. Highly recommended.

    Complacency has it's consequences. In Craig Houk's dark dystopian comedy we find ourselves at first laughingly entertained by it's three protagonists. We know them. We may be them. The golden boys; the chosen. But as the play moves forward (and the night sky starts to glow eerily brighter) we slowly learn we've been duped and, along with our trio of characters, begin to realize that the higher the elevation the more devastating the fall, and the horrible cost of inaction. Highly recommended.

    ”
  • Caden Barley: SMOKING FAGS ON A ROOFTOP by Craig Houk
    “

    After seeing recommendation upon recommendation of "Smoking Fags on a Rooftop," I couldn't resist reading it myself...and I'm ashamed to say it took me this long. Houk's writing is direct yet real, and the content alludes to both a disastrous past and scarily-encroaching future, should we get complacent with the present. I don't love the term "modern day classic," but if there ever was one, this feels like it's it!

    After seeing recommendation upon recommendation of "Smoking Fags on a Rooftop," I couldn't resist reading it myself...and I'm ashamed to say it took me this long. Houk's writing is direct yet real, and the content alludes to both a disastrous past and scarily-encroaching future, should we get complacent with the present. I don't love the term "modern day classic," but if there ever was one, this feels like it's it!

    ”
View all 15 recommendations
KEMPER Male, 20s, Any Race
LOGAN Male, 20s, Any Race
MERRICK Male, 20s, Any Race
VINCE Male/Trans Male, 40s, Any Race