MISCHIEF AT THE BEST WESTERN; OR, THE INDISPOSED SEX SLAVE OF VALDEZ

by Craig Houk

Dark Comedy • 1 Female, 2 Male • Playlet • ~10 Mins

After closing his tab at a hotel bar in Valdez, Alaska, visiting playwright Elliot Rhodes is intercepted by an eccentric local couple, Mavis Hemingway, who claims to be related to Ernest, and her Wyoming transplant companion, Silas McCrea, who insists he met her while she was hunting bears by pretending to be one. Over one last drink, their stories grow...

Dark Comedy • 1 Female, 2 Male • Playlet • ~10 Mins

After closing his tab at a hotel bar in Valdez, Alaska, visiting playwright Elliot Rhodes is intercepted by an eccentric local couple, Mavis Hemingway, who claims to be related to Ernest, and her Wyoming transplant companion, Silas McCrea, who insists he met her while she was hunting bears by pretending to be one. Over one last drink, their stories grow stranger, their observations become increasingly personal, and their invitation becomes harder to dismiss. As Mavis and Silas reveal the peculiar life they've built together, and the unusual qualities they admired in the men who came before him, Elliot must decide whether curiosity is worth the risk. A dark comedy about loneliness, storytelling, and the irresistible pull of people who are just a little too interesting to ignore.

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MISCHIEF AT THE BEST WESTERN; OR, THE INDISPOSED SEX SLAVE OF VALDEZ

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  • Sache (Steven) Satta: MISCHIEF AT THE BEST WESTERN; OR, THE INDISPOSED SEX SLAVE OF VALDEZ by Craig Houk
    “

    This play slaps. Literally. Elliot should clearly run as far as he can from Mavis and Silas, but instead he stays and makes us complicit in his macabre fascination with them. They are sinister, alluring, and repulsive simultaneously. I dare anyone to read or watch this play from any other position but the edge of their seat.

    This play slaps. Literally. Elliot should clearly run as far as he can from Mavis and Silas, but instead he stays and makes us complicit in his macabre fascination with them. They are sinister, alluring, and repulsive simultaneously. I dare anyone to read or watch this play from any other position but the edge of their seat.

    ”
  • Charles Scott Jones: MISCHIEF AT THE BEST WESTERN; OR, THE INDISPOSED SEX SLAVE OF VALDEZ by Craig Houk
    “

    The mix of cool and creepy is even better when you realize that MISCHIEF AT THE BEST WESTERN does to you the reader what Mavis and Silas do to Eliott, hold you transfixed with ominous suggestive storytelling. Without ever sounding preachy or pedantic, Craig Houk has written an exemplary playwright's play, a worthy offshoot of said conference. Writing long speeches that work so well with the fast dialogue is the craft lesson I can glean from this masterly horror story of implication. [7-19-26]

    The mix of cool and creepy is even better when you realize that MISCHIEF AT THE BEST WESTERN does to you the reader what Mavis and Silas do to Eliott, hold you transfixed with ominous suggestive storytelling. Without ever sounding preachy or pedantic, Craig Houk has written an exemplary playwright's play, a worthy offshoot of said conference. Writing long speeches that work so well with the fast dialogue is the craft lesson I can glean from this masterly horror story of implication. [7-19-26]

    ”
  • John Busser: MISCHIEF AT THE BEST WESTERN; OR, THE INDISPOSED SEX SLAVE OF VALDEZ by Craig Houk
    “

    07.18.26 - There's a line on page 2 of this play that really resonated with me. It's not a line of dialogue but in the stage directions speaking of Elliot - "he's caught between exhaustion, intoxication, and the undeniable temptation to see where this is going." This perfectly encapsulates how you should go into a Craig Houk play. This one intrigues even as it makes you ready yourself for the inevitable dropkick you know is going to keep you up at night. Funny and creepy at the same time.

    07.18.26 - There's a line on page 2 of this play that really resonated with me. It's not a line of dialogue but in the stage directions speaking of Elliot - "he's caught between exhaustion, intoxication, and the undeniable temptation to see where this is going." This perfectly encapsulates how you should go into a Craig Houk play. This one intrigues even as it makes you ready yourself for the inevitable dropkick you know is going to keep you up at night. Funny and creepy at the same time.

    ”
View all 9 recommendations
ELLIOT RHODES Male, Mid-50s, Any Race
MAVIS HEMINGWAY Female, Early 40s, Any Race
SILAS MCCREA Male, Early 40s, Any Race