Checking In
© 2005 by Brian Hampton
SYNOPSIS
Checking In is the story of six remarkably different friends struggling to make their way in the world. Reuniting for a weekend in Atlantic City, they take a look at the past, present, and future. Through laughter, tears, and self-discovery they ultimately see the heartfelt truth … friendship has turned into family.
CAST OF CHARACTERS (1 Male, 5 Females)
CATHERINE: the sweet one. Just lost her father to cancer. Intelligent and kind.
LIZ: the “Mom.” Cute and endearing. Doesn’t mean to be “mom-like,” but is.
BROOKE: the mother of four. Still living in their hometown. Forgetful and loveable, but incredibly strong.
SUMMER: the bombshell. Broke party girl who has worked every job in the book.
BEN: the boy. Struggling actor in New York City. Looks the youngest of the friends. Playful.
PENNY: the bossy one. High school English teacher. Has no filter. Hilariously says what she wants.
Six friends from high school. The same age — 25-35 years old.
PLACE AND TIME
Unit Set. A hotel/casino in Atlantic City, NJ. Present.
PRODUCTION HISTORY
World Premiere: Actors Guild of Lexington, Lexington, KY. March 24-April 17, 2005.
Directed by Richard St. Peter**,
with Laura Blake (Summer), Allie Darden-Tipton (Brooke), Brian Hampton* (Ben), Hollie D. Larkey (Catherine), Micha O’Connor (Penny), and Rachel Rogers (Liz).
Finalist: Arthur Stone Playwriting Competition, 2007.
Equity Reading: Manhattan Theatre Club Studios, New York, NY. April 10 & 11, 2004.
Directed by Brian Hampton, with Natalie Buster* (Brooke), Darcie Bender (Summer), Carter Calvert* (Penny), Brian Hampton* (Ben), Rebecca Lund (Catherine), and Amanda Whitford* (Liz).
* appeared courtesy of Actors' Equity Association
** member, Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers
REVIEWS
"Stuff your five best friends from high school in a hotel room in Atlantic City. Add a hefty dose of booze, a dash of pot. Shake vigorously with the frustration of 'reeling in the years' and voila, you've got the recipe for Actor's Guild of Lexington's world premiere production of Checking In… Overall, this was a 'world premiere' that actually lived up to the hype of its promotion."
-- Candace Chaney, Nougat Magazine
"The world premiere of Hampton's debut as a playwright is a success... Checking In has the same appeal as The Big Chill (1983) or St. Elmo's Fire (1985) — an ensemble of old friends who feel universally familiar. Based on a slice of Hampton's life, it's about six high school pals who reunite for a weekend in Atlantic City. Time has created a romanticized view of their friendship. But in this no-smoking — ha! — room, they face past and present realities."
-- Rich Copley, Lexington Herald--Leader
PHOTOS
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EXCERPT
BEN: Where the hell’s Penny?
CATHERINE: Oh no. She left.
BEN: (Utter shock) Pardon?
CATHERINE: She left.
BEN: (To BROOKE) What does she mean when she says, “She left?”
CATHERINE: She left the room. We thought you left.
BROOKE: We didn’t leave. We were in the other bathroom.
BEN: When is the last time you saw her?
CATHERINE: A couple of minutes ago. Five maybe. (Trying to remember precisely what happened) We were talking about kids and stuff, she came in, we thought it was weird, but we told her y’all left already, and then she left.
BEN: Oh, my God! (BEN goes to look out in the hallway.)
LIZ: What?
BEN: (Looking down the hall) OH … MY … GOD!
BROOKE: WHAT’S IN THE HALL!?
BEN: (Laughing at her) Nothing! She is high, for the first time in her life and she’s gone! She’s in the casino!
SUMMER: She’s going to kill me! Did we ever answer that question about her having a gun?
BROOKE: Oh my God, Summer, we have to catch her.
(Everyone quickly gets his or her bags, wallets, etc.)
CATHERINE: Can you grab my ID out of my bag? It’s the one by the dresser. It’s in the inside pocket.
(LIZ pulls out a piece of paper from the inside pocket and then puts in back. Something about it catches her eye. She reads it and freezes. Something is obviously wrong.)
BROOKE: We can’t wait. We’ll see you in the casino. Um … we’ll meet at the roulette tables. If you don’t see us in a half an hour, meet us here in the room.
BEN: I can’t believe you just came up with that.
BROOKE: I know. (They exit.)
CATHERINE: Sounds good. We’ll be there in a minute. (BEN, SUMMER, and BROOKE are gone. CATHERINE sees LIZ with the bag.) No Liz, that’s not mine. Mine’s that one. (LIZ is staring at the sheet of paper. She approaches her.) What’s that?
LIZ: (She hands it to CATHERINE. CATHERINE reads it.) I found it in her bag.
CATHERINE: Oh my God.
CONTACT
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