News by A. A. Cristi from Broadway World 10/16/2025
HIGH HARD HEAT has announced a national tour of FDR’s Very Happy Hour. The immersive new play is conceived by Regan Linton and M. Graham Smith, written and performed by Linton, and directed by Smith. The tour will follow its world premiere at Actors Theatre of Louisville (Artistic Director Amelia Acosta Powell, Managing Director Emily Tarquin) from October 15–26, 2025.
Inspired by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s daily cocktail hours at the White House, the production reimagines those gatherings for a modern age. Blending humor, history, and civic engagement, FDR’s Very Happy Hour asks how Roosevelt’s triumphs and contradictions might illuminate our current political and communal health. As FDR invites the audience to reflect on leadership, legacy, and connection, strangers become participants in an interactive exploration of democracy and empathy.
At each performance, FDR will spotlight a local “change maker”—a social worker, educator, journalist, nonprofit leader, activist, or volunteer—honoring unsung heroes making an impact in their communities.
The current performance in Louisville runs through Oct. 26. Ticketing information here.
