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The Night Shift Before Christmas

Full-Length Play, Dramatic Comedy  /  1w

Meet Margot, a 30-something Tejana who works at a beloved Texas burger joint. It’s a Christmas Eve like none other in this brand-new holiday show filled with humour and heart set in Houston by Texan playwright Isaac Gómez.

The Night Shift Before Christmas

  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    1w
  • Duration
    Duration
    75 Minutes
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Adaptation (Literature), Christmas/Holiday
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Adult

Details

Summary

Meet Margot, a 30-something Tejana who works at a beloved whata-sized Texas burger joint. The Christmas Eve overnight shift is her personal tradition – even if that means spending the holiday dealing with grumpy drive-thru customers and an equally grumpy robotic Santa. But when her dead best friend Jackie Marley drops by to warn her of impending late-night visits by spirits, Margot has no choice but to roll with the punches and confront the very Scrooge she’s become. It’s a Christmas Eve like none other in this brand-new holiday show filled with humor and heart set in H-town by Texan playwright Isaac Gómez.

______________


A Note from the Playwright:


This is a play about people who work on or around Christmas who find magic in the mundane, comedy in the tragedy, and light in the dark. It’s a play about a woman who chooses to be lonely even though she isn’t alone, and her journey to discovering why that is and what she's avoiding.


This is a play about Texas, and family-owned fast-food joints, and Christmas, and so many collisions of life, love, heartbreak, joy, messiness, and everything the crevices of the human existence can’t quite contain. It’s at once hilarious as it is scary as it is sad and everything in between. Lean into the moments of tone shifts. The audience will hunger for them.


Oh, and the possessions in this play are less like The Exorcist and more like the Scary Movie franchise. Let it be scary until it’s funny as hell. Push against sentimentality until it’s earned.

History

The Night Shift Before Christmas was commissioned and developed by the Alley Theatre in Houston, Texas. The play received its world premiere on 8 December 2024 at the Alley’s Neuhaus Theatre. Directed by KJ Sanchez, the production starred Briana J. Resa as Margot.

MARGOT – A Scrooge.

Born Margarita Adelina Maydenita Chihuahuita Adelante Sabado Gigante Muñoz.

But that’s only for family.

To everyone else, she goes by Margot.


MARGOT should be our sole live actor on stage.


When possessed by spirits, she also plays:

JACKIE – A Jacob Marley, of sorts.

CLYDE – In the realm of Christmas Past.

GRACIE – In the realm of Christmas Present.

DOLORES – A warning akin to a Christmas Yet to Come.


The voices of ROBOTIC SANTA, BOOMING VOICE, RAÚL, and CUSTOMER should be pre-recorded and incorporated as part of the sound design.

The actor playing MARGOT should identify as Latina. Any ethnic and/or racial identity within the Latina diaspora is fine, though the playwright recommends prioritizing Black/Brown/Indigenous/Mixed Race Latinas if casting pool allows.

  • Time Period Contemporary, Present Day
  • Setting

    Happy Burger, a fast food joint in the US. Present day, just before midnight. Christmas Eve.

  • Features Contemporary Costumes/Street Clothes
  • Additional Features No Intermission
  • Duration 75 Minutes
  • Cautions
    • Alcohol
    • Strong Language
    • Smoking

Media

“A hilarious and heartwarming journey through grief, forgiveness, and the ultimate discovery of joy.” – Houston Style Magazine

“Something for the grown-ups who like a little salty language to go with their salty onion rings.” – Houston Chronicle


“[A] realistic snapshot of Christmas in the USA.” – The Courier of Montgomery County


“A hilarious and heartwarming journey through grief, forgiveness, and the ultimate discovery of joy… Far from your typical yuletide fare, The Night Shift Before Christmas doesn’t shy away from life’s messier moments. With its sharp humor and genuine warmth, the play explores heavy themes like grief and self-reflection, all while keeping the audience laughing with its edgy, relatable dialogue.” – Houston Style Magazine


“A holiday entertainment option for those years when things don’t quite feel merry and bright… It’s a burger-and-fries-scented ode to the grumpy, the lonely, and the hurt. But it’s hopeful, too, teaching us that the true meaning of Christmas is what we individually decide to make of it.” – Houstonia Mag


“With its witty script and relatable protagonist, the show speaks directly to anyone who’s ever felt stuck, overworked, or disconnected during the holidays. (Let’s be honest—who hasn’t?)” – Houston Style Magazine

Videos

  • The Night Shift Before Christmas – Sneak Peek (The Alley Theatre) youtube thumbnail

    The Night Shift Before Christmas – Sneak Peek (The Alley Theatre)

  • The Night Shift Before Christmas at the Alley Theatre – Audience Reactions youtube thumbnail

    The Night Shift Before Christmas at the Alley Theatre – Audience Reactions

  • The Night Shift Before Christmas – The Alley Theatre Trailer youtube thumbnail

    The Night Shift Before Christmas – The Alley Theatre Trailer

Music

“Christmas, Just Like” – Margot (as Gracie)

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: £55 per performance plus VAT when applicable.

Scripts

Available Formats:

Authors

Isaac Gómez

Isaac Gómez (they/them) is an award-winning Chicago and Los Angeles-based playwright and screenwriter originally from El Paso, Texas/Ciudad Juárez, Mexico. They identify as na’wi – the third gender marker of the Rarámuri, a Mexican indigenous community in northern Chihuahua, ...

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