Half Price Cosmos is the story of eight strangers who meet one night in a bar and find themselves in an unexpectedly heated discussion. An ensemble cast of diverse characters: the bartender and waiter are kept company by a familiar barfly, a cyber-couple meets for their first official date, and three buddies drink to decompress from another day at work. These separate groups are pulled from their privately quirky conversations into a communal discussion about politics and prejudice after learning of a terrorist plot, which is unfolding in a different city. The distance from the event and the anonymity of the context provide a rare opportunity for an honest examination of how each character sees the world and why.

Character Profiles

EVIE - a Chicago bartender with Polish ancestry she is old enough to have found a sense of content in her little corner of the world. Ideally she is in her 40s or early 50s.

ADAM - a waiter and PhD student of Cinema and Media Studies at the University of Chicago, he has the tendency to over-share and often quote random film lines. He is in his late 20s or early 30s. Probably Caucasian, but not necessarily.

ESPERANZA - a barfly and friend of the establishment, her colorful commentary throughout the play draws from her roots in Barbados. Her age can range from mid 30s - 60.

EMA - a middle-class, PC personality, she is in her late 20s or early 30s.

ABE - a young professional in his 30s, he self-categorizes as Egyptian-American and loves to talk about music.

ALEX HWANG - a broker in his 30s or 40s, he self-categorizes as Korean-American.

ALEX KING - a broker in his 30s or 40s, he self-categorizes as Black.

ALEX WEINSTEIN - a divorce attorney in his 30s or 40s, he self-categorizes as Jewish.