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2 Male, 1 Female • Two-Act/Full Length • ~100 Mins

Next Stage Press

Synopsis

Oscar-winner Jack Dunn emerges from self-imposed exile to confront his oldest friend – and fiercest rival – Wade Henry. What starts as a friendly, nostalgic poker night quickly unravels into a tense, whiskey-soaked reckoning, where long-buried grudges resurface and the weight of fading legacies takes center stage. Cooler is a darkly comic and gripping meditation on ambition, aging, and the masks we put on when the spotlight fades.​

Playwright Note

I frequently explore toxic masculinity in many of my works, usually assigning those traits to characters who, on rare occasions, evolve into slightly better men but who generally meet their downfall because of it, resulting in either hilarity or devastation, sometimes both.  With Cooler, I bring all of it front and center: toxicity on full display as two men with outrageously inflated egos come together under intense circumstances. Our dueling protagonists, Jack and Wade, are actors from a different era; they’ve been professional artists nearly their entire lives. And, as with many if not all actors, they’re always performing. Is there a greater or deeper message in this play? If you find one, let me know. In the meantime, buckle up and prepare yourselves for a dark and twisted journey. ​

Production History

COOLER received its world premiere production with Lab Theater Project (Tampa, FL) opening on Thursday, May 15th, 2025 and closing on Sunday, June 1st, 2025. The cast featured Jason Hoolihan as Jack Dunn, Kyle Stone as Wade Henry and Denise Mestanza-Taylor as Delia Sabatini/Judith Williams. Hippie Griswold took over the role of Wade Henry on May 24th, 2025. The piece was directed by Katie Calahan. 

Development History

COOLER received a private virtual development reading on Wed, Sep 6th 2023. The cast featured Frank Nall as Jack Dunn, Dana Scott Galloway as Wade Henry, and Lisa M. Hodsoll as Delia Sabatini/Judith Williams.

COOLER received a public development reading in Chautauqua, New York on Tue, Jul 25th, 2023. The reading was hosted/produced by Mike Thornton and Stephen Stout and the cast featured Mike Thornton as Jack Dunn and Stephen Stout as Wade Henry.

Awards/Recognition

None to date.

Reviews/Recommendations

"Houk tackles toxic masculinity with his accustomed caustic wit and singularly off-kilter view of the world, and proves once again he can write straight male characters with strength, heft, and grit while being unforgiving of their sometimes idiotic foibles."

"With a setting and characters that seem to have stepped out of the glorious golden age of stage and screen, we're thrust into a "Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf" type atmosphere riding along on one whiskey after another as the characters open a new pack of playing cards in an attempt to start afresh. But can they? Houk offers up some great comic lines which buffer the tension that builds, and the pathetic fallacy throughout will leave an audience on the edge of their seats."

"Gripping and hilarious. A must-see for anyone who loves razor-sharp dialogue and late-night secrets." 

"Cooler pits two formerly famous actors against one another in a battle of wits, fists and egos. The small performance space at LAB has been transformed into a well-appointed man cave, and the action inside turns things delightfully claustrophobic."

"There's a lot of posturing, bluffing and sly card sharkery of the darkest kind in Cooler." - Bill DeYoung, The St. Pete Catalyst

LAB Theater Project (Tampa, FL/Ybor City - 2025)