The Night Shift Before Christmas
by Isaac Gómez

Name: The Night Shift Before Christmas
Brand: Isaac Gómez
SKU: 9780573711961
Rating: 3 (2 reviews)

The Night Shift Before Christmas Book Cover — The Night Shift Before Christmas Cover

Highlights

Female

75 mins Present Day Role(s) for Latine Actor(s) Strong Role for Leading Woman (Star Vehicle) Interior Set Contemporary Costumes/Street Clothes Comedy

Synopsis

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.

Press Reviews

"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

Characters

Character	Gender	Age	Description
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. Should be our sole live actor on stage.	female	—	A Scrooge. Born Margarita Adelina Maydenita Chihuahuita Adelante Sabado Gigante Muñoz. But that’s only for family. To everyone else, she goes by Margot. Should be our sole live actor on stage.
JACKIE A Jacob Marley, of sorts.	—	—	A Jacob Marley, of sorts.
CLYDE In the realm of Christmas Past.	—	—	In the realm of Christmas Past.
GRACIE In the realm of Christmas Present.	—	—	In the realm of Christmas Present.
DOLORES A warning akin to a Christmas Yet to Come.	—	—	A warning akin to a Christmas Yet to Come.
ROBOTIC SANTA ,	—	—	,
BOOMING VOICE ,	—	—	,
RAÚL and	—	—	and
CUSTOMER should be pre-recorded and incorporated as part of the sound design.	—	—	should be pre-recorded and incorporated as part of the sound design.
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.	—	—	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.