Cocaine is a naturalistic one-act play set in a shabby attic in New York. It follows Joe, a young ex-boxer, and Nora, an older prostitute, as they grapple with poverty, illness, and the lingering effects of addiction. Through raw, realistic dialogue, the play explores their desperate love, economic hardship, and the haunting pull of relapse, painting a bleak portrait of survival on society’s margins. This production is a newly adapted version by Dustin Yocum of the original 1916 script by Pendleton King.

“Two actors in a room with working lamps casting real shadows, the kind of tactile, sweaty intimacy that reminds you why this art form has survived every technological shift that was supposed to kill it…What remained was the architecture of need: two people in a cramped room, circling each other, looking for an exit that doesn’t exist. The working lamps on stage weren’t decorative. They pooled yellow light across the floor and cast shadows that felt heavier than anything a modern lighting rig could manufacture. The room hummed with a psychological weight.” - Smile Politely, 2026

St. Louis Fringe Festival - .ZACK Theatre:

August 6th, 9:00PM

August 8th, 2:30PM

August 9th, 5:30PM

Indianapolis Fringe Festival - District Cabaret Theatre:

August 14th, 9:00PM

August 15th, 9:30PM

August 17th, 8:00PM