A school chair standing along on stage with a redish spotlight

Staged Readings — "The Cocktail Hour"

Name: Staged Readings — "The Cocktail Hour"
Start: 2026-01-23T19:30:00-05:00
End: 2026-01-23T21:30:00-05:00
Location: Staged Readings — "The Cocktail Hour"

A Classic Theatre presents A.R. Gurney's poignant and funny play about families.

Friday, Jan. 23, 2026 | 7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.

Staged Readings — "The Cocktail Hour"

904-201-3060

Center for Spiritual Living
1795 Old Moultrie
St. Augustine, FL 32084

Friday, January 23, 2026, at 7:30 p.m. A Classic Theatre presents The Cocktail Hour, performed as a staged reading.

Staged Readings

A Classic Theatre presents four staged readings during the 2025/26 season. Each performance begins at 7:30 p.m. at the Center for Spiritual Living, 1795 Old Moultrie Road in St. Augustine.

Considered by some to be the "purest form of theater," staged readings don't have sets, props, or light cues, and limited or no costumes. The actors perform using a script, and only the necessary stage directions are read to help the audience understand what is happening. The actors rehearse each program, focusing on the script and their delivery to bring the playwright's work to life for the audience.

The Cocktail Hour by A. R. Gurney

Set in an upper-middle-class living room in the 1970s, the play explores family relationships and social expectations. John, the protagonist, is a playwright who has written a play revealing family secrets, resulting in a family argument during their cocktail hour. The play is both touching and funny, Gurney said it was "probably the most personal thing I had written up to this time."

Admission: $10.00 plus fees per person online; tickets can be purchased at A Classic Theatre's website.

When: Friday, January 23, 2026, at 7:30 p.m.

Where: The Center for Spiritual Living, 1795 Old Moultrie Road, St. Augustine, Florida 32084