Our Bluegrass Players are bringing a very unusual Thanksgiving gathering to The Spotlight Playhouse this fall with Have a Nice Doomsday, an end-of-the-world comedy running October 30 through November 8.
Directed by Erika Howard, the show begins with a familiar holiday goal. Joann Monroe wants to serve the perfect Thanksgiving dinner. The problem is that an asteroid a quarter the size of the moon is headed toward Earth, and this Thanksgiving could be everyone’s last day.
Joann’s husband, Neil, keeps track of the news as their guests arrive. Before long, the usual complications of a holiday gathering begin piling up alongside the much larger problem in the sky.
There is a botched engagement, a call to an ex, a marriage on the rocks, and even an impromptu wedding performed by a young man from The Eternal Light Society. All of that unfolds while everyone knows an asteroid may be on its way to end the world.
It is the kind of setup that gives our Bluegrass Players plenty to work with. Friends, family, relationships, Thanksgiving dinner, and the possible end of civilization all wind up together on our stage at Spotlight. At the very least, nobody has to worry too much about what to do with the leftovers.
The first performance is Friday, October 30, at 8 p.m. at The Spotlight Playhouse, 214 Richmond Road in Berea. The show continues Sunday, November 1, at 4 p.m.
The second weekend includes performances Friday and Saturday, November 6 and 7, at 8 p.m. The final performance is Sunday, November 8, at 2 p.m.
The approximate runtime is two hours.
Both Friday performances are Pay What You Can nights. Those tickets are name-your-own-price, with unsold tickets released two hours before showtime. It is one more way we try to make live theatre accessible to people who would like to come see a show without a regular ticket price standing in the way.
For patrons who need accessible seating, The Spotlight Playhouse has wheelchair-accessible seating with companion space available in the front row.
There is something wonderfully odd about putting Thanksgiving dinner and the end of the world in the same comedy. One moment, the characters are dealing with engagements, marriages, old relationships, and dinner. The next, there is the small matter of an asteroid headed toward the planet.
That is the world Erika Howard and the Bluegrass Players will bring to the stage with Have a Nice Doomsday. If you are looking for a comedy that takes a family holiday gathering and pushes the pressure about as far as it can possibly go, this one certainly has the setup for it.
Tickets and info: https://www.thespotlightplayhouse.com/2026/08/05/have-a-nice-doomsday-october-30-november-8/ and TicketSource
Upcoming Community and Theater Events 🎭
- October 1-3, 2026: Bittersweet Festival (car show, live music, parade) on Main Street, Mount Vernon, KY. 🍀
- October 3, 2026: Millstone Festival on Main Street, Downtown Richmond, KY. 🍴
- October 10-11, 2026: 53rd Annual Celebration of Traditional Music at Berea College. 🎷
- October 17-18, 2026: 58th Annual Fall Art Market at the Kentucky Artisan Center, Berea. 🎨
- October 23 – November 1, 2026: Zombie Night: The Musical (The Bluegrass Players) at The Spotlight Playhouse. 🦮
- October 30 – November 8, 2026: Have a Nice Doomsday (The Bluegrass Players) at The Spotlight Playhouse. 🌎
- November 13-21, 2026: The Cherry Orchard (The Bluegrass Players) at The Spotlight Playhouse. 🌼
Tickets and info for all shows: thespotlightplayhouse.com
Sources 📚
- The Spotlight Playhouse: Have a Nice Doomsday
- TicketSource: Have a Nice Doomsday
- The Spotlight Playhouse
About the Author ✍
Chad Hembree serves as the Executive Director of Spotlight Acting School, The Spotlight Playhouse, and Spotlight Performing Arts. A resident of Berea, Kentucky, and a former member of the Berea Council, he has spent decades working in community theater, arts education, and local journalism. Since 1995, he has operated BereaOnline.com, focusing on local news, civic issues, and stories that highlight community collaboration and grassroots efforts across Madison County.
This article originally appeared on BereaOnline.com.