Based off notes taken after going to and from different family events druing Christmas time, OU professor Melanie Wilderman and her husband, Ted Satterfield, wrote the play "Alcoholidays," which has sold out at the Oklahoma City Civic Center.
"Alcoholidays" follows the story of a couple, navigating four holiday parties and how they deal with different situations and personalities, Melanie Wilderman, OU journalism professor and co-author of the show, said.
"I do want people to know that it's very loosely based off of real life. There are moments of inspiration, but it's very much a work of fiction," Wilderman said. "But the differences in our families might have some truth to it. My family is very loud and opinionated, while my husband's family is very polite and quiet."
The premise of the show and the characters within the show provide humor and relatability.
"I think there's a character in the show — at least one character — that everyone is able to identify with," Wilderman said. "There's a lot of me in the female protagonist, but I identify a lot with the side characters too because they're friends and siblings and cousins, and we all play those roles."
The show premiered two years ago and has grown due to a bite of reality in the show in a sea of sweet holiday films, she said.
"Everything is very sweet at Christmas. You know you take the kids, and it's all very family friendly," Wilderman said. "This is like if you need a grown-up night out to laugh and maybe have a drink. This is where that fits in."
The show comments on how stressful the holiday season is and how there are a lot of obligations, that are not always fun, she said.
"It does not romanticize Christmas or the holidays, and maybe some people don't want to look into it, but it let's people know that it's OK to maybe not love the holidays," Wilderman said.
