The Hot Wing King

American Stage’s 2026 production of Katori Hall’s The Hot Wing King brought the Pulitzer Prize-winning play to St. Petersburg under the direction of Kenny Moten. Set around preparations for a hot-wing competition, the play moves between comedy and deeply personal questions of love, responsibility, masculinity, family, and chosen family.

Sam Doty served as Lighting Designer, creating the visual architecture for a production driven by both ensemble comedy and intimate emotional shifts. His lighting worked with the scenic environment to define the domestic space, shape changes in time and atmosphere, focus relationships, and support the production’s movement between heightened comedy and vulnerable dramatic moments.

Producing Theatre: American Stage

Playwright: Katori Hall

Director: Kenny Moten

Scenic Designer: Steven Mitchell

Lighting Designer: Samuel Doty

Costume Designer: Wyndell Carmichael

Sound Designer: Tyrese Pope

Props Designer: Marcus Wehby

Lighting Programmer: Brek Dodson

Sam’s Role:

* Lighting Designer