THE LAGUNA PLAYHOUSE CONTINUES ITS 2006-2007 SEASON WITH THE
WORLD PREMIERE OF RICHARD DRESSER’S THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS
Commissioned by The Laguna Playhouse Through a gift from James and Suzanne Mellor
DECEMBER 4, 2006 - LAGUNA BEACH, CALIFORNIA – The Laguna Playhouse continues its 86th season with the World Premiere of The Pursuit of Happiness, a comedy by Richard Dresser, directed by Playhouse Artistic Director Andrew Barnicle. The play was commissioned by the Playhouse through special funding from James and Suzanne Mellor, and will run January 2-February 4, 2007, with its official press opening on Saturday, January 6, 2007 at 7:30 pm.
Richard Dresser’s plays are widely produced regionally, in New York, and in Europe. The Pursuit of Happiness is the second play in a trilogy of plays Dresser has written about happiness in America, with each play set in a different social class. It centers on Annie, who believes her whole future happiness depends on her daughter going to college in the fall, and who will stop at nothing to make sure that happens. Her husband, Neil, has an obsession with his work that is gradually being overtaken by his fascination with a new and dangerous hobby. Jodi, their daughter, doesn’t believe that attending college made either of her parents happy, and detests the burden of their living vicariously through her. The first play in the trilogy, Augusta, debuted at the Contemporary American Theatre Festival in Shepherdstown, West Virginia last summer and has several upcoming regional productions slated. The third play, A View Of The Harbor, has just been completed.
The Laguna Playhouse has been associated with Richard Dresser since 2000, when it produced the Southern California Premiere of his play Gun-Shy, directed by Richard Stein, a comedy about a recently divorced couple who are far more compatible with each other than with their new significant others. That was followed in 2001 by the West Coast Premiere of Wonderful World, directed by Andrew Barnicle, a play about the alcohol-enriched internal politics of a New England family.
In 2003, the Playhouse produced the West Coast Premiere of Rounding Third, also directed by Andrew Barnicle, a comedy about a take-no-prisoners Little League coach and his naïve new assistant. Rounding Third also enjoyed regional productions at Chicago’s Northlight Theatre and at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego before opening in New York off-Broadway at the John Houseman Theatre in 2003. Since then it has had over one hundred productions.
Other plays by Richard Dresser include Below The Belt and Gun-Shy, both of which started in the Humana Festival at Actors Theatre of Louisville before moving off-Broadway. Also, Wonderful World, Something In The Air, The Downside, Alone At The Beach, and Better Days.
One acts include At Home and Bed & Breakfast, both of which started at the Ensemble Studio Theatre Marathon, and The Road To Ruin and Splitsville. Recent short plays include What Are You Afraid Of?, staged in the front seat of a car with the audience in the back seat. It premiered in the 1999 Humana Festival and has been running for a number of years in Germany, with a frequently sold-out back seat. Greetings From The Home Office premiered at Capital Repertory Theatre in Albany and has no actors. Additionally, he wrote the book for the Broadway musical Good Vibrations, featuring the music of the Beach Boys.
Dresser has twice attended the O’Neill National Playwrights Conference and is a former member of New Dramatists. In addition to his work in the theater, he is active in film and television, including the HBO series “The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd,” starring Blair Brown, “Vietnam Stories,” “The Job” with Denis Leary (ABC) and The Education of Max Bickford with Richard Dreyfuss (CBS). He wrote the film Human Error (from his play Below The Belt) which appeared in the Sundance Film Festival. He is a graduate of Brown University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
The creative team for The Pursuit of Happiness includes Set Designer Tom Buderwitz, Lighting Designer Paulie Jenkins, Costume Designer Julie Keen and Sound Designer David Edwards.
Director and actor Andrew Barnicle joined The Laguna Playhouse as Artistic Director in July 1991, forging with Executive Director Richard Stein a leadership team that has solidified and advanced the company’s position as one of the region’s most successful professional non-profit theatres.
Barnicle has directed more than thirty Playhouse productions. These include Rob Ackerman’s Tabletop, Alan Ayckbourn’s Communicating Doors, Catherine Butterfield’s The Sleeper, Marc Camoletti’s Don’t Dress for Dinner, Richard Dresser’s Rounding Third and Wonderful World, Bernard Farrell’s Lovers at Versailles, Stella by Starlight, Kevin’s Bed and Many Happy Returns, A.R. Gurney’s Sylvia, Sherwood Kiraly’s Who’s Hot, Who’s Not, Stephen Mallatratt’s adaptation of Susan Hill’s best-selling novel The Woman in Black, David Mamet’s American Buffalo, Steve Martin’s Picasso at the Lapin Agile and The Underpants, W. Somerset Maugham’s The Constant Wife, Joe Orton’s What The Butler Saw, William Shakespeare’s Othello, Neil Simon’s Laughter On The 23rd Floor and Rumors, Daniel Sullivan’s Inspecting Carol and John Twomey’s Teacher’s Lounge. Barnicle also memorably directed the world premiere of his adaptation of Carlo Goldoni’s The Liar in a new translation by his wife Sara. Many of these Laguna Playhouse productions have been world, national or regional premieres.
Andrew served previously as Head of Theater at United States International University’s School of Performing Arts in San Diego. There he directed acclaimed productions of West Side Story and Goldoni's The Venetian Twins at the Theater At Old Town. Barnicle also served as Associate Artistic Director at North Coast Repertory Theater, where his numerous directing credits included the San Diego premiere of Torch Song Trilogy.
Cast to be announced.
LAGUNA PLAYHOUSE FACT SHEET
The Pursuit of Happiness
By Richard Dresser
Directed by Andrew Barnicle
What: Laguna Playhouse Artistic Director Andrew Barnicle stages the world premiere of a newly commissioned play by Richard Dresser through a special gift by James and Suzanne Mellor.
Where: The Laguna Playhouse, 606 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach, CA 92651.
When: January 2- February 4, 2007. Press opening is on Saturday, January 6, 2007 at 7:30 p.m.
CREATIVE TEAM:
Author: Richard Dresser
Director: Andrew Barnicle
Set Designer: Tom Buderwitz
Lighting Designer: Paulie Jenkins
Costume Designer: Julie Keen
Sound Designer: David Edwards
TICKETS:
Tickets range from $20 to $65, with discounts available for students and groups. Tickets may be purchased from the Playhouse website, www.lagunaplayhouse.com, or over the phone from the Playhouse Box Office at 949-497-2787 ext. 1. For group sales, call 949-460-8676.
Media Contact: Greg Patterson, 949-497-2787 ext. 216
E-mail: gpatterson@lagunaplayhouse.com
