The Road Theatre Co Presents PURSUED BY HAPPINESS, Previews 3/19

THE ROAD THEATRE COMPANY and Taylor Gilbert, Founder/Artistic Director together with Sam Anderson, Artistic Director, remain committed to their meaningful mission to produce and develop New Work for the Stage. They are thrilled to announce in this, their 20th season, the world premiere of PURSUED BY HAPPINESS, written by Keith Huff (Broadway's A Steady Rain; The Bird and Mr. Banks) and directed by Robin Larsen (An Infinite Ache; Tryst).

PURSUED BY HAPPINESS will preview on Saturday, March 19 at 8pm; Tuesday, March 22 at 8pm; and Thursday, March 24 at 8pm and will open on Friday, March 25 at 8pm and run through Saturday, May 14 at the Historic Lankershim Arts Center, 5108 Lankershim Blvd. in North Hollywood, CA.

Are we pursuing happiness or is happiness, biologically speaking, pursuing us? In PURSUED BY HAPPINESS, an unexpected meeting between two 40-something biochemists touches off a whirlwind romance. But when it's time to meet the parents, a series of shocking revelations test the new couple's relationship in this quirky comedy from the author of The Bird and Mr. Banks and A Steady Rain.

ABOUT THE CREATIVE TEAM AND CAST

Keith Huff (Playwright) Recent productions include the sold-out run of "A Steady Rain" featuring Daniel Craig and Hugh Jackman (the highest grossing non-musical play in Broadway history), the critically acclaimed smash hit "The Bird and Mr. Banks" at The Road Theatre Company, "Gray City" at American Repertory Theater, "Dog Stories" at Stageworks/Hudson, "Deep Blue Sea" with CollaborAction at Steppenwolf, "Harry's Way" and "Prosperity" at Riverside Theater, and "The Age of Cynicism or Karaoke Night at The Hog" at Chicago Dramatists.

Keith is currently writing the screenplay "A Steady Rain" for Barbara Brocolli and EON Films; writing an original screenplay "Kill Switch" for Alexandra Milchan and EMJAG Films; developing the cable series "The Brothers Buczakowski" for HBO; developing another cable series "Why We Fight" with Steven Spielberg and DreamWorks TV for AMC; and has just completed a stint as Writer/Co-Producer for AMC's Emmy- and Golden Globe Award-winning series "Mad Men." His most recent stage plays include "Big Lake, Big City," "Sylvia's Travels," "Nine Toes," and "Tell Us of the Night."

Upcoming theater projects include the world premiere of "The Detective's Wife" at Writer's Theater, featuring Barbara Robertson and directed by Gary Griffin, translated productions of "A Steady Rain" in Barcelona, Budapest, Paris, Mexico, Tokyo, Buenos Aires, Greece, Madrid, Czechoslovakia, and Germany, and English-language productions of "A Steady Rain" throughout the US.

Keith has an MFA from the University of Iowa's Playwright's Workshop, is a long-time Resident Playwright at Chicago Dramatists, and is the recipient of a Joseph Jefferson Award, a Drama-Logue Award, the Cunningham Prize, the John Gassner Award, the Berrilla Kerr Award, and three Illinois Arts Council Playwriting Fellowships. He is repped by Christopher Till, Barry Kotler, and Brian Siberell at CAA and by John Bauman at Bauman Management. Keith currently divides his time between Chicago and Los Angeles, but his home base is Chicago, where he lives with his wife, Georgette, and his daughter, Robin.

ROBIN LARSEN (Director) Los Angeles theatre directing credits include the West Coast Premiere of Four Places by Chicago Dramatists' Joel Drake Johnson. Her production earned four 2011 LA Drama Critics' Circle nominations including Best Production and Best Ensemble, it received five 2010 Ovation nominations, including Best Director and three Best Actor nominations, winning the Ovation for Best Production. Her past productions include the hit play, Tryst, at the Black Dahlia Theatre. Critics and audiences were equally enthusiastic prompting Tryst to be extended four times. Her production was one of the most lauded plays of the 2007 LA theatre season, collecting five Ovation Award nominations including Best Director and Best Production, winning three LA Weekly Theater Awards including Best Play, and winning two Backstage Garland Awards including Best Director. In the Dahlia's 2004 Los Angeles Drama Critics' Circle Award winning season, Robin directed the Los Angeles Premiere of David Schulner's, An Infinite Ache. The production was a Los Angeles Times "Critic's Choice" a Backstage "Critic's Pick", appeared on five critics' "Best of 2004" lists, and collected twelve Los Angeles Press awards and nominations, including awards for Best Direction and Production of the Year.

Her film, "No. 6," written and directed by Robin, produced by Joe Russo, and starring Ron Perlman, Charlotte Ayanna ("Training Day"; "Dancing at the Blue Iguana") and Brian Baumgartner (The Office) screened internationally at the prestigious Bilbao International Film Festival, Short Cuts Cologne, and Munich International. Domestically, "No. 6" screened at festivals across the country, winning ‘Best Short' at the Sonoma Film Festival and garnering ‘Best Short' nominations at Method Fest and USA Film Festival. Her first short film, "Sombra," won the Student Academy Award, the Kodak Emerging Filmmaker Award and screened at the Cannes International Film Festival. For her film, "Out of Habit," Robin won the Director's Guild of America Student Film Award, the Princess Grace Award, and numerous ‘Best Short' awards and nominations on the festival circuit including awards from Cleveland International and USA Film Festival. "Out of Habit" was ‘Official Entry' to the Tribeca, Seattle, and Austin film festivals to name a few, and was purchased by Brit Shorts to be distributed internationally. Her screenwriting credits include the Women Over 40 Project for Imagine Entertainment and Universal Pictures, and Baked Blackbirds, a Sundance Feature Film Project finalist, optioned by Grimaldi Productions.

The cast of PURSUED BY HAPPINESS will feature: Avery Clyde, Liz Herron, Tom Knickerbocker and Mark St. Amant.

PURSUED BY HAPPINESS features an award-winning design team. The Scenic Design is by Craig Siebels. The Costume Design is by Jocelyn Hublau. The Lighting Design is by Jeremy Pivnick. The Sound Design is by David Marling. Prop Design is by Ashley Slate.

SCHEDULE AND PRICING

PURSUED BY HAPPINESS will preview on Saturday, March 19 at 8pm; Tuesday, March 22 at 8pm and Thursday, March 24 at 8pm and will open on Friday, March 25 at 8pm and run through Saturday, May 14 at The Road Theatre, located inside the Historic Lankershim Arts Center, 5108 Lankershim Blvd. in North Hollywood, CA.

Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm; Sundays at 2pm. Ticket prices are $25; Previews are $15. Sunday, March 27 and Friday, April 1 is Pay-What-You-Want. Special group rates available for parties of 10 or more. For tickets, please call 877-369-9112 for details or visit www.RoadTheatre.org to purchase tickets online or to view complete schedule.

 

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