Jonathan Moscone and Julie Marie Myatt Team Up for Magic Theatre's THE HAPPY ONES, Now thru 4/21

Magic Theatre will welcome back playwright Julie Marie Myatt and director Jonathan Moscone for the Bay Area premiere of The Happy Ones running tonight, March 27 - April 21.

Orange County, California in 1975 is the happiest place on earth for appliance store owner Walter Wells. But when his world is suddenly turned upside down, Walter must struggle to navigate grief, wrestle with forgiveness, and rediscover friendship in this uplifting, powerful story about new beginnings.

"The Happy Ones is a very special play that explores grief and human resilience in a manner that is both epic and utterly intimate," said Producing Artistic Director Loretta Greco. "With Jonathan Moscone at the helm, Julie Marie Myatt's stunningly drawn characters, keen social observations, and hearty sense of humor are in perfect hands. I'm thrilled to welcome both of them back to Magic and look forward to sharing their exciting work with our audiences."

Julie Marie Myatt's work first appeared on Magic's stage in 2003 with the world premiere of her play The Sex Habits of American Women. She is a resident playwright at New Dramatists and an ensemble member of Cornerstone Theater Company in Los Angeles. Praised for "finely wrought dialogue, balance and craft" (Variety), her work has been produced at theatres around the country, including Oregon Shakespeare Festival, the Guthrie Theater, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Seattle Repertory Theatre, and Cherry Lane Theatre. The Happy Ones originally premiered at South Coast Repertory in 2009 and won the LA Drama Critic Circle's Ted Schmitt Award for Outstanding New Play.

"I'm so thrilled to be returning to the Magic for this production of The Happy Ones," said Julie Marie Myatt. "The Magic is and has been one of my dream theatres from the moment I read my first Sam Shepard play in college. I look forward to bringing this story to the stage in San Francisco, and to being part of the long impressive legacy of new work at the Magic."

Similarly, this is the second play that director Jonathan Moscone has worked on at Magic Theatre having first directed Marlane Meyer's Kingfish in 1995. Moscone is in his thirteenth season as the Artistic Director at California Shakespeare Theater, where his critically acclaimed work has earned Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle and Dean Goodman Choice awards for Best Direction and Best Production. He has directed productions at regional theatres around the country, including Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Intiman Theatre, San Jose Repertory Theatre, Dallas Theater Center, and Triangle Opera.

"I'm thrilled to be back at Magic, where I was given my first professional gig nearly 20 years ago, and to work with Julie on this gently touching, and deeply human play," said director Jonathan Moscone. "She's crafted a beautiful exploration of loss, grief, and the rediscovery of human connection when all hope seems lost. I'm honored that Loretta asked me to be part of her season and to work on this lovely piece."

The all-star cast of four is comprised of Liam Craig as Walter Wells (previous credits include roles Off-Broadway at The Public Theater and Vineyard Theatre, as well as regionally at Yale Repertory Theatre, Alley Theatre, Intiman Theatre, and The Old Globe), Jomar Tagatac as Bao Ngo (last seen at Magic in Lloyd Suh's Jesus in India), Gabriel Marin as Gary Stuart (most recently seen in The Mother****** With the Hat at San Francisco Playhouse), and Marcia Pizzo as Mary-ElLen Hughes (recently seen in Wilder Times at Aurora Theatre Company).

The Happy Ones will feature set design by Erik Flatmo, costume design by Christine Crook, lighting design by Stephen Strawbridge, sound design by Cliff Caruthers, and dialect coaching by Lynne Soffer.

Magic Theatre, now in its 46th year, has built a reputation as a hothouse for exciting new plays, the hottest writers, and cutting edge professional productions. With its intimate thrust stage, it is the perfect venue for audiences to experience new work up close. This intimacy extends beyond the stage through a number of special events - Thursday night Docent 360s, Friday night TalkBACKs, New Work Development Dialogues with playwrights and directors, and the Martha Heasley Cox Virgin Play Series. Enjoy unparalleled access to new plays, playwrights, and the process of taking a play from the page to the stage at Magic Theatre.

For more information or to purchase tickets, go online to www.magictheatre.org or call the box office at 415-441-8822.

Now in its 46th year, Magic Theatre is dedicated to the cultivation of innovative plays, playwrights, and audiences through explosive and entertaining productions of original work. Working side-by-side with adventuresome playwrights, Magic Theatre fosters new works from page to stage as world premieres, or seizes the rare opportunity to further develop a new work with a second or third production. The list of playwrights cultivated and premiered at Magic Theatre is a veritable who's who of American theatre: Sam Shepard, Michael McClure, Octavio Solis, Nilo Cruz, Paula Vogel, Rebecca Gilman, Lloyd Suh, Taylor Mac, Theresa Rebeck, Sharr White, and Luis Alfaro, to name few. Experience new play development at Magic Theatre.

Pictured: Liam Craig*, Jomar Tagatac*, Marcia Pizzo*, and Gabriel Marin* are "The Happy Ones". Photo Credit: Magic Theatre. *Member of Actors' Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers

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