AFTER HAPPY Press Page

CENTRAL WORKS presents

AFTER HAPPY
written by Patricia Milton
directed by Gary Graves
Feb 28–Mar 29 (previews Feb 26 & 27)
World Premiere #79: A New Comedy from the Central Works Writers Workshop
Welcome to The Pirate Festival!

Opening Night – Sat. Feb. 28, 2026 at 7:00 pm
Thurs. & Fri. shows at 8:00 pm; Sat. shows at 7:00 pm; Sun. shows at 5:00 pm.
Berkeley City Club – 2315 Durant Ave. (Ellsworth & Dana Sts.) Berkeley, CA 94704
TIX: $35-$45 advance: Fri.-Sun.

TICKETS: https://bit.ly/after-happy-tix
SHOW PAGE: https://centralworks.org/after-happy
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063737253574
INSTAGRAM: @centralworkstheatre, https://www.instagram.com/centralworkstheatre

Click Here For Press Release

 

Click for hi-res image; graphic design by Kevin Clarke
Click HERE for pre-production publicity pix.

 

 

ARTISTIC TEAM & CAST

Patricia Milton (playwright) is resident playwright at Central Works in Berkeley. Her plays at Central Works include The Engine of Our Disruption, (Best Stage Play, Scriptwriters & Co., Bath, UK) Bamboozled (Outstanding Production, East Bay, and Outstanding Ensemble, Theatre Bay Area), Hearts of Palm, Reduction in Force, The Victorian Ladies’ Detective Collective (BroadwayWorld Critics Choice “Best of Maine” 2022, at The Public Theater), Escape from the Asylum (Outstanding Production, 2022, SF Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle), and Accused! Enemies: Foreign and Domestic (Central Works) was awarded Outstanding World Premiere Play by TBA. Without Mercy was commissioned and produced by Off-Broadway West. Her comedy Believers was produced in San Francisco (Wily West Productions) and ran for three years in Istanbul.

Gary Graves (director) has been a resident playwright and company co-director at Central Works since 1998. He has been a part of developing 78 world premiere productions with the company, many of which he has either written and/or directed. Titles of plays he has directed include: last season’s Push/Pull, The Last Goat and Dada Teen Musical; The Play, as well as Machiavelli’s The Prince, Chekhov’s Ward 6, and Boss McGreedy. He also leads the Central Works Writers Workshop, and he teaches playwriting regularly at the Berkeley Rep School of Theater.

 

 

Rezan Asfaw (Steph) is an actress born and raised in Oakland, CA.  She is excited thrilled to make her debut with Central Works.  Recent theater performances include roles in Good People at Altarena Playhouse, Les Blancs at Oakland Theater Project, and Mother/Tongues at The Magic Theater.  She completed a 2 year Meisner training and continued acting development with African American Shakespear Company.  She is grateful for the love of community in the Bay Area and for the welcoming encouragement from the Bay Area theater community.  Rezan is also a student of the art of Muay Thai and has a great respect of storytelling through physicality. @rezanwithlove

 

Lauren Dunagan (Katherine) is delighted to be returning to Central Works, where she last appeared as Loveday in Patricia Milton’s Accused! Favorite Bay Area credits include Timon of Athens, Julius Caesar, and Measure for Measure (A.C.T.’s ACT Out Tour), Pony (Cutting Ball), Circle Mirror Transformation (Custom Made), and The Balcony (Collected Works). Lauren holds a BA in Drama from Stanford University, and an MFA in Acting from UCLA. Instagram: @laurdunagan

 

Jan Zvaifler (Brenda) is delighted to be on stage again after last year’s appearance as Melina in the Central Works’ production, The Last Goat. She has originated roles in 6 of Patricia Milton’s previous world premieres. Ms. Z. is a founding member of Central Works. She is co-director along with Gary Graves, participating as an actor, designer, director and/or producer over the past 35 seasons. Previous work with many other local theater companies includes the Berkeley Rep, Berkeley Shakespeare Festival, Marin Theater Company, San Francisco Playwrights Foundation, and San Francisco Shakespeare Festival.