After Happy

Rezan Asfaw (Steph)
Lauren Dunagan (Katherine)
Jan Zvaifler (Brenda)

Stage Manager: Nikki Eggett
Assistant Stage Manager: Hannah Haliburton
Costume design: Tammy Berlin
Property design: Sara Harris
Sound design: Gregory Scharpen

Production Sponsors: Jay Harlow & Martia Nelson
Production Sponsor: Ann Singer

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.

“Central Works once again strikes it rich with a dynamite cast in a captivating new play that packs a powerful message” -E. Reynolds, TheatreEddys.com

“With Gary Graves’ adept direction and the first-rate acting, After Happy is an entertaining evening of theater” -E. Mendel, CultureVulture.net

“Patricia Milton’s new After Happy, the 79th World Premiere from Central Works, does not disappoint” -D. Konecky, SFTheaterBlog

“What’s delightful about Milton’s works in general is that she writes most if not all the characters for women, and many for older women at that” -J. Schiffman, LocalNewMatters.org

“Playwright Patricia Milton packs her latest work. After Happy, with a pleasing mix of comedy and serious environmental concerns for an entertaining 70 minutes of entertainment” -S. Hogarty, East Bay Times

“Central Works once again proves how compelling new theater can be when strong writing meets strong performances” -J. Cillo, For All Events

Additional production photos

Rezan Asfaw as Climate Commando, Steph.

Brenda Barrow (Jan Zvaifler, r) and her niece (Lauren Dunagen, r) share in unusual moment of intimacy.

Steph (Rezan Asfaw, r) may have finally gotten through to Noble Oil owner, Brenda (Jan Zvaifler, l).

Ever the perfect hostess, Brenda (Jan Zvaifler) shows off her “banana buccaneers.”