Rogue Machine to Present American Premiere of ON THE OTHER HAND, WE'RE HAPPY

Award winning Welsh playwright Daf James has crafted a story around a young couple's dreams of adopting. When an unforeseen turn of events upends their goals, plans must be adjusted. Life is tough, but even the worst of it can be laugh out loud funny.

Director Cameron Watson noted that, "Daf James has created characters who are grappling with the deepest chambers of themselves, and in turn, we stumble into those chambers. We care so very much about them. It is an intricate journey, covering a lot of territory, space and time, but there is also a simplicity at the core of this story that is arresting. And, ultimately, profoundly hopeful."

Playwright Daf James works across theatre, radio, television and film in English and Welsh. His first full-length play LLWYTH[Tribe] was described in Contemporary Welsh Plays as "a water-shed play that changed the landscape of Welsh language theatre forever." Daf is an award-winning writer, composer, and performer who trained in the Lecoq pedagogy at the London International School of Performing Arts and then went on to earn a doctorate in Theatre Studies from the University of Warwick.

"Fundamentally this is a play about love, says playwright Daf James. "I hope it will give people an insight into adoption, challenge presumptions across class, and give audiences a chance to interrogate their own sense of social responsibility. It seems to me that we're increasingly in need of stories of hope and redemption. So, this is my offer: a grounded homage to love."

Director Cameron Watson has received the Distinguished Achievement in Directing Award from the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle and is heralded by the Los Angeles Times as "one of our finest contemporary directors." He is known for box office hits such as The Little Foxes, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Picnic and Top Girls at Antaeus Theatre Company, for Rogue Machine's production of c*ckand numerous shows at The Fountain Theatre, Pasadena Playhouse, Ensemble Theatre Company, The Colony Theatre (Trying starring Alan Mandell and Rebecca Mozo), The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, The Road Theatre, and The New American Theatre. Known as an "actor's director," Cameron has shepherded many actors to award wins. The Wall Street Journal has cited his work as "the best in the country."

The cast includes Rori Flynn (Oppenheimer, Ready, Steady, Yeti, Go!), Alexandra Hellquist (Ovation nominated Best Ensemble for The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time), Christian Telesmar (IAMA Theater Company, The Road Theatre Company, East West Players, and Chance Theater).

The creative team includes Stephanie Kerley Schwartz (Set Design), Jared Sayeg (Lighting Design), Chris Moscatiello (Sound Design), Kate Bergh (Costume Design), Ron Bottita (Dialect Coach), Rachel Manheimer (Stage Manager).

Rogue Machine presented the first English translation of INSULTED. BELARUS(sia), which was featured on the BBC, sparking world-wide activism from over 100 theatre companies in 39 countries. RMT won the Ovation Award for BEST SEASON (2017) and the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for BEST SEASON (2016). In the last 8 years, Rogue Machine has won "BEST PRODUCTION OF THE YEAR" three times from these organizations. RMT has produced seventeen World Premieres, nine of which have been published by Samuel French, Dramatists Play Service or Broadway Play Publishing. Six of the productions have had subsequent productions at significant theatres, including Off Broadway, major regional houses and The Donmar Warehouse in London. Two world premieres, Small Engine Repair and One Night in Miami... were made into feature films and playwright Kemp Powers was nominated for an Academy Award. In recognition of its artistic achievement, administrative strength, development of new work and other significant contributions to the field of professional theatre in the United States, Rogue Machine is supported by the Shubert Foundation, The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation, The David Lee Foundation, The City and County of Los Angeles and The Richenthal Foundation. RMT is a recipient of the American Theatre Wing's 2014 National Theatre Company Grant. The company presents plays that are new to Los Angeles.

On the Other Hand, We're Happy opens at 8pm on Saturday, February 26, 2022. Rogue Machine (in the Matrix Theatre), 7657 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90046. Tickets are $45 (Seniors, $35 Students $25). Everyone must present proof of FULL VACCINATION (includes boosters for eligible patrons) against COVID-19 along with a government-issued photo ID in order to attend. Face masks are required to be worn indoors at all times. Rogue Machine has upgraded their HVAC system at the Matrix Theatre to exceed compliance with current COVID protocols. They have installed HEPA air purifiers in all public spaces. All staff and artists are fully vaccinated and boosted. Reservations: 855-585-5185 or at http://www.roguemachinetheatre.net

Twitter: @RogueMachineLA, Instagram: @RogueMachineTheatre; FB: https://www.facebook.com/RogueMachineTheatre

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