Richard Dresser, Augusta

Selections from a 2008 comedy drama written by New York playwright Richard Dresser. With actors Patricia Randell, Hanna Cheek and Bill McCarty as narrator.

Richard Dresser's plays have been produced in New York, regional theater, and Europe. His recently published trilogy of plays about happiness in America includes Augusta (working class), The Pursuit of Happiness (middle class), and A View of the Harbor (upper class). Other plays include the widely produced Rounding Third, which started in Chicago and appeared off-Broadway, Below the Belt and Gun-Shy, both of which started at the Humana Festival at Actors Theatre of Louisville before moving off-Broadway. Also, Something in the Air, The Downside, Alone at the Beach, Wonderful World, and Better Days, plus many short plays and the book for the Beach Boys musical Good Vibrations. His most recent projects include the book for the musical Johnny Baseball, which opened at A.R.T. in Cambridge and has several regional productions ahead. Also The Last Days of Mickey & Jean, inspired by the notorious gangster Whitey Bulger, currently at Penguin Rep. He also works in film and television.

Patricia Randell has been described with the phrase “there is no more authentic actress on the New York stage than she.” She is also a TV and film actress and will appear as FDIC chairwoman Sheila Bair in the 2012 HBO film Too Big to Fail. She can also be seen starring as the merciless acting guru in season 2, episode 6, of Ann Carr's popular Web-series The Actress.

Hanna Cheek has been a part of the long running, critically acclaimed Pumpkin Pie Show since 2001, performing in Commencement (Under St. Marks), Hostage Song (The Kraine), Junta High (PS122), and Ringside Seats (Belt Theatre), among others. Hanna is also a member of the Drama Desk-nominated Waterwell theatre company with whom she has devised and performed in #9 (59e59), The/King/Operetta (Barrow St. Theatre), Marco Millions (based on lies) (Theatre Row), and The Persians – a comedy about war with five songs (Perry Street Theatre). Other New York City credits include Artifacts of Consequence (The Wild Project), First You're Born (Playwrights Horizons), and Broken Boughs (Blue Heron Arts Center). TV credits include Titus, MTV’s Undressed, and The West Wing. Hanna is currently working on GOODBAR, a live, theatrical concept album with her rock band Bambï, created in collaboration with Waterwell.

Bill McCarty is a comic who has performed all over the country as well as at The Edinburgh International Arts Festival. He has also appeared on Comedy Central and Late Night with Conan O'Brien. He is also a voice-over artist who can be heard, but rarely identified, on many commercials.

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