The Happiest Place on Earth
by Philip Dawkins
September 17 - October 30, 2016
Sideshow Theatre Company
Greenhouse Theater Center
scenic designer Mike Mroch
lighting designer Ellie Rabinowitz
sound designer Michael Huey
"To all who come to this happy place, welcome."
Once upon a time in an Anaheim, California orange grove, a magical kingdom was built and dedicated to America’s history, dreams and wildest hopes. Eight years later, one family’s American prince died on live television while delivering the Albuquerque sports scores, leaving his four daughters and their mother behind. Left reeling from the loss of their patriarch, the family underwent a quest to reach the magical kingdom and seek solace and recovery. Now, more than fifty years after their journey, acclaimed playwright Philip Dawkins retraces and illustrates the true story of the women in his family, exploring their history and asking if there really is a place where the dream that we wish can come true.
Winner of 2017 Joseph Jefferson Award for solo performance
Nominated for 2017 Joseph Jefferson Award for best new play
Press
"Philip Dawkins is a wonderful playwright, a piercingly keen observer of human behavior and a hugely engaging, whippet-smart actor."
Chicago Sun-Times
Reader Recommended!
"Witty and heartbreaking in equal measure, [Dawkins] crafts vivid, emotionally charged scenes with language that feels both accessible and cinematic."
Chicago Reader
★★★★
"Dawkins is a charming, engaging presence onstage, with a real skill for bringing the various women to life."
Time Out Chicago
"One of the more thoroughly original plays I’ve been on a Chicago stage this year, both a gleeful celebration of family and a profound probe into the nature of happiness and satisfaction."
Chicago Theatre Review
"Dawkins is an extraordinary storyteller. The Happiest Place on Earth is a tribute to his craft and his family."
The Fourth Walsh
