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Susannah Schulman, Danny Scheie and Erik Sorensen in rehearsal for Amy Freed's You, Nero, directed by Sharon Ott. Photo courtesy of SCR.

PPF A SUCCESS

05/06/08 • South Coast Repertory’s Pacific Playwrights Festival celebrated its 11th annual edition May 2 through May 4 with a lineup composed of seven SCR-commissioned plays. On the eve of the Festival, May 1, Artistic Directors David Emmes and Martin Benson received the 2007-08 Margo Jones Medal before an enthusiastic audience in the Julianne Argyros Stage. The Festival then slipped into high gear for the next three days with fully-produced productions of new plays by Kate Robin (What They Have) and Richard Greenberg (The Injured Party), a workshop production of Sunlight by Sharr White and staged readings of plays by Amy Freed (You, Nero), Lauren Gunderson (Emilie – The Marquise du Châtelet Defends Her Life at the Petit Théâtre at Cirey Tonight), John Kolvenbach (Goldfish) and Lynn Nottage (By the Way, Meet Vera Stark).


Sarah Rafferty, Robert Foxworth and Robert Curtis Brown in the 2008 PPF workshop of Sharr White's Sunlight, directed by David Emmes. Photo by Henry DiRoco/SCR.	Barbara Tarbuck, Sarah Rafferty and Robert Foxworth in the 2008 PPF workshop of Sharr White's Sunlight, directed by David Emmes. Photo by Henry DiRoco/SCR.

In rehearsal for the 2008 PPF reading of John Kolvenbach's Goldfish, directed by Loretta Greco at South Coast Repertory. Photo by Henry DiRocco/SCR.	Kathy Baker and Jessi Campbell in rehearsal for the 2008 PPF reading of in John Kolvenbach's Goldfish, directed by Loretta Greco at South Coast Repertory. Photo by Henry DiRocco/SCR.

Director Mark Rucker and playwright Lynn Nottage in rehearsal for the 2008 PPF reading of By the Way, Meet Vera Stark. Photo by Henry DiRoco/SCR.	(l. to r.) Katrina Lenk, Daniel Blinkoff, Nathan Baesel and Emily Bergl in rehearsal for the 2008 PPF reading of Lauren Gunderson's Emilie, directed by Kate Whoriskey at South Coast Repertory. Photo by Henry DiRocco/SCR.


Director Kate Whoriskey, left, and playwright Lauren Gunderson at a rehearsal for the 2008 PPF reading of Emilie at South Coast Repertory. Photo by Henry DiRocco/SCR.	Toi Perkins and Erica Tazel in rehearsal for the 2008 PPF reading of Lynn Nottage's By the Way, Meet Vera Stark, directed by Mark Rucker. Photo by Henry DiRoco/SCR.	Danny Scheie, Hal Landon Jr. and Mark Harelik in rehearsal for the 2008 PPF reading of Amy Freed's You, Nero, directed by Sharon Ott at South Coast Repertory.

SCR founders, David Emmes and Martin Benson (right), receive the Margo Jones Award commemorating pioneers of the American professional regional theater movement at a ceremony held May 1, kicking off the theater’s 11th annual Pacific Playwrights Festival.

MARGO JONES MEDAL

05/01/08 • SCR trustees, past presidents, major donors, founding artists and proud staff gathered on Thursday, May 1 for a very special evening honoring Artistic Directors David Emmes and Martin Benson. The duo generously thanked them all when they received the prestigious Margo Jones Award in a ceremony on the Argyros Stage conducted by a distinguished group of Margo Jones Committee members. The award honors those who have demonstrated a significant impact, understanding and affirmation of the craft of playwriting, with a lifetime commitment to the encouragement of the living theater everywhere.

In receiving the honor, SCR’s artistic directors join such notables as Public Theater founder Joseph Papp and Jules Irving, co-founder of the San Francisco Actor’s Workshop, who was teacher and mentor for Emmes and Benson and encouraged them to start their own theatre.

After the award ceremony on the Argyros Stage, the crowd gathered on Ela’s Terrace for repast and reminiscences.

Visit SCR Party Play with Ann Conway for more about the Margo Jones Award festivities, with photos galore.

Artistic Director Martin Benson, playwright Richard Greenberg and actor Caroline Lagerfelt.

Reg Rogers as Seth.

SCR: GREENBERG'S HOME-AWAY-FROM-HOME

04/28/08 • Richard Greenberg spends a lot of time at SCR. The Tony Award-winning playwright is ‘in residence’ during the rehearsal period for all of his shows. That’s eight world premieres and counting—or 32 weeks of his life spent in Orange County by the confirmed New Yorker who’s really not that into travel. And are we glad to be an exception to his city-bound rule, especially when the result is another winning comedy like the one which opened April 28 on the Argyros Stage.

Greenberg’s smart and sophisticated dialog seems to have been written for the cast of The Injured Party. Seth, the play’s protagonist, goes off on riffs that are both poetical and hysterical, and Variety was spot-on in its description of Reg Rogers in the role: “With his flouncy brown hair in perpetual motion and his habit of italicizing his vocabulary of scorn, he’s like a hyper-articulate basket case with a jet pack strapped to his back.”

In fact, Variety heaped praised on all the actors: “Future productions will certainly thank their lucky stars to boast a company as scintillating as the one helmer Trip Cullman has assembled for the South Coast Rep world premiere.” And as for the play, Variety calls it “a substantial work that demands attention.” At the post-production party, audiences echoed all of the above while getting into the Manhattan state of mind by grazing the deli.

To enjoy astute comments from First Nighters and more of the lively photos, visit SCR Party Play with Ann Conway.

View the slideshow and the video.

Lenna Lambert, Jimmy Lambert, Daniel Chafin and Tracy Rowe Mutz in You're Getting Warmer.

YOU’RE GETTING WARMER KEEPS ON TRUCKIN’

Unscheduled Stop Added to Educational Touring Production

04/16/08 • SCR’s Educational Touring Production entertains Southland elementary school children through May 3. But this year, kids whose schools were not able to book the show, will have a chance to see it at SCR (and bring their parents!) during the Orange County “Imagination Celebration.

You’re Getting Warmer
SCR’s Nicholas Studio
April 19 at 1 and 3pm
Tickets: $10

Debbie Allen, Matthew Ruhl, actor Nancy Bell, Tod Toriello, Nancy Kelley

Matt Letscher and Marin Hinkle in the World Premiere of Kate Robin's What They Have.

THEY'RE ALL A-BUZZ

04/16/08 • When a new play opens at SCR, there’s always a buzz in the air. On April 11, as First Nights subscribers and their guests packed the Segerstrom Stage for the world premiere of Kate Robin’s What They Have, the buzz was audible. After all, Robin wrote and produced a bunch of episodes of a TV show (Six Feet Under) that was a favorite of discriminating viewers, who also enjoy live theatre. Many of them were in the audience on April 11, looking forward to the play about Hollywood and two industry couples whose lives—and lifestyles—converge in surprising ways, and they weren’t disappointed!

Nor were the critics. TheaterMania.com is a website read by industry professionals, fans and just about everyone interested in theatre. Here’s what TheatreMania had to say: “What They Have is a realistic, intelligent, heartfelt and heartbreaking look at two very different couples living in modern Hollywood. Featuring a quartet of sterling performances, this is one of the best plays of the year.”

The Hollywood Reporter, also read by the industry pros, followed suit: “(What They Have) is set so organically and perceptively in its rich, Southern California cultural context that it may have you leaving the theater with an inspiring new perspective on your life, your relationship and the way you interact with the world around you.”

To enjoy astute comments from First Nighters and more of the lively photos, visit SCR Party Play with Ann Conway.

View the slideshow and the video.

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