World Premiere of Howard Korder's In A Garden Opens on SCR's Argyros Stage, Underwritten by Tom & Marilyn Sutton
COSTA MESA, CA, March 12, 2010 – In A Garden, a world premiere by the award-winning playwright Howard Korder, opened tonight on South Coast Repertory’s Julianne Argyros Stage, directed by David Warren and underwritten in part by Tom and Marilyn Sutton.
In his curtain remarks, Producing Artistic Director David Emmes talked about the excitement generated by world premieres at SCR.
“In a Garden, winner of the Edgerton Foundation New American Play Award, is Howard Korder’s third world premiere at SCR, following Search and Destroy, which won the coveted Ted Schmitt Award from the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle, and his epic play The Hollow Lands.
“And speaking of world premieres at SCR, this season, Julie Marie Myatt’s The Happy Ones also won the Ted Schmitt Award. Coming next on the Segerstrom Stage is The Language Archive, which just won its writer, Julia Cho, the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize for best English-language play by a female writer. And, the final play here on the Argyros Stage will be the world premiere of Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa’s Doctor Cerberus, which was awarded a grant from the Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation in December. While our main goal is to give voice to new and established playwrights, these honors certainly help validate our play development program.”
Board President Wylie Aitken added that producing new work at SCR wouldn’t be possible without generous underwriting. “In a Garden was developed here at SCR and presented as a staged reading during last season’s Pacific Playwrights Festival, with help from our underwriters. Now it comes to the Argyros Stage, thanks to the generosity of Tom and Marilyn Sutton. We are grateful for their support not just tonight but through every field of endeavor.
“Tom was President of the SCR Board of Trustees during the 1992-93 Season, was elected to serve a second term and proved to be an inspiring leader for the landmark 30th Season. During that time—and since—he and Marilyn have been major contributors to all of SCR’s fundraising campaigns. They also have been subscribers to both stages and members of every Circle of donors (Silver, Gold, Platinum and Producers). In 2008, they added production underwriting to their list of generous support, as Honorary Producers of Taking Steps.”
Artistic Director Martin Benson added his thanks to the Suttons, as well as the production Media Partner 89.3 KPCC, represented by Marketing Director Betty St. Peter. He invited everyone to the post-production Cast Party, co-hosted by Pinot Provence at its restaurant in The Westin South Coast Plaza, where the décor, music and buffet refelected a Middle Eastern theme.
Among the First Nighters and their guests were Marion Bergeson, David Taussig and Cecily Burke, John and Sue Murphy, Laurie Brown, Rich and Donna Cohn, Jim and Donna DiCesare, Wylie and Bette Aitken, Bob and Mimi Holcombe, Richelle Lowery, Barbara Pulsky, Jim and Katie Loss, Tom and Beth Phelps, Mike and Bobbi Purcell, Eric Hyman and Teri Kennady, Jack & Katie Schoelerman, Dennis & Joanne Keith, Ron and Marilyn Sion, John and Elizabeth Stahr, Don Carnegie and Ardelle St. George, Goran and Susan Matijasevic, Ernie and Socorro Vasquez and Seth Weingarten.
Among the Sutton’s family and friends were Paul Sutton and Beth Daniels, Audrey and Courtney Moe, Holden Bonwit and Meagan Sutton, Bob Newsome and Linda Georgianna and Mary Goggin.
