Topdog/Underdog Kicks Off New Year on SCR’s Argyros Stage Underwritten by Alan and Olivia Slutzky
COSTA MESA, CA, January 13, 2012 – Suzan-Lori Parks’ Pulitzer Prize-winning comic drama Topdog/Underdog, directed by Seret Scott and underwritten by Alan and Olivia Slutzky, opened tonight on the Julianne Argyros Stage at South Coast Repertory.
Greeting First Nights subscribers and their guests was a trio of SCR leaders—Board President Tom Phelps, Artistic Director Marc Masterson and Managing Director Paula Tomei.
Masterson shared his excitement over beginning the new year with an important contemporary play. “Suzan-Lori, who won a Pulitzer Prize for Topdog while still in her thirties, is a prolific writer with a growing body of work. This is the first of her plays to be produced at SCR, but I doubt if it will be the last. Of course, our director is a longtime SCR favorite. Seret directed Crumbs from the Table of Joy, The Piano Lesson and August Wilson’s Fences—a runaway hit on the Segerstrom Stage two seasons ago.”
Phelps thanked the underwriters for their support, which helped make it possible to bring together Topdog/Underdog’s superb creative team. “This is the Slutzkys’ first outing as individual Honorary Producers, although they had a taste of underwriting last season as members of the Playwrights Circle—an important group of donors who help produce new work. From there, Olivia and Alan chose to underwrite a production on their own, and we welcome them to the fold!”
Alan is a member of the Board of Trustees and he and Olivia are First Nights subscribers to the Argyros Stage, members of the Platinum Circle of donors and Gala underwriters.
Tomei added her thanks to Media Partner 89.3 KPCC, represented by Vice President, Development, Gregory Pierre Cox and OC Weekly, represented by Sales Manager Scott Mabry, and invited playgoers to the post-production Cast Party, co-sponsored by Pinot Provence at its restaurant in The Westin South Coast Plaza.
To view photographs of the Topdog/Underdog Cast Party, please visit “SCR Party Play” after January 17 at: http://www.scr.org/supportscr/specialevents/partyphotos.aspx To order photos, please contact: mad@scr.org.
