Press Release: "A Shot Rang Out"

South Coast Repertory Makes Exciting Return to Live Theatre with World-Premiere of A Shot Rang Out From Tony Award-Winning Playwright Richard Greenberg, Directed by Tony Taccone, Featuring David Ivers

COSTA MESA, Calif. (Sept. 16, 2021)—South Coast Repertory, (Artistic Director David Ivers and Managing Director Paula Tomei), returns to live, in-person theatre with the world-premiere of Tony Award winner Richard Greenberg’s A Shot Rang Out, running Oct. 2-Nov. 6. Tickets are available now at www.scr.org.

A Shot Rang Out is an enthralling, timely and often-funny glimpse at the present. Coming out of a long period of isolation, an actor returns to the stage, discovering meaning and understanding of what led to his seclusion. His story of redemption takes you on a path through his isolation, where he draws inspiration from movies, theatre and 20^th century popular culture to understand how emerging from isolation brings its own surprises, including the renewal of hope and discoveries that unravel the mysteries of love.

“As we return to live theatre, I can think of no more fitting and exciting way to open the season than with A Shot Rang Out. This world-premiere celebrates a three-decade history that SCR shares with playwright Richard Greenberg, and it features the incredible talents of Tony Taccone and David Ivers in a play that is very much of the moment we, as a community, are experiencing right now,” Tomei said.

One of SCR’s most celebrated legacy playwrights, Greenberg premiered eight plays at the Costa Mesa theatre. A Shot Rang Out marks his ninth play for South Coast Repertory. Among these are Our Mother’s Brief Affair, Three Days of Rain and The Violet Hour. Over his career, Greenberg received numerous awards for his works, including a Tony Award for his critically acclaimed Take Me Out. He was also a Pulitzer finalist for Three Days of Rain. Known for his humorous, artful and witty glimpses of American life, Greenberg wrote A Shot Rang Out, subtitled “A Play in One Man”, specially for SCR Artistic Director Ivers to perform.

“I’m honored and humbled that Richard would write this work for me,” Ivers said. “The story he crafted gives us a lens with which to see where we’ve been, where we are and where we’re going in these ever-changing and unpredictable times.”

Ivers is the sole cast member of this one-man play. Before joining SCR in 2018, he was artistic director for Arizona Theatre Company and, before that, served more than 20 years as an actor and director at Utah Shakespeare Festival, with the last six as artistic director. He was a resident artist at Denver Center for the Performing Arts for a decade, acting in and/or directing more than 40 plays and has helmed productions at many of the nation’s leading regional theatres including the Guthrie Theater, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Berkeley Repertory Theatre and South Coast Repertory. Ivers appeared in productions at some of the nation’s top regional theatres including Portland Center Stage and the Oregon, Alabama and Idaho Shakespeare festivals.

Tony Taccone, former artistic director of Berkeley Repertory Theatre, makes his SCR directorial debut. The celebrated Taccone’s works include the Tony Award-winning Angels in America with Tony Kushner, David Edgar’s Continental Divide, Green Day’s American Idiot, and Carrie Fisher’s Wishful Drinking.

The design and creative team include Christopher Barreca, set design; Sara Ryung Clement, costume design; Lonnie Rafael Alcaraz, lighting design; Jesse Mandapat, sound design; and Joanne DeNaut, CSA, casting director. Matthew Chandler is the production manager and Kathryn Davies is the stage manager.

A Shot Rang Out received generous support from Honorary Producers Sarah J. McElroy and Michael Ray.

Tickets are now on sale and range in price from $26 to $93, with additional discounts available for educators, seniors and theatregoers ages 25 and under. Tickets may be purchased online at www.scr.org or by phone at (714) 708-5555. More information is available at www.scr.org.

Related Information for A Shot Rang Out

Performance Dates, Times

• Previews run Saturday, Oct. 2 at 8 p.m., Sunday Oct. 3 at 7 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 5-Thursday, Oct. 7 at 7:30 p.m.
• Regular performances
  Note: Friday, Oct. 8, is an invitation-only performance.
  • Evening Performances:
    • Wednesdays and Thursdays, at 7:30 p.m.: Oct. 13-14, 20-21, 27-28 and Nov. 3-4
    • Fridays, Saturdays, at 8 p.m.: Oct 8-9, 15, 22-23, 29-30, Nov. 5-6.
  • Matinees:
    • Saturdays at 2:30 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m.:
    • NOTE: No matinee on Nov. 7
    • ASL-interpreted: Saturday, Oct. 23, at 2:30 p.m.

Special Events

• Post-Show Discussions: Tuesday, Oct. 5, (Director/Designer Conversation with Tony Taccone and members of the design team). Wednesday, Oct. 13 (Actor Conversation with David Ivers). Wednesday, Oct. 20 (Performance Perspective, a discussion on the theme of A Shot Rang Out), Thursday, Oct. 21 (Performance Perspective). Wednesday, Oct. 27 (Deep Dive, where audience members share their thoughts about the play in a respectful discussion hosted by SCR’s artistic staff). Friday, Oct. 29 (Playwright/Dramaturg Conversation with Richard Greenberg and Jerry Patch). All discussions take place after the play on the Segerstrom Stage.
• Inside the Season: Saturday, Oct 30, from, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Led by members of SCR’s literary staff, this lively two-hour session includes in-depth interviews with cast members and artists from the production staff, revealing secrets and offering insights into SCR’s production of PLAY Segerstrom Stage. Tickets are $12 and may be purchased in advance or at the door.
• American Sign Language-Interpreted Performance: Saturday, Oct. 23, at 2:30 p.m.

Location: South Coast Repertory is located at 655 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa, at the Bristol Street/Avenue of the Arts exit off the San Diego (405) Freeway in the David Emmes/Martin Benson Theatre Center, part of the Segerstrom Center for the Arts. Parking is available on Park Center Drive, off Anton Boulevard.

2021-22 Productions: A Shot Rang Out, Oct. 2-Nov. 6; A Christmas Carol, Nov. 27-Dec. 26; What I Learned in Paris, Feb. 12-March 12; Our Town, May 7-June 4; (Theatre for Young Audiences) Last Stop on Market Street, Jan 7-23, 2022; Clean, March 20-April 10; Tiger Style! May 15-June 12. The Mozart Project (a collaboration with the Pacific Symphony), May 19-21. The annual showcase of new works, the Pacific Playwrights Festival, runs April 8-10, 2022.

Complete information is available at www.scr.org.