Press Release: Pacific Playwrights Festival
SOUTH COAST REPERTORY ANNOUNCES CASTS, CREATIVE TEAMS FOR 27TH ANNUAL PACIFIC PLAYWRIGHTS FESTIVAL READINGS
COSTA MESA, Calif. (Apr. 30, 2025)—South Coast Repertory (Artistic Director David Ivers and Managing Director Suzanne Appel) announces the casts and creative teams for its renowned Pacific Playwrights Festival. The highly anticipated showcase of new works, part of the theatre’s new-play development arm—The Lab@SCR—begins Friday, May 2 and runs through Sunday, May 4.
“We are thrilled with the incredible caliber of artists assembled for the 27th annual Pacific Playwrights Festival,” Ivers said.
The 27th annual festival begins Friday at 1 p.m. on the Segerstrom Stage with rachel, nevada by jose sebastian alberdi. Directed by Laura Dupper, this play about skeptics, believers and souls in grief searching for close encounters features Diego Josef (HBO Max’s “Genera+ion”), Paige Simunovich (Finian’s Rainbow on Broadway), Anna Khaja (AMC’s “The Walking Dead: World Beyond”) and Jamison Jones (Appropriate and The Little Foxes at SCR). Charles Haugland is the dramaturg.
The Red Man by JuCoby Johnson takes the Segerstrom Stage Friday at 3:30 p.m. H. Adam Harris directs this haunting work about the shadow that has been chasing you since you were born—and asks, “Do you stop running?” The Red Man features Jaye Ladymore (CW’s “4400”), Jamar Gilbert (BET’s “Perimeter”), Chanté Adams (Skeleton Crew on Broadway), Kenajuan Bentley (Apple TV’s “Shrinking”) and Harrison White (Amazon’s “The Underground Railroad”). Zeina Salame serves as dramaturg.
Ten Grand by Kate Cortesi opens Saturday’s readings at 10:30 a.m. on the Segerstrom Stage. Directed by Rebecca Wear, this SCR Commission takes audiences into a Boston Goodwill, where an unexpected item in the donation bin sets off a chain of dramatic events among the employees. Ten Grand features George Steeves (Academy of Extraordinary Heroes), Tina Huang (CBS’ “All Rise”), Ana Nicolle Chavez (Under a Baseball Sky at The Old Globe), Vico Ortiz (Our Flag Means Death), Emily Stout (Pick Me Last at La Jolla Playhouse), Bubba Weiler (Harry Potter on Broadway) and Rose Portillo (ABC’s “The Rookie”). Courtland Nesley is the dramaturg.
Eat Me by Talene Monahon takes the Nicholas Studio for the first of three readings at 8 p.m. Friday, followed by Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. Directed by Josiah Davis, this exploration of food culture looks at what happens when you’ve finally consumed what you’re hungry for. Eat Me features Anne Gee Byrd (Beauty Queen of Leenane at SCR), Sheldon D. Brown (National tour of Soldiers Play), Gavin K. Lee (Kim’s Convenience at Laguna Playhouse), Rachna Khatau (Father’s Day), Nija Okoro (Blues for an Alabama Sky at Center Theatre Group) and Rick Holmes (Matilda on Broadway). Eric Shethar is the dramaturg.
Trip Around the Sun by Jake Brasch wraps up the Festival Sunday at 10:30 a.m. on the Segerstrom Stage. Directed by Shelley Butler, with Olivia O’Connor serving as dramaturg, Trip Around the Sun tells the story of retirees Phil and Suze, who have fallen into a rut until Phil decides to mix things up for good. It features Candy Buckley (Cabaret on Broadway and Doctor Cerberus at SCR) and Alan Blumenfeld (“Gilmore Girls” and Feminine Ending at SCR).
The Pacific Playwrights Festival is made possible with support from The Shubert Foundation, The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust, The Elizabeth George Foundation, and the Pacific Playwrights Festival Honorary Producers: Richard and Lisa de Lorimier, Laurie and Steve Duncan, Adrian and Kristen Griggs, Peter and Joy Sloan and Jean and Tim Weiss.
Tickets and ticket packages for the general public and theatre industry professionals may be purchased online at https://www.scr.org/plays/plays-landing/pacific-playwrights-festival/2024-pacific-playwrights-festival/
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.
Complete information is available at www.scr.org.
ABOUT THE LAB@SCR: South Coast Repertory’s comprehensive play development infrastructure provides resources with which artists can imagine, create and develop new work for SCR and for the American theatre. It includes the Pacific Playwrights Festival, the Samples from The Lab@SCR reading series, development of new American musicals, commissions for emerging playwrights, as well as mid-career and established writers, playwright residencies, and additional in-house readings and workshops. Learn more at www.scr.org/about/new-play-programs
ABOUT SOUTH COAST REPERTORY: Tony Award-winning South Coast Repertory, founded in 1964, is led by Artistic Director David Ivers and Managing Director Suzanne Appel. SCR is widely recognized as one of the leading professional theatres in the United States. While its productions represent a balance of classic and modern plays and musicals, SCR is renowned for its extensive new-play development program—The Lab@SCR—which includes one of the nation’s largest commissioning programs for emerging, mid-career and established writers. Of SCR’s more than 550 productions, one-quarter have been world premieres. SCR-developed works have garnered two Pulitzer Prizes and eight Pulitzer nominations, several Obie Awards and scores of major new-play awards. Located in Costa Mesa, Calif., SCR is home to the 507-seat Segerstrom Stage, the 336-seat Julianne Argyros Stage and the 94-seat Nicholas Studio. www.scr.org