Meet “The Staircase’s” Honorary Producers

Honorary Producers are the unseen heroes behind SCR productions. They underwrite the shows, and provide funding support, merging their generosity with the talent on stage and back stage to create world-class theatre.

Harmon and Lea Kong serve as Lead Honorary Producers for The Staircase and are thrilled to add their support to The Staircase. This is the third time they have served as Honorary Producers of a mainstage production. Through their tremendous generosity, they provided leadership support as Season Producers of Outside SCR for four consecutive years through Harmon’s company, Apriem Advisors. They served as Honorary Producers on five Theatre for Young Audiences and Families productions, including this season’s The Incredible Book Eating Boyand are subscribers to First Nights. The Kongs are passionate supporters of bold and creative initiatives that exemplify the magic of theatre. In addition to Lea’s leadership serving on the Board of Trustees since 2019, Lea and Harmon will serve as Gala co-chairs for SCR’s reimagined Gala that will take place entirely onsite at the theatre this fall.

Samuel and Tammy Tang have a history of support with SCR that goes back to 2014, when they first served as Honorary Producers of tokyo fish story. Since then, they have had an impressive range of support, with The Staircase marking the seventh production the couple has underwritten. In addition to serving as Honorary Producers of the Pacific Playwrights Festival for seven years and as members of the Playwrights Circle last year, they have been First Night subscribers for more than a decade and—through Sam’s company, Montauk TriGuard—members of the Corporate Circle. Both Tammy and Sam have played active leadership roles at SCR. Sam served on the Board of Trustees for nine years, including two years as Board President. Together, they co-chaired SCR’s 2021 Gala and the following year, Tammy served as sole chair of the 2022 Gala, Play On! Tammy joined the Board earlier this season. Both Tammy and Sam heartily endorse SCR’s efforts to engage culturally diverse artists and believe passionately in the power of live theatre.

The Playwrights Circle consists of avid playgoers who collectively help underwrite a world premiere production each spring. Its individual members include long-time subscribers, major annual fund donors, endowment supporters and trustees. Since its inception in 2002, The Playwrights Circle has underwritten works by writers such as Eleanor Burgess (Galilee, 34), Charlie Oh (Coleman ’72), Christine Quintana (Clean/Espejos), Kemp Powers (Little Black Shadows), Lucas Hnath (A Doll’s House, Part 2), Rajiv Joseph (Mr. Wolf), Beau Willimon (The Parisian Woman), Lauren Gunderson (Silent Sky), Richard Greenberg (A Naked Girl on the Appian Way and Our Mother’s Brief Affair), and Julia Cho (The Language Archive). SCR is especially grateful to The Playwrights Circle for its leadership and dedication to helping bring new plays to Orange County audiences—and to the American theatre. This year’s Playwrights Circle consists of Sophie & Larry Cripe, Sandy Segerstrom Daniels, Richard Hess, Susan K. Hori, Joel & Judy Slutsky and one Anonymous donor.