South Coast Repertory

Costume Drama

2012-01-27T11:21:00.000-08:00

Jonathan Nichols and Cassie Beck.

All five of this year’s Academy Award nominees for Best Costumes are period pieces, but costume designer David Kay Mickelsen says that designing for contemporary pieces is often a greater challenge.

“Everyone has a view about what clothing today says about a person,” he says, whereas historical costuming is often dictated by tradition.

Mickelsen designed the costumes for Elemeno Pea, in which the lifestyles of two sisters—one preppy and one Plain Jane—collide against the wealthy backdrop of modern-day Martha’s Vineyard. To help home in on each character’s personal style, Mickelsen asked the actors for their input.

Cassie Beck and Katrina Lenk.

Jonathan Nichols, who plays put-upon property caretaker Jos-B, felt that his character would likely wear the type of back support brace gardeners or construction workers wear; adjusting his back brace is now an essential part of Jos-B’s mannerisms.

Cassie Beck, who brings down-to-earth Devon to life, felt that her character played sports in her high school days, but wouldn’t be able to afford expensive sneakers on a social worker’s salary—hence her quirky-retro Chuck Taylors.

But it was Michaela, played by Katrina Lenk, who proved to be the biggest challenge. Mickelsen originally envisioned the trophy wife in simple neutrals, symbolizing her need to fit in to this wealthy world. But the neutral basics fell flat on Lenk, so Mickelsen kept searching until her found her bronze metallic, off-the-shoulder top just days before the show began previews.

“We realized that Michaela needed to be mega-sexy, but not in a skin-tight way. A monied-sexy way,” says Mickelsen of his last-minute find. “Clothing characters like this is based on all of us observing people every day. You just have to keep your eyes open.”

The ABC’s of "Elemeno Pea"

2012-01-23T14:54:00.000-08:00

By Kimberly Colburn

Devon grew up in Buffalo, is currently living in her mother’s basement and at the moment is struggling to even find a job in her field. Her cousins have been laid off, and her 35th birthday party three months ago was more like a celebration of her impending spinsterhood than a party. Her sister, Simone, couldn’t come because she had to work, so now Devon is taking a trip to visit her in Martha’s Vineyard, where Simone has been working as an executive assistant to a very rich woman.

Set rendering by Ralph Funicello

As Elemeno Pea opens, Devon walks into the house and is floored by the splendor. It’s like living in a J-Lo movie and unlike anything she’s ever experienced. And this, it turns out, is only the guest house. The main house is across the perfectly landscaped grounds. These people have monies.

Simone is quick to show off her good fortune and explain to Devon that she’s more than just an employee. Devon begins to realize that this crazy place and the demanding job have started to change Simone, though Simone maintains that Devon’s just jealous. The sisters start hashing out the differences in their opinions (as only sisters can) when they are interrupted by the abrupt arrival of Simone’s boss/friend, Michaela, in the middle of a crisis of her own. A comedic clash of worlds unfolds as Devon learns more than she ever thought she would about how the 1% lives.

The Edgartown yacht club in Martha's Vineyard.

Playwright Molly Smith Metzler used her experiences on Martha’s Vineyard as her inspiration for writing Elemeno Pea. She spent a summer working at an über-ritzy yacht club, and took careful notes on the people she waited on. The resulting characters are hilarious in their self-absorbed worlds of money and status, but this is more than a simple send-up of the wealthy.

Metzler gives us a window into the behavior and life pressures of different classes of people, from the Latino caretaker to the globe-trotting playboy. The dialogue comes fast and furious, but Metzler cleverly inserts some social commentary between the laughs. How does the station you were born into determine who you become? What happens when you’re exposed to the best money has to offer? What does it take to start climbing to the top of the social ladder, and what happens after you get there?

Molly Smith Metzler

Marc Masterson

Metzler is a rising star on the national theatre scene. One of her first plays, Training Wisteria, appeared at the Summer Play Festival in New York, and Elemeno Pea premiered at the legendary Humana Festival of New American Plays last year. Her play Close Up Space, starring David Hyde Pierce, is currently running at Manhattan Theatre Club. Like Elemeno Pea, these plays balance laser-like comedy with thoughtful insights about the world.

Elemeno Pea also marks the SCR directorial debut of the company’s new Artistic Director, Marc Masterson. He chose it for production at Humana, but didn’t direct it there. Masterson says he decided to direct it at SCR because the play is something he feels passionately about and tackles a subject he wants to explore. He also thinks it’s a play our audiences will really enjoy, so he’s excited to bring it to Orange County.

Metzler has been in attendance through parts of the rehearsal process, and she has continued to refine the play. Masterson explains that it’s like a sweater—once you’ve starting pulling one thread, you’ve got to look at everything again. Metzler, Masterson and the top-notch cast are collaborating to give SCR audiences a great night of theatre to look forward to.

Read more about Metzler and SCR's production of Elemeno Pea in this recent Los Angeles Times article.

'Elemeno Pea' Vet Joins SCR Vets

The cast from left to right: Katrina Lenk, Jonathan Nichols,
Cassie Beck, Jamison Jones and Melanie Lora.

Cassie Beck is no stranger to Elemeno Pea’s text, having played the role of Devon in the show’s world premiere at the Humana Festival of New American Plays at Actors Theatre of Louisville last year.   

Although familiar with the play, Beck has never appeared on an SCR stage. Her four co-stars are in the opposite situation: new to the script but familiar to SCR.   

Appearing at SCR in 2010 were Jamison Jones (Ethan), who played Doctor Cerberus and a multitude of characters in the show of the same name, and Melanie Lora (Simone), who played the sought-after Hypatia in George Bernard Shaw’s Misalliance. Katrina Lenk, from 2005’s The Caucasian Chalk Circle, will play spoiled trophy wife Michaela, and Jonathan Nichols, from 2003’s Anna in the Tropics, will play estate caretaker Jos-B—not to be confused with the never-seen José (Jos-A).   

Catch this hilarious group of actors and characters in Elemeno Pea, running Jan. 27 – Feb. 26 on the Segerstrom Stage. 

First Nighters Praise "Topdog/Underdog"

2012-01-19T14:49:00.000-08:00

On January 13, when the curtain fell on First Night of Topdog/Underdog, the audience was initially stunned—and then standing—in a well-deserved ovation. The Orange County Register’s theatre critic Paul Hodgins was among the theatregoers, and his column echoed their praise: “This Topdog reaches into your heart and squeezes it, hard… If you love theater’s ability to simultaneously move, inform and entertain you, this play is a must-see.”

Things weren’t quite as dramatic at the cast party, co-sponsored by Pinto Provence, but a few of the dark tones were captured in the red candlelight, red roses and theatrical lighting. And, of course, there were playing cards scattered here and there, in case anyone wanted to deal a little 3-card monte, Topdog/Underdog’s ultimate con game.

Among the First Nighters greeting the artists and singing their praises were Honorary Producers Alan and Olivia Slutzky, who were also praised by the partygoers for their generous support of the Pulitzer Prize-winning drama.

The Cards They've Been Dealt

2011-12-29T10:18:00.000-08:00

By John Glore

The first three words in Suzan-Lori Parks’ Topdog/Underdog are “Watch me close.” You’ll hear those same three words repeated frequently over the course of the play. They’re a recurring motif in the three-card monte chatter that both of the play’s characters rehearse—one of them delivering its cadences with an expertise born of years of successful hustling, the other stumbling awkwardly through the routine in an effort to pick up its moves and its lingo.

“Watch me close” means “I’m going to do everything I can to trick you, to hustle you, to take what’s yours, to gain the upper hand.” The two men in Topdog/Underdog—African-American brothers named Lincoln and Booth—need to be watched closely because they have dedicated their lives to various forms of hustling. They had no choice. Abandoned at an early age by both parents, they’ve had to fend for themselves and do whatever was necessary to survive in a world where the establishment cards were stacked against them. So they’ve played their own games by their own rules and they’ve learned never to show their cards or their true colors.

Soojin Lee's costume rending for Booth.

The problem for Lincoln and Booth is that they’re equally capable of conning each other—and themselves. They’ve been playing the game for so long they don’t know how to be real with one another, whatever that means. They have lived together since Lincoln’s marriage fell apart, and their shared life is marked by true brotherly love. But the need to be a topdog—so as not to feel like an underdog—doesn’t go away when they deal with one another.

Lincoln is the older brother and has looked after Booth ever since they were left on their own. Linc took up “throwing the cards” to put food on the table—and then became so good at it that his bankroll grew exponentially. He might still be hustling people on the street corner, but the murder of his closest friend and confederate some years back convinced him it was time to get out of the game. Since then he’s taken a legit job impersonating Abraham Lincoln—in beard, topcoat, stovepipe hat and whiteface—at an arcade where people pay to play the role of John Wilkes Booth in a reenactment of the Ford’s Theatre assassination. The compensation is a pittance compared to what Linc made throwing the cards, but it pays the rent and leaves the two brothers with just enough money for food and liquor.

Booth has no job. He relies on Lincoln to cover his needs, and shoplifts to satisfy his desire for nice clothes and other nonessentials. The two men have settled into a comfortable routine, but Booth isn’t content with their impoverished life. He wants the kind of money he used to see Lincoln throwing around. He wants the respect that kind of money can buy. And he wants a woman—a particular woman by the name of Grace. His pursuit of those desires—and an unexpected turn of events that threatens to rob Lincoln of what’s left of his dignity—leads to a climactic reckoning between the two brothers.

Soojin Lee's costume rendering for Lincoln.

Topdog/Underdog has many of the trappings of gritty, hyper-real urban drama (mixed with ample amounts of humor), but watch and listen closely and you’ll come to appreciate its poetic dimension and heightened theatricality. Suzan-Lori Parks, who won the 2002 Pulitzer Prize for Topdog, is a true poet of the theatre. She wields language with a dazzling combination of artistic precision and apparent spontaneity that would make a jazz master envious. Her sense of myth and metaphor and her bold use of a dramatic form with roots in ancient Greek tragedy allow Topdog to transcend its squalid surface reality and acquire a deeper resonance and universality.

Sibling rivalry, after all, is as old as Cain and Abel, and the struggle between one person (or one group of people) for domination over another has driven world history ever since. America’s Civil War was a battle of brother against brother whose final chapter was written in that fateful confrontation in Ford’s Theatre that Linc now re-enacts day after day. While John Wilkes Booth claimed the Confederacy as his cause and his motive for assassination, there is plenty of evidence to suggest that, deep down, he was simply an underdog trying to find some way to become a topdog.

So much history and myth runs through Lincoln and Booth’s veins as they circle one another in the small, ramshackle apartment that is their home and the stage for the struggle between topdog and underdog. Who will come out on top this time? What part will destiny play in the outcome of their game of chance?

Watch them close and see what happens.

A House Divided

When set designer Shaun Motley (Fences, SCR 2010) began looking for an approach to the scenic design for Topdog/Underdog, he wanted to find a visual equivalent for the psychic fissures that split the world of the play, and for the layers of history that underlie the decaying surface of that world. That brought to his mind the work of Gordon Matta-Clark.

Shaun Motley's set rendering for Topdog/Underdog.

An artist trained as an architect, Matta-Clark used abandoned houses, buildings and warehouses as the canvas for his best known work in the 1970s. He would take a chainsaw to the walls, floors and ceilings, sometimes literally splitting a building down the middle or cutting gaping holes into its sides. The result, according to an article in The New York Times, “offered potent commentary on both the decay of the American city and the growing sense that the American dream was evaporating.” Yet despite the destructive and deconstructive impulse behind his work, the article observes, Matta-Clark showed an exceptional ability “to extract raw beauty from the dark, decrepit corners of a crumbling city.”

Shaun Motley's set rendering for Topdog/Underdog.

Motley shared Matta-Clark’s work with director Seret Scott, who agreed that it evoked some of the more important metaphorical currents in Suzan-Lori Parks’ play—whose very title is split down the middle by a slash—while also suggesting a deceptively realistic framework for the play’s sly poetic realism. Matta-Clark’s vision seemed a perfect complement to a play that finds raw beauty in something as simple and mercenary as a game of three-card monte—and which uses as its epigraph Ralph Waldo Emerson’s celebration of the divine nature of a weed growing beside a wall.

Matta-Clark’s influence on the set design for SCR’s production will be apparent on the Julianne Argyros Stage, as Lincoln and Booth play out their brotherly cage-match amid Motley’s peeling, cracked walls. Their run-down apartment may look as real as any urban blight, but when the light shines through its fissures, it illuminates the metaphor of a split household, a broken home, a decaying dream.

To learn more about the work of Gordon Matta-Clark:

The New York Times article about a Matta-Clark retrospective
Images of Matta-Clark’s work

SCR Gala Gets Going (Early)

2011-12-28T10:42:00.000-08:00

Gala Chair Beth Phelps.

During the week between Christmas and New Year’s, when most people were in holiday mode, SCR’s 2012 Gala Ball Chair Beth Phelps was on the job.

On Thursday, December 29, she spent the afternoon in meetings with Director of Development Susan Reeder and Special Events Manager Lauren Hovey, pausing only for a quick photo op.

According to Beth, it’s never too early to start planning the Gala Ball, which opens the theatrical and social seasons in Orange County and donates the first and one of the largest gifts to SCR’s Annual Fund. “We already have a date and a venue, and now we begin choosing a theme and a name for our event. I don’t want to miss a moment of that!”

Beth and her husband Tom, now in his second term as President of SCR’s Board of Trustees, are First Nights subscribers to both stages, members of the Platinum Circle of donors and two-time members of the Playwright’s Circle, which this season will underwrite the world premiere of Cloudlands.

The Gala will be held at the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort and Spa on Saturday, September 8, 2012. For more information (including theme and name!) or to find out how to join the fun, call Susan Reeder at (714) 708-5518.

First day on the job!

Is That a Mariachi Band by the Manger?

2011-12-09T08:00:00.000-08:00

When you come to South Coast Repertory to see A Christmas Carol this month, take a few extra moments to check out the nacimiento, or nativity scene, in the lobby. The six-foot homage to holiday cheer is the work of Amigas de la Cultura, a trio of current and retired school teachers dedicated to educating the community about Hispanic cultures and peoples. The ladies have been putting together displays in SCR's lobby every Christmas for more than 15 years.

Traditionally, a Mexican family sets out their nacimiento on December 16, the first day of Las Posadas, a nine-day celebration of the birth of Christ. Though each display is centered around a classic nativity scene, individual families may contribute personal touches, the way many American families collect Christmas ornaments for their tree. As collections grow, nacimientos can take over entire rooms! The size and scale of the objects is irrelevant, adding a lighthearted touch to the scene.

These seemingly incongruous add-ins often have symbolic meaning. In SCR's nacimiento look for devils, who represent pranksters trying to prevent pilgrims from getting to Bethlehem, and a hermit, standing alone in his cave, whose job it is to thwart the pranksters' efforts. Cartoon characters such as Snow White, Elmo and Daffy Duck are placed in the scene to capture little ones' attention, while diverse characters such as a tortilla maker, a mariachi band and citizens in an Alpine village show that all are welcome at the birth of Jesus.

‘Studio SCR’ Showcases Small, Innovative SoCal Arts Companies

2011-12-06T17:40:00.001-08:00

South Coast Repertory is partnering with some of SoCal’s most intriguing artists to present a series of eclectic, contemporary theatre in its intimate Nicholas Studio.

Studio SCR (formerly the Studio Series) will feature an array of adventurous artists, including:

Steve Connell and Sekou Andrews

Four Clowns

Poor Dog Group

Monkey Wrench Collective

Theatre Movement Bazaar

Robert Cucuzza and Transit Authority

The line-up will also include SCRamble, a late-night cabaret featuring short pieces by eight or nine local acts.

“We’re looking forward to partnering with such a talented group of artists,” said SCR Artistic Director Marc Masterson. “These sorts of collaborations provide exciting opportunities. They give us the chance to forge new artistic relationships, and give audiences a chance to enjoy the incredible diversity of Southern California’s performing arts scene—all under one roof.”

Leading the project is Oanh Nguyen, SCR’s producing associate and the artistic director of the Chance Theater, whose production of Jesus Hates Me in the Nicholas Studio two years ago kicked off the pilot program that has evolved into Studio SCR.

“It's an exciting mix of genre-smashing work from local artists,” Nguyen said. “We have everything from hip-hop theatre to physical theatre, from irreverent clowns to ensemble-driven modern adaptations of classic works.”

Ticket prices vary by production, and range from $15 to $35. You can buy tickets and read more about the artists at www.scr.org/studioseries. Meanwhile, here’s a closer look at the line-up:

The Word Begins

Written and performed by Steve Connell and Sekou Andrews
Directed and developed by Robert Egan
8 p.m. Jan. 19-21

Nominated for three Helen Hayes Awards and named L.A. Weekly and Backstage West Critic’s Picks, The Word Begins follows the hilarious and provocative journey of two men discovering the power of words to define love, faith, race and humanity in America. Mashing up theater, spoken word, comedy and hip-hop, Steve Connell and Sekou Andrews deliver a high-energy performance in this fresh new satire that examines the current cultural landscape.

The Word Begins is presented in association with the Off Center Festival of Segerstrom Center for the Arts.

Four Clowns

Jeremy Aluma
8 p.m. Feb. 17, 2 and 8 p.m. Feb. 18, 2 p.m. Feb. 19

Four Clowns is a physical, musical and emotional journey into what it means to be human. The four clowns—Sad, Mischievous, Angry and Nervous—reminisce about their pasts in a show fueled by audience interaction. As the old adage goes, “laughter is the best medicine,” so come witness how the most tragic moments in one's life can give rise to the biggest laughs. As the clowns tell their tales of woe and elation from childhood to adulthood, we discover that they are all the same...and so are we.

SCRamble

Various artists
10 p.m. Feb. 18

Grab a drink and settle in for a bold new blend of alternative theatre, comedy, dance, music and interdisciplinary collaborations as some of SoCal’s most interesting artists serve up unforgettable theatrical delights in 10-minute increments.

The Internationalists

Poor Dog Group
8 p.m. March 2, 2 and 8 p.m. March 3, 2 p.m. March 4

Unaware of the mounting threat of Sputnik, the first Russian satellite to orbit the Earth, America finds its global dominance in question. Vintage newsreels, NASA’s flight records and modern, user-generated information delivery systems all collide to give a glimpse into our cyber-reality. The Internationalists investigates the race to outer space through the lens of a youthful generation brought up in the Technology Age.

pool (no water)

Monkey Wrench Collective
8 p.m. May 4, 2 and 8 p.m. May 5, 2 p.m. May 6

A famous artist invites several old friends to her luxurious new home and, for one night only, the group of artists is back together. Celebrations come to an abrupt end when the host suffers a horrific accident and an almost unthinkable plan starts to take shape: Could her suffering be their next art project? This is Monkey Wrench Collective’s revival of its critically-acclaimed 2010 U.S. premiere of Mark Ravenhill’s play.

Anton’s Uncles

Theatre Movement Bazaar
8 p.m. June 8, 2 and 8 p.m. June 9, 2 p.m. June 10

A fresh, funny, and physical look at Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya. In this original work—winner of an Outstanding Theatre Award at the 2011 Edinburgh Fringe Festival—only the men remain, wrestling with their desires and pressed to examine a life unlived. Los Angeles-based Theatre Movement Bazaar explodes this classic play, merging the original text with new writing, movement, dancing and singing to emphasize the unspoken, unseen and unexpressed.

Cattywampus

Robert Cucuzza and Transit Authority
8 p.m. June 22, 2 and 8 p.m. June 23, 2 p.m. June 24

In this darkly comic reinvention of Strindberg’s Miss Julie, writer/director Robert Cucuzza distills an essential tale of class and sexual power dynamics and transports it to modern-day Pittsburgh. Cattywampus traces the story of Julie as she tries to escape the clutches of her disinterested husband. She seduces an unsophisticated co-worker, Donnie, determined that he’s her escape out of married misery, gambling it all on his cracked plan to relocate to Florida. But in a world that is so economically out-of-whack, she finds that her dreams of flight are no match for fate.

"Was Ever A Scarf So Red?"

2011-12-01T16:11:00.001-08:00

Ebenezer Scrooge's whimsical red scarf has become a symbol of A Christmas Carol here at South Coast Repertory, but you won't find any mention of Fred's cozy gift to his uncle in Charles Dickens' original version. Adapter Jerry Patch added the bright element to the script to offer a visual, tangible symbol of Scrooge's transformation following his visit from the spirits. "Scrooge leaves the gift in the box in his office, but it shows up later in his bed," says Patch. "He wants to explain it away, but he can't. It's a mini-miracle."

The scarf Hal Landon Jr. wraps around his neck in the play has been in use for 20 years, and is an astonishing 12 feet long. You can purchase a similar one in SCR's gift shop, or make your own with a pair of knitting needles, a ball of yarn and your own two hands. All you need to know is a simple garter stitch, demonstrated in our slide show, and you are on your way! Beginning knitters should try an acrylic-blend yarn that isn't too slippery or too "hairy" to the touch.

For more detailed instructions, illustrations for left-handed knitters, and free knitting patterns to personalize your scarf, visit learntoknit.lionbrand.com.

First Nighter's Take "The Trip to Bountiful"

2011-11-03T17:41:00.000-07:00

Powerful performances by the cast of The Trip to Bountiful propelled the First Night audience onto its feet for a much-deserved standing ovation.

The congratulations continued at the cast party at The Center Club, where partygoers sipped bottles of Coca-Cola and mingled with actors Lynn Milgrim, Dan Reichert, Jennifer Lyon and the rest of the cast. Also on hand were the play’s director, SCR Co-Founder Martin Benson, and his longtime friend and the show's Honorary Producer, Mary Beth Adderley. Joining Mary Beth in her support of The Trip to Bountiful was Corporate Honorary Producer Haskell and White, LLP, represented at the party by Rick and Cheri Smetanka.

Guests declared themselves moved by Horton Foote’s poignant tale of an aging widow desperate to see her old homeplace one last time, and critics agreed: The Los Angeles Times called it “a sure-fire crowd pleaser” and the O.C. Register described it as “a quiet but moving masterwork.”

Playwright Allison Gregory on Junie B.

2011-11-01T10:00:00.000-07:00

JUNIE B. is BACK… with Jingle Bells On!

The holidays are just around the corner—and Santa is watching first-grader Junie B. Jones like a hawk. It doesn’t help that her classroom nemesis May can’t stop tattling and is threatening to ruin her holiday glee.

Junie B. is thrilled when her class is chosen to lead the first grade holiday sing-along by singing “Jingle Bells,” wearing green elf costumes and jingle hats. But Junie B. and May just can’t get along—and their teacher Mr. Scary threatens to cancel the sing-along for everyone if they get into one more fight.

To make matters worse, Junie B. draws May’s name for their Secret Santa gift exchange—and struggles to decide (with the help of her trusty stuffed elephant Philip Johnny Bob) if May deserves more than a lump of coal. You see, Junie B. really, really wants to buy a Squeeze-a-Burp—the most awesome toy in their holiday gift shop—for herself. But if she does, she’ll have no money left to buy a gift for May.

When Junie B. makes her last-minute gift decision, will she find it in her heart to be a “giver?” Or will she prove to be a “shellfish” (as May says)? Will Junie B. find a way to share peace and goodwill? Or will May get exactly what she deserves?

Junie B. in Jingle Bells, Batman Smells! is a funny, fast-paced holiday comedy inspired by Barbara Park’s popular Junie B. Jones children’s book series. Park has written more than 25 titles since 1992 featuring the antics of Junie B. and her pint-sized entourage. The books have become favorites of girls and boys, moms and dads, teachers and librarians alike.

Playwright Allison Gregory was commissioned to adapt Park’s book Junie B., First Grader: Jingle Bells, Batman Smells! (P.S. So Does May.) for the stage by Arizona theatre company Childsplay, Inc., which premiered the play in 2009. Allison worked closely with author Barbara Park on the adaptation, and drew from two other books in the Junie B., First Grader series: Shipwrecked and Dumb Bunny.

Award-winning director Casey Stangl returns to SCR to direct her second Junie B. production for our Theatre for Young Audiences series. Casey directed the popular musical adaptation of Junie B. Jones and a Little Monkey Business during our 2009-10 season. Stangl has worked in renowned theaters throughout Southern California and the country, including the Pasadena Playhouse, Ensemble Studio Theatre, the Guthrie Theatre, Denver Center Theatre Company and Woolly Mammoth. Her production of Noel Coward’s Peace in Our Time—a collaboration with The Antaeus Company in Los Angeles—runs through December 13.

South Coast Repertory is thrilled to welcome Junie B. Jones back to our stage—alongside playwright Allison Gregory and director Casey Stangl. We hope you’ll join us for this fun, frolicking story of holiday cheer, goodwill and the power of giving—Junie B.-style.

More Info/Tickets

WELCOME HOME

A Writer Returns to Where It All Began

Playwright Allison Gregory’s adaptation of Junie B. in Jingle Bells, Batman Smells! has been seen all over the country, but South Coast Repertory’s production is extra special for her: The Orange County native took her first playwriting class right here at SCR. We asked Allison a few questions about her art and adventures, growing up as an actor and playwright in the OC.

Q: I know you were born and raised in Orange County. Where did you grow up, and how often do you come home?
A: I was born in Anaheim, and moved to Orange Park Acres when I was 8. Back then it was "country," and everyone had horses and chickens and goats and—well, you can imagine the smell. My sisters and I were in 4-H; in sixth grade my pig won grand champion of the Orange County Fair! His name was Pink Floyd.

Most of my family still lives in OC (there was no "the" when I lived there), and I try to come home at least once a year.

Q: Do you remember the first play you ever saw at South Coast Repertory?
A: The first play I saw at SCR was Playboy of the Western World by John Millington Synge, because a friend of mine was playing Christy. This would have been in the early ́80s when I was...an infant. It was a lovely, exciting production, and it put SCR on my map.

Q: Do you think growing up here influenced your work or artistic sensibility?
A: I think you bring your past to everything you do, intentionally or not. My first play was blatantly based on my own family. They have since forgiven me and have been very supportive. I find myself now, 10 or 12 plays later, writing a new play with the lead character a thinly veiled version of another family member. (I won't say who; they'll just have to come see the play to find out.) My sense of humor, my fears, my interests, my voice—certainly all of it was shaped by growing up here. You don't escape it, for better or for worse, no matter how much you forget. You pull from it and, ideally, put it to work. That, to me, is a useful life.

Q: When did you first fall in love with the theatre? And start acting?
A: I saw my first full-blown musical, Brigadoon, when I was in 5th or 6th grade. It was a college production at Stanford. I don't know that I fell in love with theatre so much as with the actor playing Charlie Dalrymple, but it left a lasting impression. Flash forward many years: I'm a ballet dancer just out of school and looking for work, and I get cast at a summer theatre in central California (Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts/PCPA) in, you got it, Brigadoon. I play Jeanie, who's getting married to...Charlie Dalrymple! After that I stayed on to do parts in straight plays, and got onstage training from some of the best actors in the country: Mark Harelik, Dakin Matthews, Byron Jennings, Deborah May. It was a thrilling place to be.

Q: When did you discover that you wanted to write plays?
A: I thought most playwrights were dead until I started performing new plays at the Denver Center Theatre. This was my first clue that people were still writing these things.

At some point I signed up for an acting class at SCR with the delightful Karen Hensel, but it was full, so, since I was here anyway, I joined the playwriting class taught by the wonderful John Glore, SCR's Associate Artistic Director. I had no intention of writing a play; I was just waiting for someone in the acting class to bail. Several hard-fought months later I found myself with my first play—which went on to win an honorable mention in SCR's Pacific Playwrights competition, and which earned me my first commission, from SCR. So, there were many firsts here, all of which makes this current production so meaningful to me. As John Glore recently said, the circle is complete.

Q: You've written so many great plays for young audiences, including adaptations of Go, Dog. Go!, Peter and the Wolf and Junie B. What inspired you to start writing for kids?
A: My husband (playwright Steven Dietz) dared me. I love the different writing muscle it takes. Kids are so quick and smart—they get what you're saying right off. You can't belabor things with that meaningful monologue or clever but repetitive scene; kids are story taskmasters; they will let you know (painfully) when you've gone off task. Good children's theatre is honest writing.

Q: What inspired you to adapt this particular Junie B. story?
A: I used to read the Junie B. series over and over to my daughter Ruby. No other books could make her laugh as hard. We all walked around the house reciting quotes, like Junie B. clones, cracking each other up. She really got that the language was incorrect, but it had a kind of accuracy when it came to describing Junie B.'s thoughts and feelings. I got to work really closely with the series author, Barbara Park, on this play, which was a big thrill. It was like meeting Junie B. herself!

Q: Junie B. is such a great character—a quirky, funny troublemaker. Did you get into trouble when you were a kid?
A: Talk to my mom. On second thought, don't talk to my mom. I was a perfect a child, I never did anything wrong. Really.

Director Martin Benson Leads 'The Trip to Bountiful'

2011-10-14T14:20:00.000-07:00

Horton Foote: His Legacy

“I believe very deeply in the human spirit, and I have a sense of awe about it. I look around and ask, ‘What makes the difference? What is it?’ I’ve known people the world has thrown everything at to discourage them, to kill them, to break their spirit. And yet something about them retains a dignity.”

–Horton Foote

Horton Foote was born in 1916 in the small Texas gulf town of Wharton. Foote made his Broadway debut in 1944 with his play Only the Heart. He continued to write for the stage as he expanded his pen into Hollywood, writing teleplays and films. Foote won the 1962 Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird. Foote wrote more than 60 plays and films, most set in the fictional town of Harrison, Texas.

A few of Horton Foote’s many other plays include:

Wharton Dance (1940)

Texas Town (1941)

The Trip to Bountiful (1962, based on his 1953 screenplay)

Roots in a Parched Ground (1962)

Tomorrow (1968)

Night Seasons (1977)

Courtship (1987)

In a Coffin in Egypt (1980)

Cousins (1983)

One Armed Man (1985)

The Widow Claire (1986)

Lily Dale (1986)

Dividing the Estate (1989)

The Young Man From Atlanta (1995)

The Day Emily Married (1996)

Vernon Early (1998)

The Death of Papa (1999)

The Carpetbagger's Children (2001)

For more information about Horton Foote’s life, read his New York Times obituary.

The Trip to Bountiful, by the late Horton Foote, is a play that resonates for director Martin Benson: “As the season was shaping up, and I was looking for a project,” he said, “I was drawn to this play with its enduring themes. As life nears its end, the desire to return home is strong. It’s a universal story that could be happening in any country in the world."

He talked about the importance of home, and the pull that landscape has: “That’s why people struggle so hard against being put in nursing homes—they don’t want to give up their home.”

The play is set in 1953 and follows Carrie Watts, who has been living with her son, Ludie, and his wife, Jessie Mae, in Houston for the last 20 years. They’re in a cramped two-room apartment, and Ludie has only recently recovered from a lengthy illness and returned to work. Jessie Mae is more interested in movie magazines and trips to the drugstore soda fountain than she is in spending time with Mother Watts. There’s no love lost on Mother Watts’ side, either: She is constantly longing to return to the small Gulf Coast town where she grew up—Bountiful, Texas—but Jessie Mae won’t hear of it.

Carrie has made attempts to escape before, but Ludie and Jessie Mae have always managed to find her and stop her before she got very far. Her longing to get out of the pressure-cooker of the city and her living situation is palpable, if unspoken.

Horton and Benson on the set of
Getting Frankie Married—and Afterwards

Benson described Carrie as “immensely appealing. She’s had a hard life—not marrying the man she truly loved, but still seeing him every day; her babies that didn’t survive; and now she’s stuck in a tiny apartment in Houston with her son and daughter-in-law. All she wants is to see Bountiful one more time, so she can make her peace and accept her life.”

The Trip to Bountiful is adapted from a 1953 script that Foote wrote for television. Over the years, the play has been produced countless times. In 1985, it was revived as a film; Geraldine Page won the Academy Award for best actress, and Foote was nominated for the screenplay (see box for more about Foote’s work).

Benson noted, “Horton rewrote The Trip to Bountiful for the 2005 production at Signature Theatre. He cut about 15 pages from the script, so now the play is considerably condensed. It was originally a three-act play, but having two intermissions just isn’t palatable any longer to a modern audience.”

Benson has a long history with Foote, having directed the world premiere of Getting Frankie Married—and Afterwards and the West Coast premiere of The Carpetbagger’s Children at SCR.

Foote once said in an interview, “The people in my plays are always people I know, but they don’t end up in the play as I knew them. It’s like a collage. You take a little bit from here and a little bit from there. You start out, at least I do, with a very definite impression and a feeling [about the people]. As you work on it, the play finds its life.”

Horton's Home in Wharton

Before starting work on Getting Frankie Married, Benson visited Foote at his Texas home for a few days. Benson speaks fondly of the trip, describing his excitement at being able to meet the people from whom Foote drew his characters. Benson and Foote traveled to many of the small towns in the Gulf region of Texas that figure so prominently in Foote’s work, including Foote’s hometown of Wharton.

The production of The Trip to Bountiful sets up some unique challenges for a designer. The set must transform completely from the apartment in Houston to a bus station and more, and Benson worked with set designer Tom Buderwitz to make all locations shift seamlessly in front of the audience.

Benson said, “The Segerstrom is a big, wide stage, and we were challenged to make it feel small and intimate.”

Benson and Buderwitz have tackled many productions together, and the creative team includes other longtime SCR collaborators, including Angela Balogh Calin, who has designed costumes for more than a dozen shows at SCR, and Tom and Donna Ruzika, who have designed lights at SCR for more than 35 years. They’re joined by relative newcomer Cricket S. Myers, who designed sound for Lucky Duck and Three Days of Rain last season.

Arts OC Reception

2011-10-12T12:33:00.000-07:00

On Thursday, Oct. 6, Arts Orange County held a reception on Ela’s Terrace at SCR to welcome new Artistic Director Marc Masterson. Representatives of arts groups and university programs from across the county came out for an enjoyable evening of cocktails and conversation.

Open House

2011-10-07T18:19:00.000-07:00

On Monday, Oct. 3, we threw open our doors for an Open House to welcome new Artistic Director Marc Masterson. More than 250 folks turned out for a fun evening that included backstage tours, an insider’s look at the 2011-2012 season, and a chance to mingle with the artistic staff and other theatre lovers. One lucky couple—Joanne and Terence O’Heany of Corona del Mar—won lunch with Marc and our Managing Director, Paula Tomei.

Looking for more opportunities to go behind the scenes? Try our free SCR Seminars, which take place on certain Thursday evenings, or our Saturday morning Inside the Season discussions. Go to www.scr.org for more information on these exciting and informative events.

Topical World Premiere Opens Argyros Stage Season

2011-10-06T17:43:00.000-07:00

First Night of How the World Began was something to talk about—and talk playgoers did, as they gathered on Ela’s Terrace for the Cast Party to thank the underwriters (SCR stalwarts Bette and Wylie Aitken) and congratulate the cast (Sarah Rafferty, Jarrett Sleeper and Time Winters), playwright (Catherine Trieschmann) and director (Daniella Topol).

An always timely subject—the clash between evolutionist and creationist beliefs—was at the center of the play’s gripping onstage debate, brilliantly brought to life, according to StageScene LA, “by three of the richest performances you’re likely to see anytime soon.”'

Set in a makeshift schoolroom in a tornado-ravaged Kansas town, the production held everyone’s attention through the final moments, which the Orange County Register called “as tense and dangerous as a stiletto’s edge.”

Then the conversation—far less dramatic, but equally engaging—continued during the party, even as playgoers and artists relaxed around cocktail tables decorated with schoolhouse-themed floral arrangements and enjoyed delicacies from Mark’s Catering, sweets donated by C. Salt Gourmet and the evening’s theme drink, Kansas Sunset.

A Day in the Life of a Plains Playwright

2011-09-27T09:54:00.000-07:00

Catherine Trieschmann is one of the only professional playwrights we know who is living—and writing—full-time in Kansas. The author of How the World Began—now enjoying its world premiere—is not only a full-time writer, but also a mother of two. After living in New York and Washington, D.C., Catherine left for Hays, Kansas, in 2006, after her husband got a position teaching philosophy at the local university. We asked Catherine to chronicle a typical day in her life in Kansas—writing, children and all.

Baby on the Plains. Martha, age 1.

8 a.m.
Wake up in an attic bedroom in our 1910 cottage in need of much renovation. Stumble down the stairs and get Sophie (age 4) and Martha (age 1) fed and dressed.

9 a.m.
Ignore the kids while I check e-mail and slurp down coffee while sitting at my grandmother's old dining table.

9:30 a.m.
Return any urgent phone calls from my agent, directors and producers.

Sophie, age 4, on the jungle gym
under the prairie sky.

10 a.m.
Out the door with the girls to the library, museum, park or somewhere similar, hopefully to meet up with other Moms so I don't feel so alone in the world. They think I'm a little strange, what with this playwriting career and all, but they tolerate my eccentricities well enough.

11 a.m.
Feed everyone lunch—usually out of a box.

12 p.m.
Drop Sophie off at O'Loughlin Elementary School for pre-school. Put Martha down for a nap in her crib.

12-2:45 p.m.
Ignore the dirty dishes, pile of laundry, unanswered e-mails and WRITE.

3 p.m.
Pick up Sophie from pre-school.

The first old house we renovated in Hays.

3:30 p.m.
Drop the girls off at the daycare at my gym and swim laps.

or
Weed the garden.
or
Return phone calls.

5 p.m.
Make dinner, preferably un-boxed, preferably with vegetables from our big garden, while the girls entertain themselves by dancing, drawing, climbing on things and pulling out all of the pots and pans from the kitchen shelves.

6 p.m.
Eat dinner with the whole family.

Winter on the Plains. Catherine and Sophie
bundled up in the snow.

6:30 p.m.
Wash the dishes, while my husband and the girls pick up the house. (This is great thinking time.)

7 p.m.
Take everyone to the park across the street, where we swing on the swing set under the big sky. If it's too cold, we'll build a fire and horse around the living room.

8 p.m.
Put Martha to bed. Read to Sophie—Victorian poetry and Pippi Longstocking at the moment.

9 p.m.
While my husband puts Sophie to bed, meet a director for a phone date.

10 p.m.
Answer some of those unanswered emails.

10:30 p.m.
Read scripts and/or research until I fall asleep.

"Pride and Prejudice" Opens the Season to Cheering Throngs

2011-09-23T15:38:00.000-07:00

First Night of South Coast Repertory’s 2011-12 Season was something to cheer about, beginning with the curtain speeches for Pride and Prejudice on the Segerstrom Stage and continuing until the Cast Party closed down around midnight on Ela’s Terrace.

Among those who elicited cheers: SCR Board President Tom Phelps, Founding Artistic Directors David Emmes and Martin Benson, SCR’s new Artistic Director Marc Masterson and his co-CEO, Managing Director Paula Tomei.

The cheering continued for two couples who have vigorously supported the theatre through many seasons, Honorary Producers Jean and Tim Weiss and Tom and Marilyn Suttton; another staunch supporter, U.S. Bank, represented by Bill and Christy Cave; Segerstrom Stage season media partner PBS SoCal, represented by Mel and Marcia Rogers, and Pride and Prejudice media partner 89.3 KPCC.

And that was all before the play began. Then the 21-member cast brought theatre-goers to their feet with a stunning production of the Jane Austen classic, followed by a rocking Cast Party.

A Magical Night for SCR

2011-09-21T12:55:00.000-07:00

September 10, 2011. It was a night of brief nostalgia and endless opportunity.

At “Theatre Magic: The Black & White Ball,” South Coast Repertory supporters looked back with pride on what they had helped achieve over 47 seasons and celebrated their founders who had brought SCR to the top ranks of theatre in America.

Then they looked forward to a new generation of leaders and the endless opportunities that lie ahead.

The two men whose artistic vision started it all (Founding Artistic Directors David Emmes and Martin Benson) joined the new generation of leaders (Artistic Director Marc Masterson and his co-CEO Managing Director Paula Tomei) and the two amazing Gala Chairs, Elaine Weinberg and her daughter Nancy Dahan, to welcome guests to the celebration.

Elaine and Nancy and their creative and hard-working 46-member Committee were responsible for making sure that the evening was celebratory—and fun. They succeeded!

A Play about Faith, Connection and Prejudice

2011-09-20T10:57:00.000-07:00

A Few Questions for Catherine Trieschmann

Playwright Catherine Trieschmann is no stranger to SCR’s artistic staff. We’ve been following her work for years—and commissioned her in 2007—and we’re thrilled to be co-producing the world premiere of her latest play, How the World Began. With rehearsals underway, we asked Catherine to reflect on her inspiration for writing the play—and the intersection of life, religion and weather in her town of Hays, Kansas.

Playwright Catherine Trieschmann

What was the genesis for writing How the World Began?

I was lucky enough to receive a Sloan commission from Manhattan Theatre Club, which is a commission designed to get playwrights writing about science and scientists. Since moving to Kansas five years ago, I've been struck by the heated debates concerning creationism and evolution that are periodically held in my small town of 20,000. How the World Began is my attempt to make sense of why people are so passionate about this issue.

Could you tell us more about the importance of the play’s location to you?

My first year in Kansas, the small town of Greensburg (located about an hour south of me) was decimated by a tornado, and the images from that natural disaster have haunted me ever since.

One of the most striking things about living in Western Kansas is the powerful effect of weather on the community. It, of course, affects the farming community profoundly, but even we townspeople have to beware of heavy hail, thunderstorms and tornados—not to mention extreme heat and cold. The sky is ever-changing on the plains, and it is simultaneously majestic and scary and beautiful.

The play’s characters seem to represent three very different perspectives on the continuum of religious and scientific beliefs. In crafting these characters—and their conflicts—how important was it to you to represent all sides of the ever-changing battle over evolution and creationism?

In writing the play, I don't know that I was so intent upon representing all sides of the evolution vs. creationism debate as much as I was intent upon creating characters that were extreme in their beliefs but sympathetic in their portrayal. There are no moderate views in the play, perhaps because moderation is not the most dramatic of choices, but also because it was the extreme passion and commitment I saw expressed by the people of my town which drew me to the material in the first place. I personally have no problem reconciling evolution and the existence of God, but I was intrigued by people who do.

NEXT WEEK: Catherine Trieschmann presents “A Day in the Life of a Plains Playwright.”

Playwright Catherine Trieschmann has been living and writing in Hays, Kansas, for the last five years. But her newest play, How the World Began, which will premiere on SCR’s Julianne Argyros Stage on Sept. 25, is her first play about Kansas.

In it, she tells the story of Susan Pierce, a new biology teacher from New York who moves to the small town of Plainview to teach in the wake of a devastating tornado. Susan says, “Haven’t you ever looked at photographs after a tsunami or an earthquake half-way across the world and thought, if only I could do something? Wouldn’t it be great to go to bed at the end of the day, tired and used up, knowing you actually helped people?”

Greensburg, Kansas following a F-5 Tornado in 2007.

Susan moved to Plainview to lend a hand—and to start a new life. But she is an outsider in this small, farming town, and unprepared for the firestorm that will erupt after she makes a careless comment while teaching the origins of life.

When student Micah Staab, a devout Christian, takes offense and confronts Susan, she at first denies having made the comment, then tries to explain that she was talking about early non-scientific beliefs that had nothing to do with God. But Micah feels disrespected, and when Susan refuses to apologize, his guardian Gene gets involved. Gene Hinkle is the town’s garrulous ex-postmaster, and soon everyone in town believes that Susan is an evolutionary zealot. The town gossip leads to building pressure that threatens to dismantle Susan’s new life and vocation.

Trieschmann’s drama subtly explores the hot-button topics of creationism and evolution—as they’re taught (or not taught) in modern classrooms today—through the prism of three character’s strongly held personal beliefs. It’s a character-driven play about faith, connection and the innate prejudices people sometimes have toward beliefs different from their own.

Jarrett Sleeper, Kirsten Potter and Joe Spano in rehearsal for the 2011
Pacific Playwrights Festival reading of How the World Began.

How the World Began was presented in a reading during SCR’s 2011 Pacific Playwrights Festival and is being produced in association with Women’s Project Theater in New York. Daniella Topol is directing both the SCR production and the one at Women’s Project, which will produce the play in January 2012. How the World Began will have its European premiere at Out of Joint Theatre in London this fall.

SCR Honors Founders with Endowment Fund

2011-09-16T10:50:00.000-07:00

Patricia Melvin and Marc Masterson.

When South Coast Repertory Artistic Director Marc Masterson stepped forward to greet guests at the 2011 Gala, a new era began.

Of course, the moment was filled with nostalgia, as supporters of SCR recalled so many wonderful moments over the 47 years since Founding Artistic Directors David Emmes and Martin Benson envisioned a new theatre for our community—first touring from the back of a Studebaker station wagon, later in a converted warehouse and then a converted dime store! Now, home is our dynamic theatre center—one of the country’s finest—in the heart of Orange County.

The memories are sweet. But David and Martin aren’t dwelling on them. They’re looking toward the future and the new generation of leaders in whom they have put their trust.

David Emmes and Martin Benson.

To ensure that future, the SCR Board of Trustees has announced The Emmes/Benson Endowment Fund, which will provide the income to fund future exceptional creative opportunities—the unique visionary needs that go beyond original budget plans—in perpetuity. These are the resources that will allow SCR not only to achieve greatness but to sustain greatness.

We invite everyone to join us in honoring David and Martin through the Emmes/Benson Endowment Fund. Find out about the numerous opportunities—including making a gift to the Take-Your-Seat Campaign to permanently name a seat in one of SCR’s three theatres.

We’re Opening Our House

2011-09-13T12:32:00.000-07:00

From left: Marc Masterson, David Emmes, Martin Benson
and Paula Tomei, photo by Doug Gifford.

Join us Monday, Oct. 3, for backstage tours, an insider’s season preview and a reception at the Open House to celebrate the arrival of new Artistic Director Marc Masterson.

You’ll have a chance to meet Marc and his counterpart, Managing Director Paula Tomei, along with Founding Artistic Directors David Emmes and Martin Benson. You’ll get a sneak peek inside the scene, prop and wardrobe shops. And you’ll get to mingle with other theatre lovers as you enjoy refreshments.

It’s all free!

Here’s the schedule:
    •    5-6:30 p.m.: Reception and Backstage Tours
    •    6:30-7:15 p.m.: Season Preview
    •    7:15-9 p.m.: Reception and Backstage Tours

Tour space is limited, so reservations are recommended. Reserve online at www.scr.org/openhouse or by calling 714-708-5555.

‘How the World Began’ Cast: Old Pros at New Works

2011-09-13T12:26:00.000-07:00

Portraying a character in a play that’s never before been performed is a special challenge. But the actors in the world premiere of How the World Began are already experts at creating roles.

Sarah Rafferty originated the role of Helen Vaught in 2002’s Getting Frankie Married – and Afterwards at SCR. (Fans of the TV show “Suits” will recognize her as the main character’s long-time assistant, Donna.) Jarrett Sleeper created older brother Rodney in our 2010 world premiere of Doctor Cerberus. And Time Winters originated the role of Smythic in last year’s world premiere of The Good Book of Pedantry and Wonder at The Theatre @ Boston Court. (SCR fans will remember him from 1999’s The Norman Conquests: Round and Round the Garden.)

Congrats, You Got the Part: Now Cut Your Hair

2011-09-09T10:16:00.000-07:00

In SCR’s version of Pride and Prejudice, actress Claire Kaplan plays “The Girl,” a modern-day character who is reading the novel for the first time. Though she never speaks, she is the observer through whose eyes we view the story. And taking on the role meant making a major change to her appearance. We asked her to write about the experience of chopping off her long hair for her art:

My character in this adaptation of Pride and Prejudice is a punky teen we call “The Girl” who uses her appearance as a sort of identity-establishing rebellion against her mom.

Pretty typical fare, but I never went through that phase. I’ve always had long hair, and I’ve never permanently dyed it. The only time I’ve changed it is for shows. I cut it into a bob for one, and I dyed it a very non-permanent raspberry for another. But I knew at the audition for P&P that this would be a bigger kind of commitment. The casting director and director Kyle Donnelly made sure I realized that the role would require a major make-over. I agreed at once. South Coast Repertory is a major theatre, after all, and an aspiring actor does what she must, within the bounds of propriety.

I knew it would be challenging, but I started to panic when I saw the design for The Girl’s hair, which was much shorter than I expected—basically a pixie cut. I realized that my personal idea of femininity was pretty tied up in my hair. Part of me knew this was silly. But I had been going through some major life changes (graduating and moving home to be in this show, among others), and I didn’t feel like I could deal with my identity being shaken, too.

Before, during and after Claire's transformation.

After a few pep talks from our wonderful costume designer, Paloma Young, and asking myself “What Would Lizzy Bennet Do,” I figured that if I was prepared to chop off my locks I might as well commit to it and take the plunge. They put my hair in two ponytails (there was too much of it for the conventional one) and—snip!—it was gone. I would like it noted for posterity that I did not cry. I think I went into a sort of Zen state.

The fantastic Neve at Crew Salon did the cut entirely by instinct! She shaped it to my head, and I will happily admit it looks great. I love how easy it is to take care of, and it’s surprisingly versatile. The color is a bit extreme for my taste; I tend toward a more natural look. But this is fun! I get to try on a whole different person for a month and a half. And I certainly feel more in character for the show.

In the end, I’m glad I sacrificed some vanity for a job that I readily sacrifice much more important things for all the time. My personal ideas about what is feminine and sexy are starting to change, and I look more like a young Liza Minelli, which has always been a life goal.

One of the best parts is that I get to donate my almost two feet of hair to Locks of Love, an organization that collects hair from the recently shorn and makes it into wigs for those who have lost their hair to illness. The power of the arts!

–Claire Kaplan

"Pride and Prejudice" in the Modern World

2011-09-06T12:32:00.000-07:00

Biography of Jane Austen

Jane Austen was born December 16, 1775, to Rev. George Austen and the former Cassandra Leigh in Steventon, Hampshire. Like the families in many of her novels, the Austens were a large family of respectable lineage but no fortune. She was one of eight children.

Cassandra Austen's ''Portrait of Jane Austen'' (1810). Watercolor and pencil.

Although she never married, her letters to her sister, Cassandra, and other writings reveal several romantic entanglements, including a very brief engagement (which lasted only one evening). She moved several times around the English countryside, and biographical information about her work is somewhat sketchy.

She began to write as a teenager but kept her work hidden from all but her immediate family. Legend has it that while she was living with relatives after her father’s death in 1805, she asked that a squeaky hinge on the room’s swinging door not be oiled. This way, she would have enough time to hide her manuscripts before someone entered the room.

Her brother Henry helped her sell her first novel, Sense and Sensibility, to a publisher in 1811. Her father unsuccessfully tried to get a publisher to look at her novel First Impressions when she completed it in 1797. Later renamed Pride and Prejudice, it was published in 1813 to highly favorable reviews. Mansfield Park was published in 1814 and Emma in 1816. The title page of each book referred to one or two of Austen’s earlier novels—capitalizing on her growing reputation—but did not provide her name.

In 1816, she began to suffer from ill health. At the time, it was thought to be consumption but is now thought to have been Addison's disease. She travelled to Winchester to receive treatment and died there on July 18, 1817, at age 41.

Persuasion and Northanger Abbey were published together posthumously in December 1817 with a “Biographical Notice” written by her brother Henry, in which Jane Austen was finally revealed as the author of Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park and Emma.

By Kimberly Colburn

Adaptations of Pride and Prejudice are not uncommon (see The Ascension of Austen, below), but South Coast Repertory’s production promises to be anything but common. It starts with a fluid, highly theatrical adaptation by Joseph Hanreddy and J.R. Sullivan. Sullivan is a long-time director, and Hanreddy was the artistic director of Milwaukee Rep for more than 30 years; their understanding of dramatic structure onstage is extensive. It’s reflected in the way they’ve deftly captured Austen’s world and her beloved characters. Lovers of the novel will appreciate the extensive use of direct quotes from Austen’s text, but those who have never before heard of the Bennet girls will be able to discover this rich, detailed world and follow the story with ease.

Set rendering by Kate Edmunds

Directing an adaptation of this challenging scope—based on a beloved novel, 21 actors in the Regency period, multiple balls, characters travelling the English countryside—is a demanding prospect. SCR’s production is led by director Kyle Donnelly, who has been a professional director for the past 30 years, working in many of America’s top regional theatres. She directed SCR’s production of Tom Walker by John Strand in 2001. She also heads the acting program at UC San Diego, one of the finest in the country. Several of the cast members are her former students, including Corey Brill, who is playing Mr. Darcy.

Set rendering by Kate Edmunds

Donnelly said she wanted to illustrate the connections that this classic tale has for today's young people. Would a modern teenager fall in love with this story as generations past have? How does this story have relevance for contemporary society? Where and how does the story connect to our modern world? Her approach looks at how this tale might be filtered through the eyes of a modern young girl. If a young girl today picked up this book, how might she see it?

Set rendering by Kate Edmunds

Donnelly’s Pride and Prejudice is set in Regency England, but the production elements are very contemporary, utilizing multi-media, including extensive video projections, to maintain the fluidity of the story. Led by noted scenic designer Kate Edmunds and assisted by projection coordinator Adam Flemming, video allows the scenes to flow freely and quickly from one to the next, keeping the story moving at a brisk pace and giving a strong sense of place. Oddly enough, the technology enables the production to be more faithful to the events of the period novel.

Composer Michael Roth was in rehearsal nearly every day, creating original music for the production. Costume designer Paloma Young’s period-inspired costumes are elegant and richly detailed. The production team also includes lighting designer Lap Chi Chu and choreographer Sylvia C. Turner.

To meet the cast of Pride and Prejudice, click here.

Jane Austen

The Ascension of Austen

By Kimberly Colburn

Jane Austen didn’t intend to be famous. During her lifetime, she only published anonymously, as “A Lady.” Few people outside of her family knew that she wrote her novels. Despite the large part that romance and courting play in her books, she never married. When she died in 1817 at age 41, her gravestone only cited that she was the daughter of local Reverend George Austen. (In an essay about Austen, W. Somerset Maugham commented, “It just shows that you may make a great stir in the world and yet sadly fail to impress the members of your own family.”) It wasn’t until 1872 that Winchester Cathedral added the note to her memorial that she was “known to many by her writings.”

How did Austen’s work, particularly Pride and Prejudice, soar to the level of ubiquitous popularity it currently enjoys?

Her novels Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park and Emma grew in popularity and made a modest sum while Jane was still alive—around 600 pounds in six years, which is roughly equivalent to $60,000 today. At the time, novels were not considered great literature; they were seen more like pulp fiction. Poets were the real celebrities. For comparison, Byron’s book of poems, The Corsair, sold 10,000 copies on the day it was published in 1814. Emma was published the same year but took six months to sell 1,250 copies.

Austen’s modest reputation ebbed until about 50 years after her death, when her niece J.E. Austen-Leigh published A Memoir of Jane Austen. The memoir was wildly popular and renewed interest in Austen’s novels at a time when the genre of the novel had gained new levels of respectability and popularity. The term “Janeites” was coined in a preface to an 1894 edition of Pride and Prejudice to describe Austen admirers.

In the early twentieth century, references to Austen and her novels began cropping up in other texts. Mark Twain expressed distaste for Austen’s writing in 1897’s Following the Equator, insisting that an ideal library would not have her books in it. Given that Mark Twain aimed verbal slings at other classic authors, this may have merely signaled Austen’s transition to “serious literature.” In 1913, Virginia Woolf compared Jane Austen to Shakespeare. In 1926, Rudyard Kipling published a short story called “The Janeites,” about a soldier recalling how he was forced to join a secret society of devoted Austen fans. Through the 1930s and 40s, Austen’s books were increasingly included in classrooms and academia.

It may be the numerous dramatizations of her stories that solidified Austen’s superstar status. Starting in 1940 with Pride and Prejudice starring Laurence Olivier and Greer Garson, popular film culture began mining Austen for inspiration and churning out three to seven film versions of Austen novels per decade. Pride and Prejudice adaptations you might remember include Colin Firth’s turn as Mr. Darcy in the 1995 BBC version and the recent 2005 movie with Keira Knightley as Elizabeth. Or did you catch the 2004 Bollywood version, Bride and Prejudice?

If you include the category of work “based on” or “inspired by” Pride and Prejudice, the list grows exponentially. In film, there’s You’ve Got Mail in 1998, with Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan in the same love-hate relationship model as Elizabeth and Darcy. Bridget Jones’ Diary, both the novels and the films, pay homage to Pride and Prejudice—the initially surly fellow is named Mark Darcy. Author Stephanie Meyer admits the novel Twilight is loosely based on Pride and Prejudice—the dashing Edward Cullen is at first cold and rude to Bella, later citing their differences in lifestyle as the reason he tried to keep her at arm’s length. In 2009, Seth Grahame-Smith wrote Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, a mash-up of Pride and Prejudice and modern zombie fiction. He left large portions of Austen’s original text intact but modified the world of Regency England to include ninjas and zombies. There are also dozens of sequels to Pride and Prejudice, imagining the lives of the characters after the original ends.

This chronology merely traces how Austen and her works exploded in popularity in the more than 200 years since her death, but not why. As bestselling author and journalist Anna Quindlen wrote, “Serious literary discussions of Pride and Prejudice threaten to obscure the most important thing about it: it is a pure joy to read.”

Meet the Cast of "Pride and Prejudice"

2011-08-29T15:44:00.000-07:00

The cast of Pride and Prejudice

Eva Barnes, Corey Brill, Cate Scott Campbell,
Jane Carr, Kandis Chappell, Scott Drummond,
Amy Ellenberger, Amalia Fite, Joel J. Gelman,
Dana Green, Brian Hostenske, Claire Kaplan,
Rebecca Lawrence, James Newcomb, Michael A.
Newcomber,
Elizabeth Nolan, Randy Oglesby, Kalie Quiñones,
Justin Sorvillo, Daniel Sugimoto, Katie Willert

Just how big is our Pride and Prejudice cast? Big enough to form two baseball teams, with enough left over to serve as umpire, announcer and team mascot. But who would you cheer for? Team Lizzy or Team Darcy?

Lizzy, or should we say Elizabeth, will be played in this production by Dana Green, who last season won our hearts as Helena in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. At her side is Corey Brill, who is making his SCR debut as the handsome Mr. Darcy.

Playing Elizabeth’s parents are two SCR veterans: Randy Oglesby (Riduculous Fraud) is the dry-witted Mr. Bennet, and Jane Carr (Habeus Corpus) is his boisterous wife. (A couple of fun facts about this acting duo: Randy has played seven different characters in four different “Star Trek” TV shows, and Jane’s voice should be well-known to fans of the cartoons “The Fairly Odd Parents” and “The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy.”)

Making her 21st appearance in an SCR show is Kandis Chappell, who originated the role of Ruth in Collected Stories and then reprised the role in 2009. Here she plays the formidable Lady Catherine de Bourgh, aunt of Mr. Darcy.

Rounding out the list of actors who’ve appeared on SCR’s stages in the past are Michael A. Newcomer (The Heiress), who plays Mr. Wickham; Brian Hostenske (Noises Off), who plays Mr. Bingley; and two UC San Diego (UCSD) faculty members: acting teacher Eva Barnes (Aunt Dan and Lemon) as Lady Lucas/Mrs. Gardiner, and fight choreography teacher James Newcomb (The Taming of the Shrew) as Sir William Lucas/Mr. Gardiner.

UCSD is well-represented in the show: Nine of the cast members graduated from its MFA acting program, which is led by Pride and Prejudice’s director, Kyle Donnelly. In addition to Corey Brill and Brian Hostenske, they are Cate Scott Campbell (Charlotte), Scott Drummond (Mr. Collins), Amy Ellenberger (Miss Caroline Bingley), Amalia Fite (Lydia Bennet), Joel J. Gelman (Fitzwilliam/Mr. Denny) and Rebecca Lawrence (Jane Bennet). Two others are UCSD undergraduates: Claire Kaplan (The Girl) and Katie Willert (Mary Bennet).

And finally, four cast members are graduates of SCR’s own Professional Actor Training program. They are: Liz Nolan (Catherine Bennet), Kalie Quiñones (Miss Anne de Bourgh/Georgiana Darcy), Justin Sorvillo (Captain Carter) and Daniel Sugimoto (Soldier/Servant).

You can find the complete cast bios by going here and clicking on “Cast/Creative Team.”

Gala Patron Party…Twilight on the Beach

2011-08-29T12:45:00.000-07:00

South Coast Repertory’s annual Gala, “Theatre Magic: The Black and White Ball” is set for September 10, but the celebration began at twilight on August 25, when Bette and Wylie Aitken inaugurated their new beach cottage with a party to thank Gala table hosts and underwriters for their strong support of SCR.

The elegant event included two other firsts: it honored the first mother/daughter team to serve as Gala Chairs, Elaine Weinberg and Nancy Dahan; and it was the first official event for SCR’s new Artistic Director Marc Masterson, who commented, “I’ve never been to a party to celebrate a party. SCR’s Gala Committee has its priorities in order!”

Or maybe Gala supporters just like to party—which they did happily in the beautiful surroundings of the Aitken’s flower-filled home and and will do again at the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel, starting at 6pm on Saturday, September 10. For more information about “Theatre Magic: The Black and White Ball,” call Development Director Susan Reeder at (714) 708-5518.

SCR Summer Players: Creating a Theatre Family

2011-08-26T15:07:00.000-07:00

Nick Slimmer (Wolf #2) behind The Three Little Pigs,
l to r: Mitchell Huntley, Blaze Whiting and Chaney Lieberman in
Into the Woods. Photo by Henry DiRocco.

There were 28 actors in the Summer Players production of Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods. Most of them were returning Players and had previous stage experience. One of them never had been a Player, never had appeared in a stage production and—at age 9—was the youngest cast member.

“As a 9-year-old, you don’t have many responsibilities in life,” Chaney Lieberman said candidly, “but Hisa made me feel like I was meant to be there, like I had as much responsibiliy as everyone else.”

“Hisa” is Theatre Conservatory Director Hisa Takakuwa, and her belief in theatre as an ensemble art form is at the heart of the Kids and Teen Acting Program. By the time students like Chaney have completed their first year, the ability to balance individual creativity with the ideas and work of the group is second nature to them.

When Chaney was selected for the Summer Players, she moved from the classroom—and her peer group—to an ensemble of young actors of every age. “I was a little nervous about working with some of the older students at first,” she admitted, “but they were all great to me, too. They made me feel as if I really belonged in the ensemble.”

Chaney brought to rehearsal what she had learned in class about working together to create and tell a story and applied that to the characters she portrayed. “I also learned how to project,” she added, not that much projection was required. As one of The Three Little Pigs and Cinderella’s Birds, Chaney—along with Blaze Whiting and Mitchell Huntley—had non-speaking roles.

“We did get to project when we sang!” she said, pointing out that the pigs and birds joined in several songs. “I loved the musical numbers because they combined both acting and singing.”

Julia Ostmann, Kelsey Kato, Alyse Russell and Jamie Ostmann in
Into the Woods. Photo by Henry DiRocco.

But it was the non-verbal exercises she had learned in class that helped Chaney show emotions through her body rather than through words, with help from two “family” members, Assistant Director Julia Ostmann, who played Jack’s mother in the show, and Chase Anderson-Shaw, who was Cinderella’s father. Chase returned to join the cast of Into the Woods during summer break from USC; Julia is now a freshman at Harvard. Between them, they have logged 16 years in the Kids and Teen Acting Program.

“Julia taught us to make our personalities more graceful so we could move as beautifully as birds,” Chaney said. “From Chase we learned to be the complete opposite of the birds. So, when we moved as pigs, we almost stomped our way across the stage, but as birds, we tried to glide.”

Glide and stomp they did, in roles that wowed the audience as they fit seemlessly into the ensemble. According to Hisa, that’s what it’s all about. “The ability to work and create together is rooted in mutual trust and respect. It’s the core of everything we teach; we hope the result is good art and, even more importantly, a worthwhile life lesson to learn at any age.”

The result was good art. Audiences loved the show, and Daily Pilot critic Tom Titus, noticed how well the cast worked together, saying, “The ensemble is uniformly impressive. Few shows could be more enjoyable.”

But it’s the young actors’ raves that really count. Take it from Chaney. “It was a wonderful experience, not just for the acting and singing but for meeting so many great people in the process and sharing great memories with them.”

It’s Called What Again?

2011-08-25T15:06:00.000-07:00

Cecilia Fannon has been teaching playwriting at SCR for about 12 years. (She now teaches screenwriting as well.) During that time, she’s encountered some pretty funny/weird/intriguing play and movie titles. We asked her to list a few of the more memorable ones:

Gone to Hell, Will Write by Ray Jacob
Kill the Pig by Ron Hoefer
Widows of November by Anne Grob
Briefing the Heart by Lauren Dunn
Stoney Baloney by Hannah Holden
Mohammed's Moon by Dale Andersen
The Gods That Never Were by Ken Kanouse
Liq Ho by Donna Hedman
Limboland by Alan Witchey

Of Limboland, Cecilia says: "This title derives from a preacher's experience being swallowed and shat out of a silver dung beetle. Hilarious play that had a reading on the Queen Mary, with me at the helm."

And she recalls Gone to Hell, Will Write as an absurdist comedy in which the protagonist is shot at the end of Act One—with a banana.

Writing Students: Remember any more good ones? You can post them in the comments.

Acting Class: It’s Not as Scary as You Think

2011-08-23T16:05:00.000-07:00

Jane Terry

This summer, Jane Terry tried something new: She took her first acting class. We asked Jane, who is the president and chief operating officer of Ajax Boiler Inc., to tell us what it was like to be a first-timer in one of SCR’s classes. Here’s what she had to say:

As a manufacturing executive—and one who has never set foot on a theatrical stage—I found the adult acting class to be a welcome relief and distraction from my daily operations at the factory.

I am an early riser, and so the class hours (Mondays, 7-10 p.m.) almost dissuaded me from signing up. But the teachers were generous with us, cutting slack as needed. My classmates were from all walks of life—attorneys, civil servants, business people, students, and retired people. Many had enjoyed acting during some part of their life—primarily in childhood—while some of us never acted before. So we had quite a range in age and experience to draw from.

Students rehearse a scene in class.

The first couple of classes just broke the ice for us; after that, we selected monologues to deliver in the fourth class. Next we were assigned partners, and performed skits in front of the class. We spent time working of them, incorporating stage blocking and developing their flow, and most became very nice pieces. Not everyone was able to memorize their lines, but we all enjoyed watching our classmates perform, and helping each other as best we could.

All in all, the work was fun enough that I may continue with this as a hobby. It was refreshing to step away from a world of spreadsheets and manufacturing disciplines to enter a new one comprised of endless possibilities of the imagination.

For more information on any of SCR’s acting and writing classes for adults, teens and kids, click here

From Ballet to Brain Cancer to Classes at SCR

2011-08-19T17:12:00.000-07:00

Rob Johnston

Rob Johnston started dancing during his sophomore year at UC Irvine. He liked that it kept him in shape and made him feel connected to his artistic side, so after graduation he continued classes at a studio in Anaheim. Then, in November 2008, he suffered a seizure during class. He was only 29 and in seemingly perfect health. But an MRI and subsequent tests revealed cancerous masses on the front and back parts of his brain.

“Being diagnosed with cancer so young, especially after having lost my mom to breast cancer when I was 17, really forced me to look at my life from a lot of angles,” he said. “And I found there were a few things I’d never done for whatever reason, whether it be fear or no time.”

Rob is a fan of "Glee," having been part of a show choir in high school, and a big fan of the actor Max Adler, who plays the homophobic (but closeted) football player Dave.

“His character had a pivotal scene early in the second season which was just amazing to watch him go through. I remember watching that scene and going, ‘You know what? I want to learn how to do that.’”

Rob, right, with fellow students.

“I almost talked myself out of it before it hit me that, at this point, what have I got to lose?”

A Google search turned up SCR’s classes, and Rob enrolled.

Like any first-time acting student, Rob remembers feeling “extremely nervous” on his first day. But that soon wore off.

“Diana [Burbano] is the perfect teacher for people who just come off the street wanting to give acting a try, which was 90 percent of my Acting I class. We were totally comfortable with her by the end of the night.”

Since then, he has taken Fundamentals of Acting II and III with Greg Ungar.

“Greg really stepped it up a notch and challenged me…He really laid it on the table and pushed us to bring our best to class.”

Rob, who works in the undergraduate admissions office at UCI, has found that taking acting classes helps him at work.

Rob with a fellow student.

“The classes allow me to come into work refreshed, since I’ve been able to focus on something new.”

These days, beyond some weakness and fatigue on his left side, Rob is feeling good. Doctors are monitoring the tumors, but so far haven’t recommended removal or radiation.

Now that he’s feeling confident he has the necessary tools to give his best performance, Rob’s planning his next challenge: “I am going to start auditioning for some local theater and student films here in Orange County, and then go up to L.A. to audition for TV and film.”

Note: You can help support Rob in his fight against cancer by liking the picture of his “everyday moment” on Mastercard’s “Every Moment is Priceless” Facebook page

SCR Annual Dinner: A Midsummer Night

2011-08-09T11:00:00.000-07:00

On July 27, 2011, South Coast Repertory, its donors and trustees had a very exciting—and very full—day, beginning with the final board meeting of the 2010-11 Season, followed by cocktails on the terrace and dinner on the Segerstrom Stage.

New board members were elected, last season’s officers were re-elected, an emeritus trustee was announced and two board members retired, and that was just the beginning.

At dinner, Damien Jordan, Vice President, Finance, announced that the theatre had ended its 47th consecutive season in the black, saying, “We have the momentum going after a great 2010-11 Season, and all of our trustees are committed to the theatre’s continuity.”

It was the first Annual Dinner for SCR’s new Artistic Director Marc Masterson, and David Emmes and Martin Benson’s first Annual Dinner as Founding Artistic Directors. All three spoke eloquently of the years gone by and those that lie ahead for SCR and its new team of leaders: Masterson and his co-CEO, Managing Director Paula Tomei.

Then it was time for the show, a retrospective of the season, its productions and the Honorary Producers who made them possible, fittingly titled “A Dream of a Season.” (Just before the show, we caught five of SCR's favorite actors in rehearsal.)

Moments in the Woods

2011-08-08T16:07:00.000-07:00

by Valentina Gehley and Julia Ostmann

About a week before a show opens, the cast and crew begin technical rehearsals. These rehearsals are often the first time the actors have ever stood on the set, worn their costumes or handled their props—the first time they’ve performed with sound or light cues. Two teen members of our Summer Players—Valentina Gehley and Julia Ostmann—kept a log of the first day of tech for Into the Woods, which opened last weekend and continues through Sunday. Check it out and get a peek behind the scenes…

Members of the cast gather
around the vending machine.

Alyse Russell (Giant/The Harp) and
Allison Baayoun (Snow White) get
set up in their new dressing room.

12:28 p.m. Cast members arrive, squealing as they discover their dressing room assignments. Next stop? The vending machine, conveniently located across from the boys’ dressing room.

12:37 We trek through the new, awe-inspiring set (thanks designer Sara Clement!) and sit in the theater. Director Hisa Takakuwa and Musical Director Erin McNally give us notes – comments and adjustments for our performances.

Rapunzel, meet your tower!
Lindsey Wiercioch reacts to
her imprisonment.

Chaney Lieberman, Blaze Whiting, and
Mitchell Huntley (Three Little Pigs)
chill backstage.

12:38 The amazing set is a little distracting. “Look it’s Rapunzel’s hair!” says Valentina Gehley (Narrator). “Why is it green?” asks Jamie Ostmann (Hen). “That’s the beanstalk you guys…” says Erin.

12:49 Rapunzel’s tower makes its first appearance! “Go climb it bro! Good luck!” says Cinderella’s Prince (Jordan Bellow) to his brother, Rapunzel’s Prince (Nick Slimmer).

12:52 Released back to the dressing rooms – costumes have arrived!! Entire cast crowds the hallway to check out each other’s costumes. Thanks again, designer Sara!

Jamie Ostmann (Hen that lays golden eggs),
Lindsey Wiercioch (Rapunzel), and
Katie Haas (Little Red Ridinghood)
hold prop babies.

1:15 “Once upon a time…” says The Narrator (Valentina Gehley). And the work-through of the show begins!

Lauren Cocroft (Granny), Lindsey
Wiercioch (Rapunzel), and Alyse
Russell (Harp) model their costumes.

2:05 “Going dark!” Lighting designer Benjamin Weill shouts before lowering the lights. He tries out different levels and effects while we rehearse.

2:49 Cast members hang out in the dressing rooms and the hallway, listening for their cues over the monitor. A lot of tech week is waiting!

Brianna Beach (Witch) and
Kailyn Dunkelman (Cinderella) hang out
in the dressing room.

3:50 Working the blocking of “Hello Little Girl” with the Wolf (Connor Dugard) and Little Red Riding Hood (Katie Haas). “What is motivating the twirls you do in the song, Katie?” asks Erin. “A sugar high,” says Katie.

4:35 In the middle of singing “It Takes Two,” the Baker (Akshay Sharma) drops his props: Rapunzel’s hair, a knife, and a stalk of corn. Fits of laughter ensue!

5:30 Finishing the Act I finale and starting Act II. It’s always encouraging to reach a big milestone!

6:03 Time to get out of costume!

Get more information and tickets to Into the Woods here.

SCR's Summer Players Begin Rehearsals for Sondheim's "Into the Woods"

2011-07-18T09:58:00.000-07:00

Musical Director Erin McNally shares a laugh during rehearsals with Kailyn Dunkelman (Cinderella), Brianna Beach (Witch), Catherine Hass (Little Red Riding Hood), Valentina Gehley (Narrator), Kelsey Kato (Jack) and Rachel Teague (Baker's Wife)

Director Hisa Takakuwa, Musical Director Erin McNally
and Arranger Bobby Nafarrete go over the score

SCR’s Summer Players are students with at least one year’s experience in the Kids or Teen Acting Program, who audition for roles in the annual summer musical. This summer, 28 of them have been cast in Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods.

It’s a show that another director of young acting students might consider daunting. Not Director Hisa Takakuwa, who has been nurturing a secret desire to work on Into the Woods for a long time. Now that time has come, and she and Musical Director Erin McNally are thrilled.

“It’s my favorite musical,” McNally said. “And what a gift for young performers to have an opportunity to work on the music and lyrics of Stephen Sondheim!”

“It’s challenging,” Takakuwa admitted. “But while the world of Into the Woods may be complex, it’s also an emotionally rich one in which to explore and create. It’s filled with interesting characters and contains numerous themes that our young actors can relate to because they’re examining them in their own lives right now. I think they’ll bring surprising truth and depth to the story.”

Rachel Teague (Baker's Wife) rehearsing with
Musical Director Erin McNally

And it will be a fun challenge, even more so with the inclusion in the cast of five graduates of the Theatre Conservatory, all on summer break from college. “By widening the cast pool, we were able to comfortably choose a piece like Into the Woods,” Takakuwa said. “It requires more mature and experienced performers and will benefit from the range of age (9-20 years) in both the rehearsal and learning process, as well as in the final telling of the story for our audience.”

The recent grads, all of whom spent between four and eight years in SCR classes and Players programs, are Chase Anderson-Shaw (USC sophomore/theatre major) as Cinderella’s father, Brianna Beach (UC San Diego sophomore/theatre major) as Witch, Jordan Bellow (Chapman sophomore/ BFA in theatre performance) as Cinderella’s Prince, Akshay Sharma (Harvard freshman), as Baker, and Rachel Teague (Orange Coast College freshman) as Baker’s wife.

Rehearsing on their own, Catherine Hass (Little Red
Riding Hood), Kelsey Kato (Jack), Kailyn Dunkelman
(Cinderella) and Akshay Sharma (Baker)

“They bring with them a knowledge of the program and a great love for it, as well as further training experiences after a year or more away from SCR,” Takakuwa said. “I believe these grads will raise the level of experience of the younger actors. Because SCR has helped shape and support all of them, they’re truly excited about being mentors and are eager to give back and share their experience and joy with others.”

All 28 cast members will share their joy with the audience when Into the Woods opens on the Julianne Argyros Stage August 6.

Get more information and tickets here.

L to R: SCR Theatre Conservatory grads Chase Anderson-Shaw, Akshay Sharma, Brianna Beach, Rachel Teague, Jordan Bellow

The Invitations are Out!

2011-07-15T12:51:00.000-07:00

Sophie Cripe and Jan Seitz Jashinski

Elaine Weinberg (Gala Chair with her
daughter Nancy Dahan) and Bette Aitken

Clockwise from left, Carin Sprague,
Elaine Weinberg, Bette Aitken,
Sophie Cripe and Jan Seitz Jashinski

The first and one of the largest (and most popular!) fund-raisers in Orange County is SCR’s annual Gala Ball. This year’s event, Theatre Magic: The Black & White Ball will be held on September 10 at the Ritz Carlton, Laguna Niguel.

On Wednesday afternoon, July 13, members of SCR’s Gala Committee headed for Studio A on the third floor of the Education Department, usually a rehearsal room for the Theatre Conservatory. But on this day, committee members had another goal: to assemble and hand-address 300 invitations to the upcoming Gala—and attach a feather to each one!

Two hours later, the invitations were ready for the mail, and more will go out as the big day approaches. For detailed information about how you can receive an invitation to this grand party that traditionally opens the theatrical and social seasons in Orange County, please contact Susan Reeder, Director of Development at (714) 708-5518.

Olivia Johnson and Mimi Holcombe

Nancy Dahan, Gala Chair with her mother Elaine Weinberg

Survey Participant Winners Named

2011-07-05T15:25:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Annalissa Aguirre, Richard Bianchino, Laith Ezzet, Aurea Gandarilla, Nancy Lawrence and Lori Mazan. They are the winners in our recent end-of-year survey drawing. Their names were chosen at random from among the 2,915 patrons who participated. We’d like to say a big “thank-you” to everyone who took the time to complete the survey—we very much value your opinions and plan to incorporate your feedback into our work next season. We look forward to seeing you at South Coast Repertory this fall!

"Three Days of Rain" Comes Home

2011-05-27T14:42:00.000-07:00

Kevin Rahm, Susannah Schulman and Brendan Hines in Three Days of Rain.
Photo by Henry DiRocco.

On Friday evening, May 20, Richard Greenberg’s Three Days of Rain was revived on SCR’s Segerstrom Stage. Many playgoers had been there for the world premiere almost 15 years ago (or for later productions across the country, on Broadway or in London’s West End); others were seeing it for the first time. For all of them, it was a night to remember.

On Monday morning, May 23, Charles McNulty of the Los Angeles Times and Paul Hodgins of the Orange County Register (both of whom had seen earlier productions), also found it memorable:

“A revival of Three Days of Rain … confirms the charms and structural ingenuity of the original and it retains the haunting aftereffects that the play left the first time around. Directed reverently and without undue dramatic fuss by the theater's artistic director, David Emmes, this Rain doesn't attempt to resurrect its predecessor's ghost. These actors make the roles their own, and Thomas Buderwitz's scenic design gives us a grittier and more detailed Manhattan loft than the debut production did back in 1997.”

– Paul Hodgins, OC Register

“Greenberg has written a kind of generational mystery in which the past really is another country, one that the present, groping for insight into its own origins, can’t help misjudging. Much as I was intoxicated by the play when I first encountered it at the Manhattan Theatre Club in 1997 … I don’t think I fully appreciated the depth of feeling in the work until Emmes’ production.”

– Charles McNulty, LA Times

Read all about the Cast Party, complete with photos of First Nighters and their guests discussing the intricacies of the play with the director and actors.

Playwright Finds Inspiration in Child Train-Jumpers

2011-05-11T17:15:00.000-07:00

On May 13-15, the SCR Studio Series presents Angel of the Desert, a play by Janine Salinas, produced by Breath of Fire Latina Theatre Ensemble. Recently, dramaturg Tiffany Ana López interviewed Salinas about her play.

López: What were the seeds for your writing of Angel of the Desert?

Salinas: I began writing this play in the fall of 2006 as I was entering the last year of my Masters in Fine Arts program at the University of Southern California. At that time, I was doing research for my thesis play, a story about 30 years in the life of a family that included the character of a grandmother recounting having crossed the border with her young daughter.

I came across several articles about children crossing the border by train, and that led me to Sonia Nazario’s essay series, later the subject of her book, Enrique’s Journey. I could not believe the statistic that each year over 48,000 children, some as young as eight years old, leave home to enter the dangerous world of jumping trains. These children risk loss of life and limbs, as well as being robbed and raped by gangs of older kids that form around the train culture to take advantage of others who are even more poor and voiceless. Many of the children are forced into gang life and become drug mules or prostitutes.

The only incentive for their survival is getting to the United States. Most are motivated to begin the journey because they want to reunite with their mothers, who have left them behind in a desperate search to find work. The extreme poverty of their villages and homelands leave them with a terrible sense of choice: Either leave their children or watch them starve.

From this research, I began writing scenes about a mother who left behind a son who wanted to cross the border to join her, but at that time the story would not fully materialize. I attempted to write this play four different times and then finally set it aside. I did not return to this work again until 2009.

López: What were some of the challenges for you in telling this story?

Salinas: I was raised in a home where there was ample love and support. Writing this play, I had to work most to understand in a heartfelt way what kept the kids hopeful, especially as their journey became increasingly dangerous.

Nazario’s work served as a touchstone in the writing process because she provided such a powerful level of insight into the stories of the children and how they got ensnared in the train culture. She explained how the child’s quest to reunite with his mother gets ultra-romanticized, akin to the quest for the Holy Grail. The child fantasizes about all the mother can provide and the void that will be filled in being reunited with her. The desire to find a sense of home and to feel loved is what keeps them hopeful and gets them through the worst of situations.

The other big challenge I faced with the work came after it was finished. I wondered about the reaction to the issue of age and sexuality. I know from my research that the stories of the boys in this play authentically reflect the emotional and situational reality of the train culture. I don’t see the behaviors depicted as outside the range of experience for these kids. Extreme poverty strips the body down to an essence and makes feelings such as love and hope a luxury. I want people to see that this world has a brutal hierarchy where drugs and sex are currency vital to survival. The idea of love and safety is nearly non-existent, with the physicality of the body reduced to a mode of exchange and a tool of survival that is divorced from the physical intimacy associated with love and affection.

Francisco and Sweetie give one another the gift of feeling loved, but we see how Francisco is violently shaped by even his brief entry into this world. Their sexuality is fluid because they are young and haven’t yet had a space for their identities to evolve. The oldest, Chavo, is the one who feels shame about what he is forced to do; he is also the one who has had to most harden his heart so that he can take care of his younger brother. To feel emotion leaves one vulnerable to feeling. Ultimately, the need for love transcends gender, and I believe that this is even more the case the younger one is in age.

When people are desperate, they do desperate things. What the kids in the play have to do to survive shows how the violence of poverty takes away their childhood and threatens their personhood. I want people to feel moved by their situation, and I feel getting angry and upset is an important response. But it’s always a challenge as a playwright to feel comfortable making the audience uncomfortable.

López: How did you balance your sense of political urgency about the plight of the children depicted in the play with your desire as an artist to practice your craft and simply tell a moving story?

Salinas: One of my most influential writing teachers, Luis Alfaro, advised that you should never tell yourself you are writing a political play. Audiences want to be emotionally touched and will react to the artistic power of the work. My main focus was to bring to life the richness and complexity I saw in my characters and to portray their journey in all its complicated dimensions. I wanted to draw the audience into their situation and emotionally move them to care about what happens within the world of the play and beyond.

As a playwright, I am often drawn to write about political subjects, but my goal is always to portray humanity on the stage and to depict my characters in the most truthful light I can. Usually with a play, I feel that the conversations that take place in the lobby and the parking lot are an excellent level of response. But with this piece, I want more. My hope is that seeing Angel of the Desert inspires others into awareness and fuels a desire to continue their investigations by reading Sonia Nazario’s Enrique’s Journey and seeing films like Sin Nombre.

López: What is most significant for you about having this work staged at South Coast Repertory as part of the Studio Series?

Salinas: Of course, I’m excited about the proximity of Orange County to the U.S. – Mexico border because it adds an incredibly powerful charge to what it means to see the play on this particular stage. It makes it easier to imagine the social relevance of the work. While we don’t think about these types of characters on a daily basis, they are very much a part of our world.

I’m also very proud to have the work staged at SCR because it is one of the few companies in the U.S. dedicated to championing new work and work by young playwrights. They truly believe in the development and artistic vision of new writers and ushering new voices onto the American stage. It’s an honor to have Angel of the Desert be a part of this year’s Studio Series and to be part of the collaboration between SCR and Breath of Fire Latina Theater Ensemble.

For tickets to Angel of the Desert, click here.

Slide Show: Pacific Playwrights Festival

2011-05-09T14:58:00.001-07:00

Theatre professionals and theatre lovers from across the country gathered at SCR April 29 – May 1 for the 14th annual Pacific Playwrights Festival. Audiences heard five new plays read for the first—but certainly not the last!—time. Our cameras caught actors, playwrights and directors in rehearsal and at play. Here are some of our favorite behind-the-scenes moments from one of the nation’s most important new-play festivals.

Reading photos by Scott Brinegar.

Studio Series Offers Hint of Danger

2011-05-09T14:58:00.000-07:00

A winged teenager attempts a treacherous border crossing. A 1950s family discovers life is more like Invasion of the Body Snatchers than “Leave It to Beaver.” Three dancers, trapped in a strange space, propel their way through boxes of light in search of escape.

Yes, there’s a hint of danger in the three remaining shows in SCR’s Studio Series, an eclectic array of theatre, dance and performance art by some of the Southland’s most talented small arts organizations.

First up is Angel of the Desert, from Breath of Fire Latina Theater Ensemble. It begins just after a civil war wipes out a small village in Mexico. Winged teenager Francisco wakes to discover he is the sole survivor. With the guidance of the moon, he embarks on a treacherous journey through the harsh Mexican desert—attempting what many others before him have done: crossing into the U.S. in search of home. Along the way, he meets two young brothers who know life on the train tracks all too well. Together, these three discover the challenges and true meaning of adventure, family and love.

Angel of the Desert runs May 13-15.

Next is an evening of modern-dance pieces by the acclaimed Backhausdance company. In addition to the piece about trapped dancers, entitled eXit, Backhausdance: Re-Imagined features three other works, including one designed especially for SCR’s intimate Nicholas Studio. That piece, Duet(s), is a suite for three men and three women that explores relationships through quick, quirky gestures and seamless partnering. In La Jupe, dancers dramatically explore the often-veiled facets of femininity and the struggle to find one’s true expression. Shift is an elegant, powerful piece performed in four distinct movements.

Backhausdance: Re-Imagined runs June 10-12.

The series concludes with D is for Dog, from Rogue Artists Ensemble—a company known for mixing puppetry, live actors, original music and video projection. Dog takes us into the seemingly innocent home of the Rogers family, where life is like a 1950s sitcom—or is it? Mr. and Mrs. Rogers and their two darling children, Dick and Jane, must face their history and identity before it is too late, with only mysterious phone calls and a forbidden book as clues. D is for Dog explores the themes of family loyalty and compassion using iconic imagery from 1950s television blended with startling elements of horror and science fiction.

D is for Dog runs June 17-19.

You can find more details or buy tickets to any of these shows here.

Compleat "Completeness"

2011-05-04T17:51:00.000-07:00

Brooke Bloom, Karl Miller, Mandy Siegfried and Johnathan McClain
in Completeness. Photo by Scott Brinegar.

On Friday, April 22, First Night of Completeness, subscribers and their guests were intrigued throughout the show—and beyond. After thunderous applause, they headed for the Cast Party (sponsored by Pinot Provence in their restaurant at The Westin South Coast Plaza), still discussing the romantic comedy, its complex algorithms and equally complex—and often hilarious—relationships. Their glowing reviews were later echoed by the critics:

“Dramatically compelling … refreshingly hilarious …” – LA Weekly
“Pam MacKinnon steers the proceddings with grace and snap, aided by her warm, appealing cast …” – Variety
“A highly entertaining romantic comedy …” – Examiner.com
“Enjoyable and brainy…” – StageSceneLA

Read more about the Cast Party, complete with photos of First Nighters and their guests hobnobbing with the playwright, director and the young actors who bring their wonderfully nerdy characters to life.

SCR's 'Players' Pack 'Em In

2011-04-20T14:47:00.000-07:00

Christopher Huntley, Jamie Ostmann and Guy McEleney
in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

The young actors in SCR’s Junior, Teen and Summer Players may be kids, but their shows are adult caliber.

Last August, a cast of 26 Summer Players wowed audiences with their acting, singing and dancing in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella. The Tom Briggs adaptation was the same script used in the New York City Opera’s 2004 production. The Junior Players recently sold out performances of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory over two weekends in April. The script Theatre Conservatory Director Hisa Takakuwa chose, adapted by Richard R. George from the fantasy by Roald Dahl, was sanctioned by Dahl himself.  

And just look at what’s coming up: The Teen Players in Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park. The play has 18 characters, period costumes, dancing and singing, 14 scenes in seven locations and lots of lines to learn! In other words, it's a big show, but with these enthusiastic and dedicated young actors, Takakuwa doesn’t go the easy route.

After all, they’ve had at least two years of training and won their places in the Teen Players ensemble through audition. Takakuwa knows they’re up to task. When we asked her to elaborate, she did so happily. And young actors-in-training should pay heed to her words because Takakuwa is a trained actor herself and brings that experience, along with her immense talent as a director, to the Players’ productions.

SCR's Teen Players

“My goal in choosing the Players scripts is always to select something that will both challenge the actors and entertain the audience. For the teens, I look for a text that is challenging on intellectual as well as emotional levels.  

“Mansfield Park has wonderfully specific characters who require physical and verbal boldness and emotional bravery from the actors. It’s a story that has true human emotion and complexity as well as moments of light comedy. I was drawn to the script because it required the actors to explore a completely different world from their own—of physical stillness, verbal complexity, and a strict sense of propriety and manner. At the same time, it’s very familiar to them with its themes of young romance and the pressure of family expectation.  

"As an artist and as a teacher I tend to be drawn to scripts that require the actors to ‘fire on multiple cylinders,' having to create specific characters with honest emotions and desires while having to sing or dance or wear unfamiliar period clothes, use complex language clearly and actively and work as an ensemble to drive and share a story with an audience—all in the course of two hours!”

Of course, the Players are eager to start “firing.”

And speaking of challenging plays, Hisa has chosen Into the Woods for the Summer Players production. This sophisticated and very theatrical show—with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine—ran on Broadway for almost two years, winning three Tony Awards, four Drama Desk Awards, a Grammy and a Theatre World Award.

With auditions coming up soon, almost 90 kids will be vying for 20 roles. “The Summer Players are a wonderful mix of students,” Hisa said. “They’re chosen from Teen and Junior Players as well as current and recent year-round students with at least one year of SCR training—and even graduates of the program, home for the summer and looking for a challenge.”

Into the Woods will be presented on the Julianne Argyros Stage at 1 and 5 p.m. on August 6, 7, 13 and 14.

Mansfield Park
a dramatization by Willis Hall from the novel by Jane Austen
May 28 at 4 and 7:30pm, May 29 at 1:30 and 5pm
June 3 and 4 at 7:30pm, June 5 at 1:30 and 5pm
Nicholas Studio

Is true love a matter of the heart or pocketbook? Of following personal feelings or the family expectations? Shy and poor, ten-year-old Fanny Price is taken to live at Mansfield Park with her rich cousins, who are aghast that she has no toys, only two dresses—and not a word of French! The servants narrate the story, with wit and wisdom, as Fanny grows up before our eyes. Romance is in the air, engagements abound, an elopement takes place—no, two!—and, at long last, Fanny finds her heart’s desire in this lively adaptation, performed by SCR’s Teen Players in adult roles—complete with a formal ball!

Cast: Alison Wexler (Gipton), Sophia Falmagne (Harkness), Kailyn Dunkelman (Lady Bertram), Lauren Gardner (Mrs. Norris), Jasmine O’Hea (Julia Bertram), Julia Jech (Maria Bertram), Julia Ostmann (Fanny Price), Rachel Teague (Mrs. Grant), Valentina Gehley (Mary Crawford), Pranav Mutatkar (Sir Thomas Bertram), Nick Slimmer (Mr. Norris/Henry Crawford), Maxwell Weinberg (Tom Bertram/William Price), Zachary Yeates (Edmund Bertram), Luke Tagle (Dr. Grant/Mr. Yates), Connor Dugard (Mr Rushworth).

A Beautiful Sky

2011-04-15T15:59:00.000-07:00

Monette Magrath in Silent Sky. Photo by Henry DiRocco.

On Friday, April 8, First Night of Silent Sky, the heavens—as seen in the early 1900s from the Harvard Observatory—opened wide to reveal a stunning star-filled sky, drawing pleasurable sighs from the audience…

…and a few days later from the Los Angeles Times: “John Iacovelli’s gorgeously minimalist, midnight blue set features an upstage screen that arcs open as if revealing the night sky from an observatory. Enhanced by York Kennedy’s evocative lighting and John Crawford’s projection design, the stage resembles a telescope turned on the stars.”

But it was the story of Henrietta Leavitt’s scientific work against great odds that caused the most admiration among First Nighters, including special praise from former Board President Tom Sutton, who, coincidentally, had just read David A. Weintraub’s “How Old is the Universe.”

“The book describes Leavitt’s computing of Cepheid vairables,” Sutton said. “And I’m impressed by the play’s terrific merging of art and science in a creative and entertaining way.”

See photos and read more about the Cast Party.

A Very Irish Evening

2011-03-24T17:32:00.000-07:00

Richard Doyle and James Lancaster in The Weir.

On Friday, March 18, First Night subscribers and their guests were quietly mesmerized throughout Conor McPherson’s The Weir, directed by Warner Shook. But as the final words were spoken, thunderous applause rang out for the cast of extraordinary actors, who had settled so comfortably (and believably) into the warmth of an Irish tavern on a stormy night to tell tall tales—as only the Irish can.

After the show, everyone gathered at the Center Club to celebrate the production. Their glowing reviews were later echoed by the critics:

“Superb revival…one of the best Irish plays!” – LAStageTimes
“A toast to our ghosts … a true ensemble affair!” – Los Angeles Times
“The establishment’s customers … are as genuine as their surroundings in the hands of the cast.” – Examiner.com
“Director Warner Shook and his cast transport you to a small Irish country pub, where the liquor flows as smoothly as the stories of ghosts and fairies and lost loves.” – Long Beach Press-Telegram

See photos and read more about the Cast Party and the five actors who bring The Weir to life.

SCR Gets into the Irish Spirit with "The Weir"

2011-03-18T16:12:00.000-07:00

Before taking your seat for an evening of ghostly stories and tale-telling in The Weir, playwright Conor McPherson’s critically acclaimed play set in a remote Irish pub, stop by SCR’s lobby bar for bit o’ booze. We’ve got three Irish-themed specials to choose from:

Harp and Guinness in the Bottle
Choose Harp, the crowd-pleasing pale lager that will have you chanting, “Harp stays sharp!” or Guinness, a beer so thick it’s practically a meal. The only downside? SCR does not have a dartboard.

Irish Coffee
Initially concocted to keep travelers warm on a bitterly cold winter’s evening in Ireland, our Irish Coffee combines one ounce of Irish whiskey with coffee and a dollop of whipped cream. Keeps the chill out, so to speak, which might be just the thing for this goosebump-raising play.

The bar opens one hour before showtime. We’ll also stay open after the show on Friday, March 25, and Friday, April 1, for Curtain Call, a chance to drink and discuss the show with your friends. Members of the cast and crew are usually on hand if you have any burning questions.

Get Ready for a Magical Evening

2011-03-10T17:27:00.000-08:00

Elaine Weinberg and Nancy Dahan

It’s going to be black and white…mother and daughter…all about magic!

SCR’s 2011 Gala Ball, THEATRE MAGIC: The Black and White Ball, will be chaired by Elaine Weinberg and her daughter, Nancy Dahan, on September 10, 2011 at the Ritz Carlton Laguna Niguel.

According to Elaine, “I’ve always wanted to chair a sophisticated black and white event—and adding the element of magic is wonderful because theatre is such a magical art form.”

This is Elaine’s second time around as a gala chair. She and Teri Kennady chaired “Play On” in 1999. “We had a fabulous time working together on that event,” Elaine said. “It’s so much fun having a sidekick, and I’m looking forward to Nancy’s input—and her creative energy. It’ll be a special treat for us both.”

Nancy and her four brothers attended SCR with their mother and late father, Martin, from the earliest days of the theatre, when they remember sitting on bleachers. “I have enjoyed this theater for so many years,” Nancy said, “and now so do my children and their cousins, so the legacy continues. I am so excited to work side by side with my mother on this event with our creative committee of theater lovers."

Background on the Chairs:
Elaine and her late husband, Martin, were among the theatre’s most enthusiastic and stalwart supports. They both served as SCR Trustees and were major donors to all of SCR’s fundraising campaigns. Over the years, they were Honorary Producers of seven plays. More recently, Elaine underwrote The Importance of Being Earnest in 2008 and You, Nero in 2009. For the past five seasons, she has underwritten the NewSCRipts series of staged readings.

Like her parents, Nancy is an attorney. She has been active in family law since 1988 and partner in Dahan and Brown since 2000. She and her husband, Victor, are members of SCR’s Golden Circle of donors and subscribers to the Segerstrom Stage, and Nancy joins her mother in enthusiastic support for NewSCRipts.

News from the first Gala meeting:
On March 9, Elaine and Nancy welcomed the Committee members to a luncheon held in the SCR lobby and introduced Managing Director Paula Tomei, who talked about the increased artistic activity all around the theatre, with two season productions in rehearsal, the Pacific Playwrights Festival coming up and the on-going Studio Series, a new initiative that includes seven local performances over eight weekends. “That’s why we’re having lunch in the lobby!” she explained.

She brought the Committee up to date on SCR’s new Artistic Director Marc Masterson, who will join the theater fulltime in September. “It’s going to be a particularly exciting season, the beginning of a new era at SCR,” she said. “The Gala launches our season and provides the largest gift to the Annual Fund. I’m especially happy—at this auspicious time—that our Gala will be led by Elaine and Nancy.”

Committee members introduced themselves and talked about their Gala experiences over the years and the excitement surrounding the 2011 Gala. Serving on the Committee this season are six new members, three of them Weinbergs—Bailey, Eva and Marci Maietta, wives of Elaine’s sons (and Nancy’s brothers) Paul, David and Bill. Joining them are Carolina Prichard, Gayle Widyolar and Carolyn Zainer.

By all accounts, THEATRE MAGIC: The Black and White Ball will be a elegant event, held in an especially elegant setting, the newly renovated Ritz Carlton. “It’s going to be gorgeous,” Nancy said, adding that they hoped the black and white theme would carry through in the gowns, and possibly even masks. The meeting ended on a high note, with the news that J.T. and the California Dreamin’ would return to provide the music for dancing the night away on September 10. For more information, please contact Director of Development Susan Reeder at (714) 708-5518.

Gala Committee members, to date—and growing:
Ashleigh Aitken, Bette Aitken, Julianne Argyros, Randy Morrison Baird, Susan Bowman, Dede Brink, Donna Cohn, Sophie Cripe, Gail Doe, Susan Ehrlich, Patricia Ellis, Valerie Fearns, Kathryn Glassmyer, Nadine Hall, Marlene Hamontree, Dee Higby, Mimi Holcombe, Linda Hovee, Betty Eu Huang, Olivia Johnson, Joan Kaloustian, Teri Kennady, Elaine Krajanowski, Linda Maggard, Diana Martin, Sue Murphy, Pam Muzzy, Pat Neisser, Stacey Nicholas, Beth Phelps, Carolina Prichard, Barbara Roberts, Jan Seitz Jashinski, Ardelle St. George, Laurie Smits Staude, Jane Taylor, Kathy Taylor, Julia Ann Ulcickas, Socorro Vasquez, Bailey Weinberg, Eva Weinberg, Marci Maietta Weinberg, Gayle Widyolar, Carolyn Zainer

Don’t Be a Muggins: Learn Some Irish Slang

2011-03-09T16:22:00.000-08:00

James Lancaster, Tony Ward and Kirsten Potter in The Weir.

It’s March, and St. Patrick’s Day is right around the corner. And even if you can’t do an Irish accent, you can still sound like an Irishman with a little help from our guide to Irish slang, filled with expressions found in The Weir, which begins previews March 13.

Written by Conor McPherson, The Weir is set entirely in a tiny Irish pub, where four men and a lone woman toss back beer and whiskey as they tell ghost stories from their pasts. Listen carefully, and not only will you hear the words and phrases listed below, but echoes of spirits long gone.

Acting the mess: Playing the fool. “Don’t be acting the mess; come in out of the rain.”

Cod: Trick. (Can be a noun or a verb.) “Oh, that story’s only an old cod,” or “Are you codding me?”

Crack: Fun. “Last night’s party was crack.” Also used as part of a greeting: “How’s the crack?” (What’s up?)

Culchie: A city dweller’s name for a country person. “All of us culchies took a bus into Dublin for the wedding.”

Dote: Softie. “Oh, don’t let his bad mood fool you. He’s a dote.”

Eye for the gap: An ability to see opportunity. Often used to describe rugby players who can spot the weakness in their opponent’s defense. “Bought up the whole town years ago, I did, for nothing, ´cause I’ve got an eye for the gap.”

Figary: Whim. “He’d be the fella who’d have a figary and drink nothing but bottled beer from now on.”

Gas: Fun, or amusing. “It’s gas,” or “She’s a gas young one.”

Give out: Criticize, scold. “Quit your giving out and join us for a drink.”

Header/Headbanger: Lunatic. “You all think I’m a headbanger, I can tell.” (Another synonym is “loolah.”)

Holliers: Vacation. “Families on their holliers like to pitch tents around these parts.”

Janey: An exclamation akin to “jeepers!” or “jiminy!”—something that sounds like “Jesus!” without the blasphemy. “Ah, Janey! I won’t be able to sleep after all these ghost stories.”

Muggins: A fool. “There’s obviously something wrong with him, the muggins.”

Peel a banana in his pocket: Tight-fisted, cheap. Often the phrase is “peel an orange in his pocket.” The idea is that someone is so cheap, he will peel a piece of fruit inside his pocket so no one will see it and ask for a bite. “That fella’d peel a banana in his pocket.”

Poitin: Irish moonshine. “He pulled out a bottle of poitin he bought off Old Man Flanagan, and we passed it around.”

‘Charlie,’ with a Twist

2011-03-01T15:51:00.000-08:00

Like all talented directors, Mercy Vasquez sees the play onstage before it’s actually there. And when she saw Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, she saw Charlie as a girl.

Jamie Ostmann

“I wasn’t thinking of a way to make the play different; I was just thinking of a way to make it work well.” Vasquez said. And she had the girl in mind: Jamie Ostmann.

“When I was casting the show, I saw in Jamie just the quality I had imagined, and I said to myself, ‘That’s Charlie.’”

Right before the first group reading of the play, Vasquez announced the cast (every member of the Players has a role, some multiple roles), and she did so in no particular order.

“When she said I was Charlie, I wasn’t the only one who was surprised,” Jamie said. “I think we all were. But after about ten seconds of surprise, I got so excited—I wanted to jump up and scream.”

Like all the Players—who received copies of the script at the beginning of their winter session in the Theatre Conservatory—Jamie had read the play several times; in fact, as a huge Roald Dahl fan, she had read most of his books. But her take on Charlie will be her own. “Mercy wants us to figure out how our characters look and act, so I won’t watch the movie during the rehearsal process,” she said.

The cast of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in rehearsal.

Jamie’s take on being Charlie: “I’ve been trying to stay open and vulnerable, which has definitely been a challenge,” she said, “especially the sadder monologues. Charles isn’t really a sad person. She tries to make the best of her circumstances. When she finds the ticket and goes to the factory, she’s the only one who is grateful to Willy Wonka—she admires him so much.”

Her take on being a member of SCR’s Junior Players ensemble group: “It’s a fun challenge. You have to be really focused and open to new ideas. But it’s definitely worth it. You have so much fun, you learn a ton, and you get to be with your friends. How much better could it get?”

SCR Hires Marc Masterson as New Artistic Director

2011-02-16T18:24:00.000-08:00

Marc Masterson

Marc Masterson, who for 11 years has served as the artistic leader of Actors Theatre of Louisville, will join South Coast Repertory in April as its new Artistic Director.

Masterson will work alongside Managing Director Paula Tomei as Co-CEO of the theatre,
while David Emmes and Martin Benson will become Founding Directors, working part-time to ensure a smooth leadership transition.

“Martin and I are very happy that Marc has agreed to assume artistic leadership of SCR,” said Producing Artistic Director David Emmes. “Marc has more than 30 years’ experience running a theatre—11 of those at Actors Theatre, which, like SCR, is a complex organization with multiple stages, an influential new-play festival and a bustling education department. All of this makes him an ideal successor.”

“Marc’s passion for new plays matches our own,” said Artistic Director Martin Benson. “Half of the 200 plays he’s produced in Louisville have been world premieres. And he’s a very good director, too. We can’t wait to see what he does at SCR.”

Martin Benson and David Emmes

Masterson said he feels privileged to have been chosen to head an institution with such a storied reputation.

“I am honored to be given the opportunity to build the next generation of excellence for South Coast Repertory,” he said. “The theatre is already recognized for producing works of extraordinary caliber across a broad range of styles, and I am interested in bringing new artists into the repertoire, deepening the connections with the community and extending SCR's reach to other parts of the world.”

SCR’s Board of Trustees voted unanimously to appoint Masterson during a special meeting late Wednesday afternoon. He will begin working at SCR part-time April 1 and move to full-time September 1.

Paula Tomei, who has been with SCR since 1979 and has been its managing director for the last 17 years, said she is excited about working with Masterson.

“When we started this search process a year ago, we said we would take as long as was necessary to find the right person for the job,” she said. “I think we’ve done exactly that. I look forward to working with Marc and continuing to bring the finest theatre to Orange County and beyond.”

Tom Phelps, president of SCR’s Board of Trustees, also predicted a bright future: “SCR has long been one of the country’s most successful and stable arts organizations, and that’s not going to change. Marc Masterson is an exceptional leader with a track record that put him at the top of an incredibly talented pool of finalists—all of whom were worthy and capable of the job. And he will have an additional advantage nearly unprecedented in a leadership transition: the chance to consult and work with the men who actually founded this theatre and ran it for 47 years.

“SCR is in the midst of an incredibly successful season—artistically and financially—and Marc’s arrival only adds to that. The board is eagerly awaiting SCR’s next chapter.”

For more on Masterson, and additional details on the transition, please see the bio and Q&A.

Parking Rate Increase

2011-02-16T14:52:00.000-08:00

Central Parking, the company that operates the parking structures closest to South Coast Repertory, has notified us that it will increase event parking rates to $10 beginning March 1.

Rates have been $8 for the last several years.

On a related note, in the past some of you may have taken advantage of The Spa’s valet services, but The Spa shut down in January, and valets are no longer on site.

Shakespeare Can Be So Cruel Sometimes

2011-02-16T10:00:00.000-08:00

Nick Gabriel, Kathleen Early, Dana Green and
Tobie Windham in A Midsummer Night's Dream.
Photo by Henry DiRocco/SCR.

During a fight, anyone can throw out overused insults like “jerk,” “ugly” and “stupid.” Why not add a little intellect to your dispute with Shakespeare’s wit and humor? Aside from sounding smart, you might even diffuse the confrontation. Here are some of our favorites from A Midsummer Night’s Dream:

“You juggler! You canker-blossom! You thief of love!”

Juggler: A person who is having relations with more than one person.
Canker-Blossom: In this context it is a reference to the canker-type blight on a plant that steals away the beauty of the blossom.
Thief of Love: Exactly as it sounds—someone who has stolen the heart of another person’s significant other.

“How low am I, thou painted maypole?”

Painted Maypole: A tall woman who wears a lot of make-up to cover up their unattractive looks.

“You minimus, of hindering knot-grass made; You bead, you acorn.”

All of the above can refer to someone who is short or small.

“I am sick when I do look on thee.”

Erm…this one is self-explanatory.

Hear these and other Shakespearean insults for yourself during the final performances of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, closing Feb. 20.

Find show info and tickets here.

SCR Launches Studio Series

2011-02-08T12:16:00.000-08:00

South Coast Repertory is expanding horizons with our new Studio Series, which will showcase the work of six local performers and companies—as well as a popular play from last year’s Pacific Playwrights Festival—this spring.

The series, which takes place over eight weekends between March and June, features an eclectic array that includes dance, spoken word, burlesque, puppetry and more, all in SCR’s 94-seat Nicholas Studio. Participating performers are:

Backhausdance

Spoken-word artist and actor Steven Connell
Arpana Dance Company
Orange County Underground Burlesque Society
Breath of Fire Latina Theater Ensemble
Backhausdance
Rogue Artists Ensemble

SCR’s Studio Series is part of a pilot program designed to create stronger ties between arts organizations and expose audiences to the rich diversity of the local arts scene. It also gives SCR the chance to extend our artistic boundaries and produce works that might not otherwise find a home here, in this case Sofia Alvarez’s Between Us Chickens, the story of two small-town twentysomethings—one a party girl, the other a homebody—who find their roles reversing after they move to L.A. and meet a smooth-talking local. The play was first read at last year’s Pacific Playwrights Festival.

Orange County Underground
Burlesque Society

“We’re looking forward to bringing a diverse group of performers and companies into the building and introducing them to our audiences and to theatre-goers who are new to SCR,” said Associate Artistic Director John Glore. “There will be a little something for everyone in the mix, and we’re excited about contributing a production of our own to the series.”

Leading the project is Oanh Nguyen, SCR’s producing associate and the artistic director of the Chance Theater, whose production of Jesus Hates Me in the Nicholas Studio last February kicked off the pilot program.

“The Nicholas studio offers a captivating, intimate theatre experience,” said Nguyen. “It will be exciting to see what these amazing local artists do with it.”

Tickets are now on sale. For all the details on the performances—including dates, times and prices—click here.

Breath of Fire Latina Theater Ensemble

Dream On...

2011-02-07T11:12:00.000-08:00

(clockwise from bottom left) Dylan DoVale, Ryan Jones, Jaycob Hunter, Jordan
Bellow, Rudy Martinez, Emmett Lee Stang, Susannah Schulman, Jennifer Stang
and Patrick Kerr in A Midsummer Night's Dream.

On Friday, January 28, First Night of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the Segerstrom Stage was packed with subscribers and their guests, who watched in awe as Director Mark Rucker’s inventive production unfolded with song, dance, romance and a unbridled spirit of playfulness.

After the show, Honorary Producer Laurie Smits Staude couldn’t contain her enthusiasm. “This is theater history,” she said, “and I urge everyone to come see this production, not once but several times. You won’t be disappointed!"

Joining Laurie were her two sons and members of their families, who made the trek to California from North Carolina and Canada just to see the show she had raved so about.

Doug McCrea, Managing Director, Deutsche Bank National Trust Company, the play’s Corporate Honorary Producer, said, “Opening night of A Midsummer Night’s Dream was thoroughly enjoyed by our employees and clients alike. The performance was first-rate!”

And soon the critics had joined in the praise:

“Director Mark Rucker propels the Bard’s play into a wild and woolly world of its own … A big, bright, daffy rainbow to brag about … Provokes seismic laughter.”
– Los Angeles Times

“Seduces, rocks and amuses … Infectious … Mark Rucker brings his usual inventiveness and coy sense of humor to ‘Dream.’
– Orange County Register

See photos and read more about the Cast Party (with additional enthusiastic quotes from Doug McCrea and Laurie Smits Staude.

Transformed by "Circle Mirror"

2011-01-21T17:13:00.000-08:00

Honorary Producer Dee Higby and director Sam Gold.

On Friday, January 14, First Night of Circle Mirror Transformation, the Julianne Argyros Stage was filled with subscribers and their guests, who watched mesmerized as five extraordinary actors portrayed ordinary students in an adult acting class.

Set in a smalltown community center, Annie Baker’s OBIE Award-winning play takes the students through a six-week class as they participate in a series of theatre games—exercises to help them grow as actors. In the process, they learn more than they bargained for about each other—and themselves.

After the show, Honorary Producers Larry and Dee Higby, together with First Nighters and their guests, gathered at Scott’s Restaurant and Bar to celebrate the production. Their glowing reviews anticipated the critical raves that appeared in the next few days:

“Delightful…pitch-perfect production…first-rate ensemble." – Los Angeles Times
“Quirky, sensitive, touching and funny.” – Long Beach Press Telegram
“A tautly structured, macroscopic poem about the trajectories of ordinary lives.” – LA Weekly
“Absolutely fresh and original.” – StageSceneLA

See photos and read more about the Cast Party honoring the Higbys and the five actors who bring Circle Mirror Transformation to life.

SCR Welcomes Familiar and Fresh Faces to ‘Dream’

2011-01-07T16:23:00.000-08:00

South Coast Repertory has become a home to countless actors who’ve returned to perform here again and again over the years. Mark Rucker’s imaginative production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream brings a number of them together again—including two Founding Artists and a member of the Resident Company as three of the hilarious Rude Mechanicals.

Founding Artist Richard Doyle appeared in SCR’s third production, Volpone, in 1965. Earlier this season he was seen playing Lord Summerhays in Martin Benson’s re-staging of Misalliance. In Midsummer, he plays Robin Starveling.

Fellow Founding Artist Hal Landon Jr. is probably best known for portraying Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol. His history with SCR runs even deeper, to 1967 and Playboy of the Western World. His last non-holiday appearance at SCR was in You, Nero. In Midsummer, he plays Peter Quince.

Another Christmas Carol stalwart, Resident Company member John-David Keller, made his SCR acting debut in 1975 in Lanford Wilson’s The Hot l Baltimore, though by then he’d already made his directing debut with Godspell. In Midsummer, he plays Snug.

Patrick Kerr first appeared at SCR in 1997 in The Triumph of Love as Dimas, also directed by Mark Rucker. He last appeared onstage here in the 2008 musical An Italian Straw Hat as Uncle Fez/Viscount. In Midsummer, he plays Nick Bottom.

Susannah Schulman made her debut at SCR as Bianca in The Taming of the Shrew in 1996. Her most recent performance was Ashley Kohl in Man From Nebraska in 2006. In Midsummer, she plays Titania and Hippolyta.

William Francis McGuire first appeared at SCR in the very first play SCR ever performed—but not the first time we ever performed it: Tartuffe. He was in the 1999 production. He’s played Fred in A Christmas Carol for the last two years, and also appeared in last season’s A Wrinkle in Time. In Midsummer, he plays Snout/Egeus.

Two relatively new faces who both appeared recently on the Julianne Argyros stage will make their debut performance on the Segerstrom in Midsummer:

Kathleen Early recently starred as the romantically frustrated Catherine Givings in this season’s In the Next Room or the vibrator play. In Midsummer, she plays Hermia.

Nick Gabriel appeared in the West Coast premiere of the musical Ordinary Days as a young artist looking for a friend. In Midsummer, he plays Lysander.

SCR also welcomes these actors, all making their SCR debuts: Elijah Alexander (Oberon/Theseus), Rob Campbell (Puck), Dana Green (Hermia), Michael Manuel (Mechanical) and Tobie Windham (Demetrius), along with a number of young actors working in the Ensemble.

PHOTO CREDITS
From top to bottom: Richard Doyle as the Judge (center) with the cast of Volpone. Peter Ostling (standing) and Hal Landon Jr. as Shawn Keogh in Playboy of the Western World. The cast of The Hot L Baltimore with John-David Keller as Mr. Morse (far right). Colette Kilroy, Patrick Kerr and Tom Beckett in The Triumph of Love. Susannah Schulman as Bianca (left) and Cindy Katz in The Taming of the Shrew. William Francis McGuire (left, center) and the cast of Tartuffe. Rebecca Mozo and Kathleen Early (right) as Catherine in In the Next room or the vibrator play. Nick Gabriel (left) and David Burnham in Ordinary Days.

Introducing…SCR’s Rewards Card

2010-12-20T12:09:00.000-08:00

What’s better than live theatre? A free ticket to see more live theatre! With the new SCR Rewards card, any patron who buys five South Coast Repertory tickets before June 17, 2012, will receive a sixth ticket free.

On your next visit to SCR, be sure to stop by the box office and request your own SCR Rewards card. Each time you purchase a ticket valued at $20 or more, your ticket services representative will stamp your card. For each ticket you buy, you’ll receive one stamp. Once it has been stamped five times, bring the card to the box office and collect your free ticket.

There are some restrictions. Subscription purchases don’t qualify, but subscribers can collect stamps when they purchase additional single tickets. Also, tickets for the Theatre for Young Audiences season, as well as any special events—like the upcoming engagement of the Martha Graham Dance Company—do not qualify. Visit the SCR Rewards Card FAQs page for complete guidelines and limitations.

And if you’re interested in bigger rewards—in the form of larger discounts and exclusive benefits—check out the SCR Subscriptions web page.

Acting for the Camera: A Former Casting Director’s Approach

2010-12-15T13:25:00.000-08:00

Jill Newton teaching a class.

SCR Acting for the Camera instructor Jill Newton has 16 years experience—in casting. That’s not the usual credential for an acting teacher, but having spent five days a week, eight hours a day choosing actors for roles on daytime television, Jill bring a unique point of view to her class.

“I like to take the ‘scary’ out of the casting process by placing the students in a postion of casting a part themselves,” Jill said. “Through this process, they can observe how each actor sees the role differently and why some stand out from the others.”

The main focus of Jill’s class is to put the students on camera in various circumstances so they can see how their nerves and reactions are projected on screen. “Even though my class takes place in a fun and safe environment, no one is entirely comfortable the first time the camera rolls, but by the end of the class, they can’t wait for their turn to shine.”

So that students come away with a better understanding of the business of acting, Jill’s first class is dedicated to the basics—resumes, pictures, agents, unions, building the experience. The final classes are devoted to actually shooting scenes, which gives the students a sense of what is expected on the film or television set.

And it’s that set that is so different from the stage: “The camera is an intruder in your intimate world of conversation and especially your thoughts,” Jill said. “The stage requires you to project your performance to the audience.”

And then there is rehearsal. “Stage performances are a culmination of many hours perfecting roles. In film and television, there’s much less rehearsal time, and in daytime TV, there is literally none—that’s right, none, except for a rushed camera blocking!”

In television and film, the actor needs to make choices and bring 100 percent to the first performance. So Jill throws her students into the fire! “But, again, we’re in a friendly and safe environment—a good place to prepare students for situations they may eventually face on real sets.”

Jill enjoys sharing her experiences with the students, helping them understand the process and getting them on the road to their passion. “Whatever their degree of experience when they walk into class, we support each student at his or her personal level.”

At the end of nine weeks, they leave the class with a sense of accomplishment—and a copy of their on-camera scenes, edited by Jill and set to music.

‘Turkey Boy’ Grows Up

2010-12-14T10:20:00.000-08:00

At age 11, Jordan Bellow thought he knew everything about acting. After all, he had taken acting classes. He was good at memorizing. And he’d learned how to block scenes. So when Jordan entered SCR’s Summer Acting Workshop it was with a single goal:

Jordan Bellow in The Beloved Dearly (2004).

“I wanted to be famous.”

One day he and his classmates performed a seemingly simple exercise called sound/movement circle. He never had done anything like it and began to think maybe there was more to acting than just reciting lines and standing in the right place. So he joined the year-round program for kids and teens.

Every day he learned something new, and it stuck with him, especially another exercise that didn’t seem to have anything to do with acting—looking at a picture and imagining the story behind it. Jordan and the others in his group began to bounce ideas off each other about what had happened to the people in the picture and what might happen next, surprising themselves as they came up with fascinating possibilities.

“It was more fun than anything I’d ever done in an acting class, and I finally realized I’d been excited for the right reason—it was all about story. In the past, it had been about performing onstage with people watching. At SCR I threw away that other actor guy and started fresh.”

He also thought directors just told you what to do and you did it. “I didn’t know you could have conversations with them. In my first Players show, Scouting Reality, I was part of an ensemble with the director (Hisa Takakuwa) and the cast. It was a real collaboration, and I loved it!”

And it was a lead role. Not so the Players production of Snow Angel. “I almost never spoke … well, at least not in the show,” added the admittedly talkative Jordan. “When I started studying the person I played and the reasons why he didn’t talk much, he became really interesting to me. It was all about understanding character.”


Hal Landon Jr and Jordan Bellow in A Christmas Carol. Photo by Henry DiRocco.

When he moved out of his comfort zone as the sidekick-comic-guy, other roles, big and small, followed until—the summer after his freshman year of college—Jordan was accepted into SCR’s Professional Acting Program. At first, he was skeptical.

“In Players, there was an environment that I can only describe as magical. I still don’t know how they created it, but I could be my complete self all the time—with the director and all the other actors, who are still the closest friends I have. I was sure they couldn’t create that environment in the professional program, in just eight weeks. But by the second week, everyone was making the same comments I used to get in Players as a kid—we all just loved being at SCR and being ourselves.”

Now a sophomore in the BFA theatre performance program at Chapman University, Jordan recently appeared in If All the Sky Were Paper, and last year, he played Lövborg in Hedda Gabler—the only freshman in the cast.

“I owe that one to Hisa and our monologue classwork. I’d chosen a speech from The Seagull and had worked on it since high school. So I just put that in my back pocket and pulled it out for the Hedda audition!”

Now he is onstage with one of his favorite Professional Acting Program teachers—Hal Landon Jr.—playing Thomas Shelley in A Christmas Carol. “It’s a long way from my 13-year-old ‘Turkey Boy’ role, but I’m just as excited as I was then because I’ll be onstage at SCR, where I learned what acting was all about.”

A tradition of classes and A Christmas Carol

2010-12-09T10:34:00.000-08:00

Henry Ficcadenti’s family has had along history with South Coast Repertory’s acting classes: “My older brothersand sister all took acting classes, so when my 14-year-old brother signed up, Ijust followed. Seeing them all take classes made me interested in it.”

Now in his fourth year of actingclasses, Henry is part of the Junior Players and will be performing in a full-lengthshow in April

“I like these classes because I’mnot being set aside from anyone else,” he said. “We work together in a groupand function as an ensemble.”

At age 12, Henry is the sixthFiccadenti sibling to take classes in SCR’s Kids and Teen Conservatory. Willhis youngest sister Violetta sign up, too?

“I don’t know. We’ll have to see ifit’s something she’s interested in.”

The Ficcadenti family has more thanone SCR tradition: “We always go see AChristmas Carol together on Christmas Eve.”

But it’s not just about watching the show—it’sabout performing in it. Four of Henry’s siblings have performed in A Christmas Carol, so naturally heauditioned as well.

“It looked like it was a cool thingto be in. And for the same reason I joined SCR as a whole, it just looked likea lot of fun.”

The acting classes must have helped,because after auditioning three times he finally landed the role of YoungEbenezer Scrooge, the same role his brothers Connor and Alex once played. “Mydad has seen everyone else do it multiple times, so they’re really happy to seeme do it, too.”

Your kids can follow Henry and hissiblings’ example by enrolling in classes in January, or catch his débutperformance as Young Eb in A ChristmasCarol, playing now through Dec. 26.

More info about kids and teens acting classes here

More info about A Christmas Carol here

'Christmas Carol' Memories

2010-12-06T09:47:00.000-08:00

South Coast Repertory’s production of A Christmas Carol is 31 this year—the same age as Charles Dickens when he wrote the beloved novel. After so many years, the actors and artists associated with the production have collected many memories. Here are a few:

Jerry Patch (Adaptor): I remember getting up at 4:30 a.m. in Huntington Beach during the summer of 1980 to write the adaptation SCR first presented that Christmas. The sun was up early, blazing across my desk, while I tried to put myself in London in December. It wasn’t that hard—Dickens overpowered life at the beach almost every morning.

John-David Keller and Martha McFarland.

John-David Keller (Director and Actor): Many of my favorite memories revolve around the children in the cast. I always insist that they not have their own dressing room but share with the adults, so they can really experience what it is like to be part of a production. Of course, the children are given instruction in rules of behavior that the adults are not. I remember one time asking a father about how his child was enjoying being a part of the show, and the father replied, “He’s having the time of his life, and his vocabulary has become quite colorful.”

Howard Shangraw and Hisa Takakuwa.

Speaking of which…

Hisa Takakuwa (Assistant Director, Former Actress: Sally/Toy Lady/Scavenger): One year the actress who played Mrs. Cratchit (who shall remain nameless) missed her first entrance with the Cratchit children. I was sitting next to her in the dressing room when she heard the entrance music and the voices of the Cratchit kids and realized she’d missed her entrance.

Let’s say she spouted some very colorful and un-Mrs. Cratchit like phrases and ran to get on stage. The kids had to start the scene alone by improvising and did a fine and very professional job. I doubt anyone in the audience even knew. Later, the girl playing Belinda said, “No problem. I loved saving the scene!”

Daniel Blinkoff, the Cratchit children and (far right) Jennifer Parsons and
Hal Landon Jr.

Daniel Blinkoff (Actor, Bob Cratchit): A few years ago, on Christmas Eve—our last show for that year—I’m waiting backstage for the scene where we glimpse into Tiny Tim’s future. I feel a tug on my sleeve, and it’s Tiny Tim. He says, “Don’t go on.” I ask him why, and he says, “If you go on, that means it will all be over soon.”

This was a kid with a lot of initial anxiety, but through the course of the production he really fell in love with the show and became a real actor. I went out on stage with the kids and we were all in tears. It was one of the most magical moments I’d ever felt as an actor, with these kids who just gave their heart and souls to this scene. The moment was amazing, with a sense of the fleeting, but what makes the job of an actor so special.

One Degree of Separation

2010-12-03T11:38:00.000-08:00

Octavio Solis and Adam Gwon.

ONE DEGREE OF SEPARATION

Octavio Solis and South Coast Repertory met in 1989 when Octavio’s play Man of the Flesh was read during the Hispanic Playwrights Project. The following year, Man of the Flesh was produced on SCR’s Second Stage.
Octavio and Adam Gwon met in 2005, at the New Dramatists’ Composer/Lyricist Studio in New York, where they wrote a song together. Octavio suggested they collaborate on a musical someday. He promised to call.
SCR commissioned Octavio for a new play in 2008. He told Artistic Director John Glore he had a song that could be the basis for a play. John asked if it might be a musical. Octavio called Adam!
Once the possibility of commissioning a musical became real, John had coffee with Adam in New York to talk about it. Before he left, Adam gave John a CD of another musical he was working on at Roundabout Theatre Company, called Ordinary Days.
John took the CD back to Costa Mesa. Ordinary Days had its West Coast Premiere last season on the Argyros Stage.
And now, Octavio and Adam are here at SCR, working on their commissioned musical, Cloud Lands, which will be presented during an in-house workshop for the artistic staff on December 10.
Will SCR audiences get to see this work someday? Stay tuned.

From Mind to Mainstage

2010-11-11T17:13:00.000-08:00

When designer Dan Ostling started working on the set for Becky Shaw’s first scene, he had exactly one sentence to guide him: “Act 1 Scene 1. A room at a mid-range hotel in New York City.”

So how did he get from that sentence to the picture below?

Brian Avers, Tessa Auberjonois and Barbara Tarbuck in Becky Shaw.

“I’m not thinking about it as a set first,” he explained, “but asking myself why the playwright chose this location and what does it say about the characters?”

For example, the script tells us that Max is well off but has chosen a three-star hotel (which one character calls a two-star hotel) for his adoptive mother and sister, suggesting he might be a little cheap when he’s paying for someone else.

“This is where I start to understand the playwright’s intention,” Dan said.

Next comes the research phase. That means finding photos of rooms in three-star New York-area hotels, like these:

Dan’s paying attention to the composition of the room—its size and shape and how the objects in it are arranged. A chair placed closed to a bed, for instance, suggests a small room.

He’s also paying attention to specifics such as air vents, door handles and coat racks—the details that make a set feel authentic.

Once Dan feels he has gathered enough research, he starts sketching: “Sketching is a quick way to get ideas out of your head.”

As different bits of research meld with his concepts, it gets hard to separate which parts came from photos and which came from his own ideas. “Some research you just love and you just keep it in your head and you sketch and you model, but when you see the research again, it is different from what you remember.”

In addition to the sketch, he also creates a ground plan from a bird’s-eye view. And from these two pieces, he creates a model made from all sort of supplies, including art board, paint, printed pieces, wood and wire. He buys some of the furniture and hand-makes others.

Still, he’s not done. He continues to make changes to the model and the sketch all the way up to the time the set is actually built.

“You go back and forth, revising as you go along, which raises the quality as everything becomes a little more detailed.”

In this case, the final details included not just the air vent and door handles, but an old-fashioned sprinkler head, a smoke alarm and a “Do Not Disturb” hanger.

The result, Dan has decided, “is sort of fantastic.”

Check out the final performances of Becky Shaw, playing until Nov. 21, to see this and the other six sets Dan designed for the show in real life.

Some photos from fielding.ca and boardingarea.com

First Nighters Cheer "Becky Shaw"

2010-11-04T15:16:00.000-07:00

Angela Goethals and Brian Avers in Becky Shaw

Becky Shaw Playwright Gina Gionfriddo also writes smart crime drama for television, like “Law and Order,” so it’s no surprise to find an element of mystery—as well as an unscheduled visit to the police station—in her new hit play. The comedy about a blind date gone wrong had the audience buzzing on First Night, Friday, October 29.

And then had critics buzzing Monday morning:

“Briskly entertaining comedy…A scream come true.” – LA Times
“Causes the audence’s breath to volley between being held in anticipation and bursting forth in laughter. – OC Reader
“Will make you laugh.” – OC Register

For more enthusiastic reaction to Becky Shaw—and a few First Nighter blind dates stories, read all about the Cast Party, complete with photos, here.

A Pearl of a Gala Wrap Party

2010-11-01T16:56:00.000-07:00

Mikimoto at South Coast Plaza (inset: Gala Chair Sophie Cripe)

On Wednesday, October 28, the ultra-elegant Mikimoto store at South Coast Plaza was the site for the final meeting of SCR’s 2010 “The Play’s the Thing” Gala Ball Committee. What a pearl of a party it was. In fact—what PEARLS!

Have a look at the pearls and the party here.

Becky Shaw Blind Date Contest Winners

2010-10-29T12:27:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everyone whoparticipated in the Becky Shaw BlindDate Contest. We had numerous great submissions that were entertaining andtouching. We’re happy to announce the winners of the contest are Barbara MaxsonProud and Kathy Miller. They will receive two complimentary tickets to the showas well as a $50 gift certificate to Scott’s Seafood Grill and Bar or Morton’sThe Steakhouse. You can find their winning entries below:

Our four other finalists were:

Romantic Evening in Sequoia by Claudia Eads

Was I That Hard Up for a Date by Rochelle Liss

Blinded by Nature by Judy Luttrell

My Blind Date Disappeared After Seeing Me WearingBraces by Alice Setiawan

Here are our winningentries:

Cocktails with a Twist by Barbara Maxson Proud

I knew he’d be handsome andsmart – I trusted implicitly this matchmaker friend – and I was told he was“uniquely interesting,” but I had no idea to what degree that would be true…“Kurt” pulled into my parents’ driveway right on time. We shared our firsthellos and cautious hugs at the front door, he paid a well-bred acknowledgementto my folks, and off we went – in a limousine! A bit over the top, I thought,but I was game. He said we’d make a special first stop where we’d meet anothercouple and have some cocktails before going to dinner. Score! – a well-plannedevening! My thoughts began to reel with possibilities for our future together;not only was he organized, smart, good looking, and a great conversationalist,but… wait, what the…? The limo pulled into the mortuary parking lot, and it hitme – he was also an undertaker! Minutes later, and under the influence ofaftershave and formaldehyde, I met Kurt’s effervescent companions, snatched asizeable helping of cheddared crackers, and began drinking fervently from myglass of wine as my hosts guided me through the premises. The tour included notonly the viewing room where “Mr. Smith” lay prone in his casket, beautifullyprepared (it was noted) for the following day’s ceremony, but also the autopsyroom, complete with a draped and toe-tagged cadaver. The rest of the date ishonesty stricken from my memory, even the end-of-the-evening kiss – must’vebeen lifeless!

Surprise by Kathy Miller

When in high school, agirlfriend called and said her brother wanted to go out with me and would I beinterested. He was on the football team so I was excited and said yes. When hegot to the door to pick me up, he looked a little surprised but didn’t sayanything at that time. We went on a double date that night and continueddating. The surprise was, he had asked his sister to get him a date with mygirl friend and she thought it was me he wanted to date, not the other girl. Wehave been married for 54 years now, so you never know what is in store for youwhen you agree to a blind, date do you!

Thanks to everyone whoentered. Be sure to keep an eye out for more contests in the future.

You can find moreinformation for Becky Shaw here!

‘Pookie Goes Grenading,’ Really

2010-10-27T16:30:00.000-07:00

The first NewSCRipts reading of SCR’s 2010-11 season will be JC Lee’s Pookie Goes Grenading, an irreverent comedy about a teenager who causes all sorts of trouble when she’s denied the opportunity to create her greatest work of art.

The reading will take place Monday, Nov. 15, at 7:30 p.m. (Please note that the date has changed since the series was first announced.) Tickets are $12.

SCR’s NewSCRipts series gives playwrights a chance to hear their work read aloud by professional actors—and gives audiences a chance to be among the first to hear a new play and offer feedback on it. In the program’s 25-year history, NewSCRipts has featured six plays that went on to receive Pulitzer Prize nominations, including Wit, which won in 1999.

At the heart of this play is Pookie Doublet, fierce, ambitious and 14. Pookie’s chaotic quest to create a theatrical masterpiece lets loose all sorts of hell in Camden, N.J.—and before it’s over she finds herself accused of terrorism, betrayal and terrible taste.

Lee is a playwright and blogger whom the Huffington Post recently called “a talent to watch.” Currently a Lila Acheson Wallace Playwriting Fellow at The Juilliard School, he’s a bi-coastal native New Yorker and San Franciscan whose work has been seen throughout the country. His trilogy about the apocalypse, This World and After, is currently in production at Sleepwalkers Theatre in San Francisco.

You can find more information and tickets here.

Have You Met the Cast of ‘Becky Shaw’?

2010-10-21T16:27:00.000-07:00

From left to right, Tessa Auberjonois, Brian Avers, Barbara Tarbuck,
Angela Goethals and Graham Michael Hamilton.

Becky Shaw begins previews tomorrow night (Oct. 22), and SCR fans are in for a treat as some of their favorite actors return to the stage. Tessa Auberjonois played the hilariously snooty Chick Boyle in Crimes of the Heart last May. Also back from last season is Graham Michael Hamilton, who appeared in Saturn Returns as the young and adoring radiologist, Gustin. In the title role of Becky Shaw is Angela Goethals, last seen in Nothing Sacred as the sought-after servant, Fenichka. And Barbara Tarbuck is returning for her first full production here in 10 years. Last time we saw her, she was playing a babysitter with a taste for liquor in The Beginning of August. Making his SCR debut is Brian Avers, who some may recognize as Special Agent Mike Renko on the TV show “NCIS: Los Angeles.”

Let’s Toast SCR’s Hip New Playwrights Bar!

2010-10-11T15:58:00.000-07:00

SCR's New Lobby Bar

Mark Twain once said, “Sometimes too much to drink is barely enough.” To which we say, “Bottoms up!”

During the off-season, SCR redesigned its lobby bar and expanded its selection. The new Playwrights Bar is now fully stocked with beer, white wine and such premium liquors as Grey Goose, Kettle One and Patron Silver. And if you’re strapped for cash, the bar now accepts credit cards. The bar opens one hour before the show and during intermission (and you can pre-order drinks before the show so that they’ll be waiting for you at intermission).

Talented set designer Tom Buderwitz created the new look, which features classic back bar shelving, faux-marble countertops, LED lighting and a plasma TV screen. This aesthetically pleasing atmosphere also features portraits of some of SCR’s most famous playwrights, giving you the chance to drink alongside the likes of George Bernard Shaw.

Playwright Portraits in the Lobby Bar

Take a look at SCR’s $5 drink specials that go along with the themes of its current and upcoming shows…

In the Next Room

Electric Lemonade
¾ oz. Light Rum
¾ oz. Blue Curacao
1 oz. Sweet and Sour
Top with Sprite, serve over ice

The Victorian
1 shot Amaretto
1 shot Bailey’s Irish Cream
1 shot Vodka
Stir together and serve over ice

Becky Shaw

The Manipulator
1 ½ oz. Gin
½ oz. Sweet Vermouth
2 drops Grenadine
Shake with cracked ice & strain

Wild Night Out
3 measures White Tequila
2 measures Cranberry Juice
1 measure Lime Juice

Add ice and top with Club Soda

Jean and Tim Weiss Step Up (for the 14th Time) to Underwrite 'In the Next Room or the vibrator play'

2010-10-08T09:46:00.000-07:00

Matt, Tim, Rhea and Jean Weiss, Laurie and Steve Duncan

When Tim Weiss joined the SCR Board of Trustees, he and his wife, Jean, underwrote The Education of Randy Newman. That was 1999. They continued to underwrite a play every season during Tim’s nine-year tenure (two of those years as Board President). But they didn’t stop there.

On Friday October 1, they stepped into the Honorary Producer’s circle as underwriters of In the Next Room or the vibrator play—their 14th such venture. And, as usual, they picked a winner:

“Daringly inventive” – Los Angeles Times

“Insightful…makes the connections crackle like the direct current that powered Mr. Edison’s life-changing devices – Orange County Register

“Hands down one of the funniest new plays I’ve seen this year…surprisingly classy and sophisticated” – Broadway World.com

Some other Weiss winners over the years? We’ll list them all on Party Play, along with snappy commentary and glittering photos from First Night of In the Next Room or the vibrator play.

Building Buzz-Worthy Props

2010-09-27T15:36:00.000-07:00

Kathleen Early and Rebecca Mozo in SCR's In the Next Room or the vibrator play

So, Andrea Bullock and Jeff Rockey, what did you do at work last week?

Oh, you know, the usual: Built replicas of antique vibrators.

SCR’s version of the Carpenter.

You did what?

Yes, the halls of South Coast Repertory are buzzing these days as our artists prepare for the opening of Sarah Ruhl’s In the Next Room, or the vibrator play, a new comedy set in the 1880s about a just-invented electrical device designed to cure “female hysteria.”

Andrea and Jeff, our props artisans, had the task of creating two versions of the device from drawings of the real things.

Because these were real things: “Both of our vibrators are based on historical fixtures,” Jeff said, “the Carpenter vibrator, invented by a Dr. Carpenter, and the Chattanooga vibrator, manufactured by the Chattanooga Medical Company.”'

SCR’s version of the Chattanooga.

Described in the book The Technology of Orgasm as the “Cadillac of vibrators” because of its $200 price tag (in 1900), the Chattanooga was designed for, ahem… interior use. It consisted of a pole with a moveable arm. On that arm was a rod that could be made to vibrate.

“This instrument will be found to be an invaluable aid to the physician in the treatment of all nervous diseases and female trouble,” read its instruction manual.

Though it sounds silly and shocking today, doctors practiced genital massage on women from the time of the ancient Greeks through at least the 1920s. For them, this was a medical act, not a sexual one. They called the result a paroxysm rather than an orgasm.

Doctors believed this treatment relieved the symptoms of female hysteria, a diagnosis that also dates to the Greeks and covered everything from headaches to nervousness to loss of appetite to sleeplessness to general bad behavior—anything doctors couldn’t otherwise explain.

Problem was: Doctors didn’t really like doing it because it took a long time, time that could be spent earning money seeing other patients.

They needed a device that could do the job for them, which led to the invention of water-powered, steam-powered and finally—and most successfully—electric vibrators.

That’s where our story begins.

Andrea and Jeff used what they call “found parts” to create their vibrator replicas—bits of old lamps, an air hose, modern-day machine cranks, coat hooks.

19th Century drawing of the Chattanooga.

The Chattanooga model includes a tool handle, a pedal borrowed from a costume shop dress form, and oil filter wrenches. The legs on the Carpenter once supported a barstool.

“We did some research to find out what these antique vibrators looked like,” Andrea said, “and then sat around brainstorming ideas for how to make something that looked like that.”

She made the Chattanooga, and said the hardest part was creating an arm that could move up and down, back and forth.

Jeff made a variation of the Carpenter, which unlike the Chattanooga was designed only for exterior use and featured a collection of attachments (which in his model came from a modern day massager).

But no, neither of these devices actually vibrates. Those noises you hear will be coming from…well, we must keep a few secrets. See if you can figure it out.

Andrea and Jeff weren’t fazed by their assignments. In fact, they weren’t even sure these were the weirdest things they’d ever been asked to make.

One of the weirdest, maybe, said Jeff.
“I don’t know,” said Andrea, “I’ve made ‘dead’ plush animals that bleed.”

Now What’s This Play About?
In the Next Room or the vibrator play takes place at the end of the Victorian era and the beginning of home electricity. With its arrival comes a new invention that Dr. Givings is applying to patients suffering from “female hysteria.” His wife, Catherine, can’t help but overhear the sounds that accompany her husband’s treatments, and so begins to investigate—with comical results. But what Catherine comes to realize is that it is not the device in the next room that she yearns for, but rather an intimacy that’s missing from her marriage.
Sept. 26 - Oct. 17 - More Info/Tickets

'Misalliance' Opens the Season to Raves at SCR

2010-09-24T09:36:00.000-07:00

Honorary Producer Mary Beth Adderley and Director Martin Benson

In his breeziest comedy, Misalliance, George Bernard Shaw posed the question: what differentiates a good alliance from a bad alliance? His play may or may not have offered a definative answer, but—according to Broadway World—“the journey to ponder the question comes bound in laughter and frivolity!”

That journey began on First Night of Misalliance, Friday, September 12, at South Coast Repertory, and the critics reached for even more metaphors, with the Orange County Register declaring that SCR’s 47th Seaon opened “with a bang!” and the Los Angles Times noting that the evening proceeded at “full gallop!” First Nighters simply cheered—and gave the cast a standing ovation.

Read all about the season opening party, complete with photos, here.

"The Play's the Thing" Surprises—and Raises Over $530,000

2010-09-23T10:42:00.000-07:00

Could they be the surprise?

Just as everyone expected, on Saturday, September 11, South Coast Repertory’s 2010 Gala Ball, “The Play’s the Thing,” lived up to its name, raising over $530,000 for the theatre’s annual fund and throwing in a surprise for good measure.

The glittering party began as guests swept into the hotel and up the grand staircase where they were greeted — beneath a giant marquee — by Gala Chair Sophie Cripe, her husband, Larry, and SCR Artistic Directors David Emmes and Martin Benson.

Turning the corner, they continued along a red carpeted hallway adorned with posters of SCR productions and the playwrights whose classics, modern masterpieces and world premieres have been at the heart of the theatre’s 46 seasons. Along the way, they were regaled by costumed characters from past shows.

And that was just the beginning. Read all about the party and the surprise act that stopped the show.

Meet Dakin Matthews, Mr. Versatility

2010-09-09T15:54:00.000-07:00

JD Cullum and Dakin Matthews in Misalliance.

Dakin Matthews is nothing if not versatile: He moves from Shakespeare to “General Hospital,” from Shaw to “Desperate Housewives,” and back again.

Pretty impressive for a man who never intended to be an actor.

Matthews started life studying to be a priest but decided to become a professor. He was teaching Shakespeare at Cal State East Bay near San Francisco when a friend suggested he audition for a part in a summer Shakespeare festival. He decided to give it a try, and won the coveted role of Falstaff in Henry IV, Part 1.

“I thought, ‘Well, this will be interesting. I can teach year-round and then in summertime go do Shakespeare in festivals,’” he said. “And I did that for about four or five years, and then people started to offer me jobs during the day during the school year, and they were nice jobs, so I went to my chairman and said, ‘How about if I take all the 8 a.m. classes five days a weeks?’”

And for the next 20 years, that’s what he did—teaching all morning, and rehearsing and performing all afternoon and evening. Around age 50, he took early retirement and began working in film and television, eventually moving to Los Angeles.

Why the change? Partly for the money.

“One of the reasons I came to L.A. was because I had children who wanted to go to college, and I wanted to be able to afford that,” he said with a laugh.

“Another reason was that the regional theater movement by that time was about 25 years old, and that meant they had a lot of famous alumni. And those alumni were now coming back to the theaters that they left and playing all the lead roles. So that I, who’d put in my 20 years in the regions, was now being bumped out of roles that I wanted to play... I figured if I wanted to continue to progress in the theatre, into playing the roles that I wanted to play, I’m going to have to go down to L.A and get some TV and film cred.”

Northern California’s loss was Southern California’s gain.

Matthews has worked steadily in TV (besides “General Hospital” and “Desperate Housewives,” he has recently appeared in a couple of episodes of “True Blood”), film (he’ll be seen in the upcoming Coen Brothers remake of True Grit) and theatre. At South Coast Repertory alone, he has appeared in Major Barbara, Hamlet, Hitchcock Blonde and Shadowlands. Next he will appear in George Bernard Shaw’s Misalliance, which starts previews at SCR on Sept. 10 and runs through Oct. 10.

In a break between rehearsals, Matthews sat down to talk about his career, falling in love with beautiful women and just how damn funny Shaw really is.

Tell us about your character, John Tarleton.

Well, he is kind of a self-portrait of Shaw. Shaw was extremely proud of his vitality in his age, extremely proud of his smarts, his learning, his knowledge. But [Tarleton] is kind of a little parody of himself, a little judgment of himself as well. And Tarleton, of course, is a bit of an iconoclast. And Shaw was certainly that. He never met a statue he didn’t want to break.

We were talking about this in rehearsal: Shaw has two older men in the play—one tired of years of government service and non-judgmental and one [my character] boisterous and having an opinion on everything and not the least bit diplomatic, personally or intellectually. And Shaw puts the two sides up [against each other]. Even though Misalliance is a comment about family more than anything else, and a comment about the young versus the old, it’s also a comment about approaches to life.

Do you relate to your character?

Oh, I relate to all my characters. I don’t necessarily like all of them, but I can relate to all of them. I like to feel like I’m still pretty vital at my age. I like having to be energetic. I do like to discover new things and learn something. Tarleton always is on a high learning curve. And I do like young, beautiful women. [Laughs.] Tarleton seems to fall in love with whatever young woman walks into the room. I can relate to that.

Why should people come see Misalliance?

Talk, talk talk! Shaw is just a great talker, that’s all, and you don’t get that kind of conversation in modern plays sometimes. You don’t get that many ideas thrown around. But on top of that, he is just excruciatingly funny most of the time.

I always find Shaw’s work to be a rewarding experience. It is like a banquet of ideas and words, and we are all sort of on a diet in this country, and sometimes it’s kind of nice to get just gorged…

It’s some of the greatest thinking, some of the greatest speaking and some of the greatest writing in the English language. He really is, after Shakespeare, the other truly great, great master of the English language in dramatic form.

Connecting the Dots with the 'Misalliance' Cast

2010-09-08T16:35:00.000-07:00

South Coast Repertory kicks off the 2010-2011 season with George Bernard Shaw’s classic comedy Misalliance, a big show featuring a big cast. And with a cast as talented and hard working as this one, it is no surprise to learn that they’ve all crossed paths before.

JD Cullum

You might have seen JD Cullum in the movie Leatherheads getting into a little tiff with Renée Zellweger about his mother’s bosom. SCR regulars will also recognize him from performances in Pig Farm, The Intelligent Design of Jenny Chow and another Shaw classic, Major Barbara, in which he appeared alongside…

Dakin Matthews

…Dakin Matthews, an award-winning actor of stage, film and television. "Desperate Housewives’" lovers will recognize him as Bree’s religious consultant, Reverend Sikes. "General Hospital" fans can also pick out Matthews as the no-nonsense judge handling Sonny’s trial. SCR regulars will be very familiar with Matthews, who appeared in Hamlet with…

Ricahrd Doyle

…SCR Founding Artist Richard Doyle. Eighties sitcom fans will remember him from "Cheers," in which he played Woody’s father-in-law. But Doyle has appeared in more than 100 productions at SCR, among them, The Importance of Being Earnest, in which he was the frisky Reverend Chasuble wooing Miss Prism, played by…

Ameila White

...Amelia White. This won’t be White’s first time under Martin Benson’s direction, having recently worked with him in SCR’s The Heiress. That time, the Broadway star played Elizabeth Almont, aunt of the lonely Catherine Sloper, performed by…

Kirsten Potter

…Kirsten Potter. Crime show enthusiasts might have spotted Potter in an episode of "Bones" being arrested by David Boreanaz as a suspected murderer. She just finished an accomplished run of King Lear as Goneril at L.A.’s Antaeus Company with…

Daniel Bess

…Daniel Bess who played the role of Edmund. Many will recognize him from his recurring role in the first season of "24" as Rick Allen, kidnapper of Jack Bauer’s daughter. This is Bess’ first time on an SCR stage, but he has performed in several shows at Antaeus, which is where…

Wyatt Fenner

…Wyatt Fenner studied acting. Fenner guest-starred on "Bones" as a recovering leukemia patient who dies in a subway accident. This is Fenner’s first performance on the Segerstrom Stage, but you might have seen him in the Pacific Playwrights Festival reading of Happy Face, as the brother with the deformed face being attacked by actor…

Peter Katona

…Peter Katona, who played an abusive boyfriend in that reading. Katona appeared in SCR's A Femine Ending, and his face may also be recognizable from his appearances on TV crime shows, including "Castle" and "Numb3rs." Two TV shows that have also featured fellow Misalliance cast member…

Melanie Lora

…Melanie Lora, who returns to the Segerstrom Stage after working with director Martin Benson on Collected Stories in 2009. It is fate that she returns to SCR in the same season that we revive Sideways Stories from Wayside School, a show that she originally appeared in here in 2004.

More info/Tickets

A View of Things to Come …

2010-08-27T12:09:00.000-07:00

Larry and Sophie Cripe, Mary Ann Brown and Rick Reiff

South Coast Repertory’s annual Gala Ball, “The Play’s the Thing,” is set for September 11, but the celebration began nearly a month earlier, on August 18, when SCR Trustee Mary Ann Brown and her husband Rick Reiff hosted the annual Patron Party to honor Gala donors.

The elegant event was held at their Laguna Beach home, its tropical feeling enhanced by orchids placed throughout the house and on the balcony, where guests gathered to enjoy the panoramic ocean view. As dusk fell, Board President Tom Phelps, Gala Chair Sophie Cripe and Producing Artistic Director David Emmes thanked the hosts and talked about another party coming up—with another stunning ocean view. The SCR Gala Ball will be held at the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort & Spa, beginning with a terrace reception.

Read all about the Patron Party, check out photos of the fun-loving crowd (and find out more about the upcoming Gala) here.

Write to the Top!

2010-08-25T10:24:00.000-07:00

Recently, we told you about some of the achievements of our current and former Adult Conservatory acting students. This time we decided to track down some of our playwriting students to find out where their scribbles have led them.

It turns out that playwriting instructor Cecilia Fanon’s students are enjoying success all over the country, winning awards and earning staged readings and full productions of their work. In fact, it’s hard to find a successful playwright in Orange County who hasn’t taken a class with Cecilia at some point. Her students’ work has been seen in cities as nearby as Orange and Fullerton and as far away as Oregon, Ohio and New York.

Tom Swimm (2010) — Full length play production of The Hanging Of Mary Surratt at the Mysterium Theater in Orange. Also produced at The Chance Theater. Nominated for Best New Play by OC Weekly. Recently won the Morton Sarrett National Playwriting award for Bed, a full-length comedy that was produced at the Nevada Conservatory Theater in Las Vegas. Winner of The Fritz Blitz for Humphrey, Nevada, a one-act comedy produced at San Diego Repertory (2008).

Dale Andersen (2005, 2006, 2008) — One-act A Dog's Tale got honorable mention in the 2009 Lourdes College One-Act Competition and a staged reading in August 2010 at the Mountain Stage Company's Evening of Short Plays. One-act Missing was runner-up in Theatre In the Raw's 2009 Biennial Playwrighting Contest. One-Act Dead Angel was produced in Write-Act Repertory's 2009 Freeway Series Original One-Acts. Monologue Starman produced in ASOC Theatre’s 2010 New Works Festival. Full-Length Mohammed's Moon staged reading in Theatre O's 2010 Festival of New Plays. (You can read more about it in a June 2010 newspaper article here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/32760444@N08/4801048460/. In October, The Three Roses Players in Glendale will do staged readings of his award-winning one-act, A Team Player.

CJ Ver Burg (2003-2010) — is one of the Conservatory program’s few writers of musicals. His Shoe was produced by Cypress Civic Theatre and is currently in rewrites (again!) at the Academy for New Musical Theatre in North Hollywood, where CJ has been a member since 2005.

Sue Parman (SCR 2000-2008) — Sue's short play The Red Tide was performed at STAGEStheatre, Fullerton, (2002). A full-length play, North of 63 Degrees, was given a staged reading at Newport Theatre Arts Center as part of its Discoveries program (2008). Her full-length play The House of Ravens had a staged reading at Gallimaufry Performing Arts New Play Festival in Laguna Beach (2008). Her monologue The Rose by Another Name was read at Theatre In The Grove in Forest Grove, Oregon (2010). Her ten-minute play Queen Victoria's Secret will be staged as part of Portland's Fertile Ground playwriting festival (2011).

Johnna Adams (2002) — is currently pursing an MFA in Playwriting at Hunter College in Manhattan, studying with Tina Howe. Her play Hripsime is a finalist for the 2010 William Saroyan Prize, presented by the Armenian Dramatic Arts Alliance. Her play Lickspittles, Buttonholers, and Damned Pernicious Go-Betweens was given a reading by Flux Theatre Ensemble (New York, NY) this spring. Flux also produced Johnna’s trilogy of full-length plays, The Angel Eaters Trilogy, in November of 2008.

Bianca Bagatourian (1998, 2001) — is president and co-founder of the Armenian Dramatic Arts Alliance (ADAA). She completed the MFA playwriting program with lifetime Obie award-winning playwright Mac Wellman at Brooklyn College. Remnants of a Liquid World had a reading at Soho Think Tank's 6th Floor Reading Series at the Ohio Theatre, NYC, in 2008. The Scent of Jasmine had a staged reading at the Fountain Theatre, L.A., in 2006.

Paula Fell (2007 – 2010) — Her full-length play Acceptable Risk was a winner in the 2008 Long Beach Playhouse New Works Festival and the 2007 Ashland New Plays Festival, and was a semi-finalist in the 2009 Dayton Playhouse FutureFest and the 2007 Trustus Playwrights’ Festival. Her full-length play The Hive was a winner in the 2008 Panndora's Box Festival of New Works.

Lorin Howard (2008 - 2010)—Her short play was a winner in the "Eat My Shorts Festival" in Seattle, 2010, and will be staged at Bumbershoot Theater.

Andrea Sloan Pink began her full-length play, Origami, in Fannon's Advanced Practicum in 2007. Origami won the Panndora's Box New Play Festival in 2008 and received a staged reading at the Royal Theater aboard the Queen Mary. In 2009, Sloan Pink's one-act Ode To Provence was part of the Discoveries series at STAGESTheater, and in December of 2009, her one-act Light received a full production as part of a three-weekend run of the “Holiday Stimulus Package” at STAGESTheater. She is currently writing a new full-length, Cooking with Sartre.

A Family Affair

2010-08-24T13:55:00.000-07:00

The cast of Cinderella with Nicholas Huntley (second boy from left), Christopher Huntley (far right) and Mitchell Huntley (second from right sitting)

SCR’s Summer Acting Workshop is a two-week commitment during the dog days of August. Not a big deal for students or their parents. But what happens when it’s time to decide whether or not to continue acting classes year-round? What if the answer is “yes”? And then, a couple of years later, what happens when the students audition for one of the Players ensemble groups—and get accepted? Family life changes!

Mike Huntley and Laura Forbes’ 12-year-old son Christopher Huntley attended the Summer Acting Workshop in 2007, the first of four brothers to do so. It all started for Analia Gehley’s 17-year-old daughter Valentina Gehley nine years ago. Christopher and Valentina recently appeared in the Summer Players production of Cinderella—his third show, her sixth. So how are their parents dealing?

Melody Stolpp, Luke Tagle and Valentina
Gehley get into character at rehearsal
for Time Again in Oz."

What prompted you to enroll your kids in the Summer Theatre Workshop?

Mike and Laura: Ever since kindergarten, when he played the Witch in a classroom production of Hansel and Gretel, Christopher has seemed at home on the stage. By third grade, he was very eager to find an acting class, and a friend suggested SCR’s Summer Workshop.
Analia: I originally sent Valentina to SCR for fun! She was always an imaginative child and would sing and dance at home—and tell outrageous, very detailed stories.

After the first full year of acting classes, could you tell they were going to be involved for the long haul?

Christopher Huntley in
The Secret Garden

Mike and Laura: After his first year-long class, Christopher auditioned for—and did not make—the Summer Players’ production of Peter Pan. When he bounced back quickly from that disappointment, and was looking forward to the second-year class, we knew he was interested in a more long-term commitment. Then, after being in A Christmas Carol, he was totally hooked!
Analia: We now knew to prepare for a much more serious commitment and wondered whether we could balance everything. Would she have to sacrifice her school grades? On the contrary, her experiences at SCR helped her become a better student, more focused and studious. As her commitment intensified, so did ours.

What has family life been like since then?

Mike and Laura: It has started to involve a lot of driving and hurried dinners, as the kids go to auditions and rehearsals at SCR and elsewhere. But it’s also so rewarding to hear them talk about their rehearsals and their mutual friends from the shows. Having this interest in common has caused them to argue (a little bit) less. And it was so much fun to see all three of them on stage together in Cinderella.
Analia: Our life began to orbit around her school and theatre schedules. Separate school bags, double snacks, rearranging work schedules, running errands in the area...everything fell into place and quietly became routine, a normal part of our lives.

Akshay Sharma, Makenna Zur Schmiede
and Valentina Gehley in Cinderella.

What is it like to see them in a Players show?

Mike and Laura: Christopher’s first show was The Secret Garden. In that moment when they wheeled him out on stage (his character, Colin, was in a wheelchair), we were terrified he’d forget his lines. Then, as the show progressed and we relaxed, it was truly amazing to watch our own son acting and singing. We both teared up when Colin pulled himself out of his wheelchair and walked (one of our all-time favorite moments of theater!), and we could not have been prouder.
Analia: When we watched Valentina on stage as Grace in Cinderella, we were, as always, excited and surprised. She always amazes us. I still can’t believe how fearless she is and how very comfortable and at home she appears on the stage. She loves the entire process, starting with the first peek at the script, costume fittings, blocking, all of it. In some ways [her teachers] Hisa and Erin know her better than we do. They give her parts that we can’t imagine she can perform, but they are able to find it in Valentina and bring it out.

ADDENDUM:
Mike and Laura

Maxwell Weinberg and
Christopher Huntley in
Cinderella.

All four Huntley boys have taken acting classes at SCR. Their parents share each boy’s experience.

When Nicholas (our future engineer) expressed interest in the Summer Workshop at age 13, we were floored. He loved the two-week workshop and couldn’t wait to take a year-long class. (During that year, he also auditioned for and landed a role in a community theater production, served as stage manager of a musical at his younger brothers’ school, and applied to Orange County High School of the Arts.) Before his involvement at SCR, we never would have imagined Nicholas up on stage, much less that he would have such a passion for the arts.
It was no surprise when Mitchell (at age 8) got involved with the Summer Workshop and then the year-long class. He has always been enthusiastic and outgoing, and has been writing, producing and acting in plays on our fireplace hearth for many years!
Mitchell’s twin brother, Blake, who is fairly shy, had no interest whatsoever in taking an acting class. We thought the experience would be good for him, so we signed him up along with Mitchell in the year-long class. Although he was very hesitant to go on the first day, he had so much fun that he eagerly completed the Fall and Winter sessions.

Being chosen for Players has given all the brothers a lot of confidence and maturity. They love being part of a team to bring a show to life, and have grown closer since they now are part of two “families.” Christopher wants to take his acting to another level, having recently signed with a major talent agency in L.A., and both Nicholas and Christopher are going to Orange County High School of the Arts this fall. All three hope to stay at SCR for many years to come.

Curtain Going Up!

2010-08-23T17:50:00.000-07:00

In that moment just before the curtain rises on an SCR Players production, do the young actors have a word for how they feel? After the opening weekend of the sold-out run of Cinderella, three cast members shot back their quick responses.

Zach Yeates (Lionel, the Prince’s sidekick): “Positive.”
Kailyn Dunkleman (Cinderella): “Exhilarated.”
Jamie Ostmann (Mouse, one of Cinderella’s sidekicks): “Connected.”

If those answers evoke confidence, blame SCR Conservatory Director Hisa Takakuwa, who staged Cinderella with Music Director Erin McNally. In class and onstage, one of their goals is for the students to understand their endless possibilities.

To prove that they do—in more than one word—Lionel, Mouse and Cinderella talked about the Players experience.

Kailyn Dunkleman and Akshay
Sharma in Cinderella.

When the stage manager calls “places,” Hisa and Erin gather the cast for a quiet moment intended to clear minds and stay focused. How does this exercise help you prepare?

Kailyn: It gets rid of pre-show jitters. I believe it also unifies the cast and reminds us of our goals as actors and how we want to impact the audience.
Zach: It helps with any anxiety I may have before the show. Tech week tends to cause me a lot of stress which, in a way, causes my pre-show anxiety. So the exercise kills two birds with one stone!
Jamie: It helps me to escape distractions and concerns outside of the play and to find my focus.

Do you get “butterflies” before your first appearance?

Kailyn: A little bit, but more from anxiousness than nervousness. There was no need to get nervous before the show because I had been working very hard and was excited to share Cinderella’s story with the audience.
Zach: I only get butterflies right before the first performance of a show.
Jamie: No. As long as I have everyone else in the cast around me, I feel calm and loved and ready to work.

Whitney Brooks and Zach Yeates

What have you learned in class that helps your performance?

Kailyn: I’ve learned that there are multiple ways to interpret a character. It’s important to explore these different interpretations because you can find a more interesting way to present a character. Cinderella is not just a sweet and innocent ingénue; she is constantly dreaming and searching for a brighter future. She is very optimistic. My character stays true to herself despite her hardships, and she finds happiness in the simplest of things.
Zach: You have to trust yourself, and you must be willing to take risks. Part of developing our characters and building relationships with cast members comes from taking risks.
Jamie: I have learned that acting is not about pretending; it’s about becoming a character. I've learned that I perform better if I have an objective, or goal, for my character that I can focus on. I’ve also learned that I have to communicate—watch, listen, pay attention—with my fellow ensemble members in order to transport the audience to our world.

Kailyn and Zach: How is the classwork and production work distinctive from your other theater experiences?

Jamie Ostmann, Rachel Charny
and Kailyn Dunkleman

Kailyn: At South Coast Repertory my teachers and directors focus much more on the process. Whether I’m preparing a piece for class or rehearsing for a performance, they take the time to help me explore, develop and understand my characters. As a result, I believe I am growing as a performer. This is what I love the most about being a part of SCR.
Zach: The overall production quality was much higher than I’m used to. We made use of the professional fly system (something I have never had the opportunity of working with), and we had the help of professional lighting and set designers. I'm used to helping build the set pieces, and because I have no woodworking skills whatsoever, I was pleased to discover that the sets were to be made by professionals!

Jamie: How is working on the Argyros Stage for the first time different from being in the Nicholas?

Jamie: The big difference is the audience. It's much bigger, and there are a lot more eyes on you. I think I feel more comfortable in the Nicholas because it's cozier and more homey, and the Argyros is more formal.

Do you feel performing in Cinderella (and the classwork leading up to the show) has helped you as actors—and as people?

Kailyn: As an actor, it has reminded me to always be aware of my character’s background and motives. Sometimes when you’re in a show, you get so worried about the blocking and the lines that you forget what drives your character. Performing in Cinderella has helped me as a person because it finalized my future goals of becoming a performer; to be honest, I am happiest when I am onstage, and I cannot imagine doing anything else for the rest of my life.
Zach: Cinderella was by far the most “professional” production I’ve had the opportunity to take part in. I feel that the show gave me at least an idea of what a professional production could be like. We learned some very important lessons working on Cinderella that easily transfer to the real world. What we all came to discover is that there is always going to be hope, there will always be people to help you deal with life, and most importantly, we learned to always believe in ourselves.
Jamie: I have been inspired by the song “There Is Music in You” the whole cast sings at the end of the show. To me this song means that I can be confident, I can do anything I want to do and there’s nothing I won’t try. I'm sure that will help me both as an actor and a person.

Photos by Henry DiRocco/SCR.

Subcommittees Keep On Trucking As Full Gala Committee Meets For Final Time…

2010-07-01T17:06:00.000-07:00

Calling the Gala meeting to order, Chair Sophie Cripe (right) with Underwriting Co-Chair Olivia Johnson

On Wednesday, June 30, SCR’s 2010 Gala Committee meeting was called to order in the theatre’s lobby by Chair Sophie Cripe, who got everyone’s attention by tapping two water bottles together, creativity being the watchword of the upcoming Gala Ball.

The purpose of the luncheon get-together was to bring members up-to-speed with underwriting, entertainment, décor, graphics, cuisine and hospitality— subcommittees which will continue to meet as needed until the day of the big event, “The Play’s the Thing” on Saturday, September 11. And Sophie (who already has attended 30 subcommittee meetings) will no doubt be present at most of them!

Check out “Party Play” for intriguing Gala details, reported by subcommittee chairs.

Choosing between fun & becoming an actor is easy when you choose both.

2010-07-01T12:08:00.001-07:00

Last year, Kami Kurisu felt a little nervous about her first day in South Coast Repertory's Summer Acting Workshop.

Kami, a junior at Newport Harbor High, had acted in plays at school, but she'd never taken an acting class before: "I didn't know what to expect."

It turned out to be a lot of fun.

"There were people of all different types of talents. Some people flew in from out of state for this workshop, while others just took it to have fun. Ilearned so many new things about acting, and I made tons of new friends."

More than 300 students go through SCR's two-week acting workshop every summer, but classes are kept small. Kami's class of 20 was small enough that everyone got individual attention on their voice work, movement exercises and character development.

One of the most helpful techniques Kami took away from the workshop is called CROW: "CROW is something you should always be thinking about when you're acting in a scene. C – who is your Character? R – what is your Relationship to other characters in the scene? O – what is your character's Objective in the scene? W – Where is your character, both physically but also in relation to the plot?"

After the workshop, Kami realized that some of the things she'd learned had benefits beyond the stage and have been especially helpful when it comes to class presentations.

"It helped me develop my social skills and also my presentational skills. I learned to project, enunciate and improvise."

"Overall, I would recommend the Summer Acting Workshop to anyone who wants to have a fun time or is thinking of becoming an actor one day. It confirmed my choice of wanting to become a professional actor."

Now she can start her senior year with a confident career choice.

More information about Summer Acting Workshop

Survey Participant Winner Named

2010-06-21T15:56:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Charlene Clark of Orange, a longtime Segerstrom Stage subscriber and the winner of dinner for four at Newport Rib Company. Charlene’s name was chosen at random from among the 1,708 patrons who participated in our end-of-the-year survey. We’d like to say a big “thank-you” to everyone who took the time to complete the survey—we very much value your opinions and plan to incorporate your feedback into our work next season. We look forward to seeing you at South Coast Repertory this fall!

Kids Find Fun and Friends in Summer Acting Workshop

2010-06-21T15:53:00.000-07:00

Sydney Campbell (11), Angeliki Harris (8) and Blaze Whiting (9) all faced a few first-day jitters at last year's Summer Acting Workshop at South Coast Repertory.

They didn't really know what they were getting into—after all, it was their parents who had signed them up. But those nerves disappeared once they got into their classes.

Class activities focused on movement, voice and character development but also made time for theatre games that helped stretch kids' imaginations—games with names like Poison Dart Frog and Busy Bee.

Sydney's favorite was Taxi: "There are four chairs. Three people would be in the 'car,' and they'd pick up one hitchhiker who was really weird and out of the ordinary. The other three would have to pick up his awkward traits."

Angeliki's favorite part of the day came early: "Almost every morning all the classes got together. One day we did parts of a play, Hansel and Gretel."

For one hour each day guest lecturers taught the students about theatre crafts beyond acting, including stage combat, playwriting, improvisation, and design.

"That's right," Blaze remembered. "In the play we got to choose lights and costumes. We got to choose different jobs."

By the end of the two-week program, which included a special demonstration for parents, all three kids took away one important lesson.

For Angeliki, it was: "How to work with each other."
For Blaze: "How to plan out things before doing them."
For Sydney: "How to grasp a character and the importance of totally transforming into the person you want to be."

Best of all were the friendships they made. Friendships that even a year later, they still have.

Find more information on the Summer Acting Workshop for 2010!

Choosing a Summer Acting Program

2010-06-08T11:13:00.000-07:00

The 2009 Summer Players production of The Secret Garden.

Young students who have been bitten by the acting bug and want to put their training to use during the summer have two great choices.

Summer Performance Ensemble (July 6-24) allows students to blossom with their friends and peers in small, intimate classes (grades 4-6, 7-8 and 9-12). According to Theatre Conservatory Director Hisa Takakuwa, “Performance Ensemble is acting-driven and is the perfect choice for students who want to put to use the tools they’ve learned during the school year, but without a long commitment.”

Students learn the rehearsal process and have the joy and reward of bringing a final performance piece to life—but without the pressure of a full production. There is often singing incorporated in their performances, which the young students enjoy, but great pipes are not required!

The classes are held in mid-July for three weeks, mornings only, so there’s plenty of time to have fun acting with friends and still get to the beach.

Summer Players (July 12-August 15) is a five-week program open to dedicated acting students and is open only by audition. While the Players use the same classroom tools as the Performance Ensemble students, their goal is to present a full musical production over the final two weekends, with additional rehearsal time required.

This summer’s play, which Takakuwa will direct, is Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella, their only musical written for television (with a young Julie Andrews playing the lead many years ago) and now adapted for the stage.

“These are our most serious acting students,” she said, “but that doesn’t mean they don’t have fun. Even though Players are students of all ages, there is great camaraderie among them. Some students have been in the group for several seasons, and it’s great to see them on the first day of class, checking out the others who were chosen through audition, and offering congratulations.”

Of course, the best part, according to all the Players, is finally getting onstage and performing for a critical audience—not just friends, but members of the paying public! It’s a little scary, they admit, but ultimately rewarding.

Memories and advice from four SCR grads

2010-06-08T10:49:00.000-07:00

Akshay Sharma, Rachel Teague and Ellis Beardley in After Juliet.

This year, SCR’s Conservatory is saying goodbye to four of its longtime students, a group of talented 2010 graduates off to make their way in the world. Ellis Beardsley (Pacific Coast High), Graham Pezzuti (Irvine High), Rachel Teague (Calvary Chapel) and Akshay Sharma (University High) have a combined total of more than 30 years of Conservatory experience, so before they toss their caps in the air, we asked them to share their favorite memories and pass along words of wisdom to the students who will follow them.

How old were you when you started taking classes at SCR?
Ellis: 11.
Graham: 8.
Rachel: About 10.
Akshay: 12.

What is your favorite thing about the program?
Ellis: I love how the program has enabled me to grow as an actor while still transforming me as a person. Between all of the classes and plays I have been involved with at the Conservatory, each one has enabled me to learn skills that I can apply to everyday life.
Graham: I would have to give the title of “favorite thing” to the overall philosophy of SCR: process over product. When I did drama at school or heard other actors talking about their experiences with acting, I began to realize more and more that there are many different way to actually act. SCR’s emphasis on the actual acting process, not just putting on a play, allowed me to really explore acting as an art form, and slowly try to find my place, at least style-wise, in the “universe of acting.”
Rachel: Learning is more important than a good show. Process over product.
Akshay: I was able to connect with other young people from around Orange County over a passion for something that did not involve school. These were young artists that were amazingly talented, and the fact that I got to work with them every week really made me excited.

What’s the most important thing you’ve learned during your time here?
Ellis: I have truly learned the importance of an ensemble. Throughout the seven years, I have grown with many different groups and casts, each one leaving me with new skills and memorable experiences. A cohesive and trusting ensemble enables an actor to take risks and push themselves.
Graham: One seemingly small lesson that has stayed with me to this day was the power of subtlety when acting.
Rachel: Keep the acting for on the stage. People will love you for simply being yourself.
Akshay: Never say no. In life or in the theater, the most crippling thing a person can do is to refuse to try something new. Taking risks leads to discovery, progress and ultimately the birth of a passion.

What advice would you give students just joining the Conservatory?
Ellis: Don't be afraid to take risks. Everyone is nervous at times, so you have to trust the other people around you. By doing so, both you and your classmates will reach their full potential.
Graham: Open up your mind.
Rachel: Be yourself, do your work (it's fun work!), and cherish your time at SCR. There's no other place like it.
Akshay: Enjoy your time in the Conservatory. Discover something about yourself.

Graham Pezzuti.

What was your favorite role during your time here?
Ellis: I would have to say playing Aphrodite in Metamorphoses. It was so much fun being able to play a character laced with jealousy and anger; it wasn't a character I was able to play too often!
Graham: Probably my role in Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, since I technically had three small roles that added up to one role. The three covered every aspect I could have asked for: the dim-witted comic relief, the big guy who gets to knock someone out, and the mysterious, imposing mini-villain.
Rachel: I think the one I am working on right now, as Rosaline in After Juliet. It is a very challenging role for me, which I love, but also I have found that I can relate to her more than I thought. The sword fighting is also a plus.
Akshay: Tom Gradgrind from Hard Times.

What’s the hardest thing for you about acting?
Ellis: I have always had a hard time erasing my self-consciousness and taking bold risks. It has been a long process over the past seven years, but I know that I have made huge leaps since I started. SCR has shown me that it's OK not to be perfect, as long as you're giving it your all.
Graham: Remembering that there is an audience that has to actually hear what you are saying.
Rachel: Coming up with the specific details about characters, and making sure what my character is feeling is specific as well.
Akshay: Keeping the work very simple. Sometimes it is easy to get caught up in yourself, and push a little too hard. I guess I've learned that acting is not "trying to act" but really "trying to be."

What’s the most rewarding thing?
Ellis: The feeling I get after we've had a good run-through of a show. There's a certain feeling that comes when the cues were tight, emotional connections were being made, and you gave the show 100 percent of your efforts.
Graham: Getting to step into another reality for a little while.
Rachel: I get to experience things that I never would go through in my own life.
Akshay: At the end of rehearsal, I come home and I am mentally and physically exhausted, but at the same time I feel I have actually accomplished something. It feels good to rest after a good day's work.

What are your plans for next year?
Ellis: I will be going to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. I hope to continue working in their theatre program along with my other interests.
Graham: Attend Academy of Arts University in San Francisco to major in motion pictures and television.
Rachel: Just going to OCC.
Akshay: I will be attending Harvard University.

Star Chef: From Surf to Supper

2010-06-01T10:22:00.000-07:00

Chef Chris Savage with members of the Cuisine Committee.

Chris Savage begins every morning in the surf off Huntington Beach, riding the waves. Then he’s ready for the very busy day ahead—as Executive Chef at the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort & Spa. On May 19 he found time his schedule to step out of the kitchen and graciously meet with members of SCR’s 2010 Gala Cuisine Committee.

The subject? A dinner menu for SCR’s Gala Ball, “The Play’s the Thing,” to be held on September 11 at the Hyatt Regency.

Read more