A Magical Night for SCR

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!



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SCR Honors Founders with Endowment Fund

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.

Gala Patron Party…Twilight on the Beach

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.



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The Invitations are Out!

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

Get Ready for a Magical Evening

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