South Coast Repertory And UC Irvine Will Launch THE NEXT STAGE, A Pilot Program For Emerging Artists

South Coast Repertory and UC Irvine’s Claire Trevor School of the Arts will launch THE NEXT STAGE, a new professional development program designed to bridge academic training and professional theatre practice.

Beginning in January 2026, the initiative will immerse MFA students in SCR’s repertory productions and pair them with working artists for mentorship, instruction, and real-world experience. The collaboration will integrate students into acting, design, dramaturgy, and stage management roles.

SCR Artistic Director David Ivers underscored the program’s long-term goal of formalizing and strengthening the relationship between the two institutions, noting, “The Next Stage program will offer both institutions a predictable and reliable partnership to advance learning in theatre. It’s also beautiful example of collaboration on the institutional level, as well as for individual artists—both students and professionals.” Claire Trevor School of the Arts Dean Tiffany López similarly emphasized the program’s educational impact, stating, “We are deeply committed to expanding access to hands-on experiences that prepare students for meaningful careers in the arts.”

The program will launch alongside SCR’s productions of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and God of Carnage, directed by Lisa Rothe and Marco Barricelli, respectively. Students will engage directly with the repertory process through rehearsal observation, instruction, and integration into professional workflows. Two MFA actors will serve as understudies, three to eight MFA students will train in design, dramaturgy, or stage management, and 40 undergraduate actors will earn course credit through participation. Additional students will attend performances as part of the educational collaboration.

The program’s benefits will expand beyond the rehearsal room: Ivers will provide coaching and audition guidance to MFA acting students, while SCR conservatory teaching artists will teach acting classes to undergraduates. The partnership will also be documented as a research-based model for arts education aligning practical training with academic study.

Funding for the $1.5 million pilot program is provided by The Nicholas Endowment; the Claire Trevor School of the Arts and Department of Drama; SCR Season Producers Apriem Advisors; Lead Repertory Honorary Producer Michael Ray; Repertory Honorary Producers Richard and Lisa de Lorimier and Timothy and Jean Weiss; and Elaine and Mike Gray, the Honorary Producers of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and God of Carnage. “Through this collaboration, students will receive top-tier training from some of the most respected professionals in the industry,” said Daniel T. Stetson, trustee and executive director of The Nicholas Endowment.

Further details about South Coast Repertory’s 2025–26 season and educational programming are available through the theatre.