Tessa Auberjonois News

South Coast Repertory's latest offering, MR. WOLF---now on stage in Costa Mesa through May 3---is a high-quality presentation of an intriguingly audacious if not quite fully-gestated new world premiere play from Pulitzer Prize finalist Rajiv Joseph, the playwright behind the celebrated BENGAL TIGER AT THE BAGHDAD ZOO. In Mr. Joseph's enticing new drama, the play employs a ripped-from-the-headlines plot that feels more like a stand-alone episode of any given TV procedural drama, which, unfortunately, by their very nature leaves very little room for real character development, yet provides enough juicy (and at times soapy) melodrama to pique an interested audience.

Today, South Coast Repertory announced the actors cast for four new-play readings as part of SCR's Pacific Playwrights Festival, which runs April 25-27. Single and packaged tickets are available online at www.scr.org.

As expected (thankfully) 2012 provided Southern California audiences--specifically here in Orange County and nearby Los Angeles and San Diego--a season full of outstanding, remarkable theater offerings from touring companies, impressive regional productions, and even some tiny black box theaters. And, of course, as is the common practice during the ushering of a new year, the enjoyable past-time of putting together a year-end 'best of' list is something contributor Michael Lawrence Quintos truly looks forward to doing, especially when there's a plethora of great work to choose from--many of which he had the pleasure of reviewing exclusively for BroadwayWorld.

British playwright Alan Ayckbourn's amusing 1972 comedy ABSURD PERSON SINGULAR--which celebrates its 40th Anniversary this year--is currently eliciting chuckles through October 7 at South Coat Repertory in Costa Mesa. Though very much a product of its era, the three-act play directed by SCR co-founding Artistic Director David Emmes still succeeds in mining genuine laughs thanks to its mixed bag of sharp one-liners, humorous (if clichéd) visual gags, and a stupendously gifted cast.

This year marks the 40th anniversary for Alan Ayckbourn's first big hit, Absurd Person Singular.

The funeral of a baby, the grieving parents look for reasons why their child should be taken from them. Finding no reason but the caprice of fate, the couple moves forward to exercise that caprice on those around them. Their hope for immortality through their child dashed, they will live on through infamy. As one begins in amoral certitude and descends to a moral madness, the other travels the road from moral doubt to a profane confidence to awful self-knowledge, neither losing sight of the love and loss that propelled their actions.

The Antaeus Company presents the Bard's dark, psychological tale MACBETH in an intimate, fully double-cast production by L.A.'s top classical ensemble. Get a first look at the production photos of the 'Thanes' cast below.

The Antaeus Company, L.A.'s multiple award-winning classical theater company, takes on William Shakespeare's gripping psychological drama, Macbeth. Jessica Kubzansky directs the fully double-cast production, with Bo Foxworth and Rob Nagle sharing the title role and Tessa Auberjonois and Ann Noble partnering as Lady M. Performances take place tonight, July 12 through August 26. Talk-backs will follow the performance every Thursday night beginning July 19: stay after the performance to ask questions and discuss the play with various cast members.

The Antaeus Company presents the Bard's dark, psychological tale MACBETH in an intimate, fully double-cast production by L.A.'s top classical ensemble. Get a first look at the cast in the photos below!

The Antaeus Company, L.A.'s multiple award-winning classical theater company, takes on William Shakespeare's gripping psychological drama, Macbeth. Jessica Kubzansky directs the fully double-cast production, with Bo Foxworth and Rob Nagle sharing the title role and Tessa Auberjonois and Ann Noble partnering as Lady M. Performances take place July 12 through August 26, with low-priced previews beginning July 5. Talk-backs will follow the performance every Thursday night beginning July 19: stay after the performance to ask questions and discuss the play with various cast members.

Brothers will play brothers when Adam and Matthew Arkin take on the roles of Joey and Kevin Colletti in the reading of Steven Drukman's The Prince of Atlantis-just one of five exciting new works scheduled to be read at this year's 14th Annual Pacific Playwrights Festival (PPF) April 29 - May 1.

Brothers will play brothers when Adam and Matthew Arkin take on the roles of Joey and Kevin Colletti in the reading of Steven Drukman's The Prince of Atlantis-just one of five exciting new works scheduled to be read at this year's 14th Annual Pacific Playwrights Festival (PPF) April 29 - May 1.

Brothers will play brothers when Adam and Matthew Arkin take on the roles of Joey and Kevin Colletti in the reading of Steven Drukman's The Prince of Atlantis-just one of five exciting new works scheduled to be read at this year's 14th Annual Pacific Playwrights Festival (PPF) April 29 - May 1.

Brothers will play brothers when Adam and Matthew Arkin take on the roles of Joey and Kevin Colletti in the reading of Steven Drukman's The Prince of Atlantis-just one of five exciting new works scheduled to be read at this year's 14th Annual Pacific Playwrights Festival (PPF) April 29 - May 1.

A newly married couple finds their own relationship on the rocks after they set up their friends on a date from hell in Gina Gionfriddo's wicked comedy Becky Shaw, a West Coast premiere that will run Oct. 22 through Nov. 21 at South Coast Repertory.

A great many wrong things can happen on a blind date, especially one between a couple of people that are such complete polar opposites of each other. But what happens when said blind date is not just an awful one... but, really, the worst blind date ever? Such is the premise of Gina Gionfriddo's engrossingly funny play BECKY SHAW, which recently had its West Coast premiere at South Coast Repertory and continues there through November 21. This off-Broadway hit-a recent nominee for the Pulitzer Prize-tells the story of one such blind date that is so awful and so doomed from the start that it actually sets off this chain reaction of searing arguments, intense revelations, and jaw-dropping events that forever alters the lives of everyone in the periphery. Make no mistake, though. This is one seriously hilarious play-but not for the reasons you may think.

A newly married couple finds their own relationship on the rocks after they set up their friends on a date from hell in Gina Gionfriddo's wicked comedy Becky Shaw, a West Coast premiere that will run Oct. 22 through Nov. 21 at South Coast Repertory.

A newly married couple finds their own relationship on the rocks after they set up their friends on a date from hell in Gina Gionfriddo's wicked comedy Becky Shaw, a West Coast premiere that will run Oct. 22 through Nov. 21 at South Coast Repertory.

The world premiere of Dael Orlandersmith's 'Bones' opened Saturday, July 31 at 8 p.m. at Center Theatre Group's Kirk Douglas Theatre. Commissioned by CTG, 'Bones' ran for nine performances and will close on August 8, 2010, as part of DouglasPlus programming.