IN A GARDEN Closes at South Coast Rep, 3/28

An American architect gets a mysterious assignment from a Middle Eastern dignitary in the latest play from Howard Korder, which will run through March 28 on the Julianne Argyros Stage.

In a Garden centers around the relationship between architect Andrew Hackett and Fawaz Othman, the Minister of Culture for the fictional country of Aqaat. Othman hires Hackett to build a summerhouse in Othman's garden, but he seems more interested in debating politics, culture and movies than in finalizing architectural plans. As the years go by, allegiances shift and the men find themselves caught up in history and warfare.

"A new Howard Korder play is always an exciting event," said SCR Artistic Director Martin Benson, "and we've assembled a great cast and creative team for this one."

In a Garden reunites Korder with actors Mark Harelik and Jarion Monroe, who starred in Korder's first production at SCR: 1989's Search and Destroy. Harelik, who played the recurring role of Dr. Eric Gablehauser on "The Big Bang Theory," is Othman; Monroe plays Aqaat's dictator, Najid. Matt Letscher ("Brothers and Sisters," "Eli Stone") is Hackett, and Phillip Vaden rounds out the cast as Army Captain Prudhomme.

David Warren, who directed SCR's Raised in Captivity, Night and Her Stars and Hurrah at Last and frequently directs episodes of "Desperate Housewives," will helm the production. Also on board are Christopher Barreca (set design), David Kay Mickelson (costume design), Lap-Chi Chu (lighting design), Vincent Olivieri (sound design), John Glore (dramaturg) and Jennifer Ellen Butler (stage manager).

Marilyn and Tom Sutton are the Honorary Producers of In a Garden, which is the recipient of an Edgerton Foundation New American Plays award. KPCC is the Media Partner.

TICKETS: can be purchased online at www.scr.org, by phone at (714) 708-5555 or by visiting the box office at 655 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa. Performances begin on March 7 and continue through March 28. Ticket prices range from $20 to $65. Low-priced preview performances are available March 7-11. Opening night is Friday, March 12, and press night is Saturday, March 13, at 7:45 p.m.

LOCATION: South Coast Repertory is located at 655 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa, at the Bristol Street/Avenue of the Arts exit off the San Diego (405) Freeway in the Folino Theater Center, part of the Segerstrom Center for the Arts. Parking is available off Anton Blvd. on Park Center Drive.

COMING UP: Doctor Cerberus (Apr. 11 - May 2), The Language Archive (March 26- April 25), Crimes of the Heart (May 7 - Jun. 6), Ben and the Magic Paintbrush (May 21 - Jun. 6).

ABOUT SCR: Tony Award-winning South Coast Repertory, under the artistic direction of David Emmes and Martin Benson, is widely recognized as one of the leading professional theaters in the United States. Founded in 1964, SCR is committed to theater that illuminates the compelling personal and social issues of our time, not only on its stages but through its education and outreach programs. While its productions represent a balance of classic and modern theater, SCR is renowned for its extensive new play development program, including the Pacific Playwrights Festival. Of SCR's more than 435 productions, 112 have been world premieres with subsequent stagings achieving enormous success across America and around the world. SCR-developed works have garnered eight Pulitzer Prize nominations with Margaret Edson's Wit winning the prize in 1999 and David Lindsay-Abaire's Rabbit Hole in 2007. Located in Costa Mesa, California, in 2002 SCR opened the Folino Theater Center, an expanded three-theater complex that includes the 507-seat Segerstrom Stage, the 336-seat Julianne Argyros Stage and the 94-seat Nicholas Studio.

BIOGRAPHIES
Howard Korder (Playwright) is the author of Boys' Life, Search and Destroy, The Lights, The Hollow Lands, Sea of Tranquility, Fun, Nobody. Film: Lakeview Terrace, Hollywoodland. Television: Lip Service, Stealing Sinatra, "Boardwalk Empire."

David Warren (Director) returns to SCR after directing Raised in Captivity, Night and Her Stars and Hurrah at Last; he directed the Off-Broadway productions of Night and Her Stars and Hurrah at Last as well. Broadway credits include Philip Barry's Holiday at Circle in the Square, starring Laura Linney and Tony Goldwyn (Outer Critics Circle nomination for Best Revival); Tennessee Williams' Summer and Smoke, starring Mary McDonnell and Harry Hamlin; and Misalliance, starring Brian Murray at Roundabout Theatre Company. Off-Broadway credits include the acclaimed revivals of The Voysey Inheritance (Lucille Lortel Award nominations for Best Director and Best Revival), Rope and Hobson's Choice (starring Martha Plimpton) at Atlantic Theater Company (Lucille Lortel Award nomination Best Revival). Premieres include the Off-Broadway hit Matt & Ben (also in Chicago, Los Angeles, Toronto and on tour), Drumstruck, Daniel Stern's Barbra's Wedding, Richard Greenberg's The Dazzle and his adaptation of Pal Joey and Steven Dietz's Fiction at Roundabout Theatre Company, Nicky Silver's Eros Trilogy (starring Betty Buckley), Raised in Captivity, Pterodactyls (OBIE Award), The Altruists and Fit to be Tied, Tom Donaghy's Minutes From The Blue Route and From Above, Leslie Ayvazian's High Dive, William Finn's Romance in Hard Times (The Public Theater), Michael John LaChiusa's Artificial Intelligence, Eric Overmyer's Mi Vida Loca, John Corwin's Gone Home, Albert Innaurato's Gus and Al, and the new musical Harmony by Barry Manilow and Bruce Sussman. He has received an OBIE, an LA Weekly Award, three Drama-Logue Awards and a Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award nomination. He was the recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts directing fellowship and was the Alan Schneider directing fellow at the Juilliard School. His television work includes numerous episodes of "Desperate Housewives" (created by Marc Cherry), "Ugly Betty," "90210," "Valentine" and an upcoming episode of "In Plain Sight."

Mark Harelik (Othman) appeared at SCR in the Pacific Playwrights Festival readings of In a Garden and You, Nero. Additional SCR credits include Cyrano de Bergerac, The Beard of Avon, which also enjoyed a sold-out run Off-Broadway, The Hollow Lands, Tartuffe and Search and Destroy. He has appeared in film and television and has been seen on stage at The Old Globe, La Jolla Playhouse, Mark Taper Forum, Seattle Repertory Theatre, Intiman Theatre (Seattle), American Conservatory Theater (San Francisco), The Goodman Theatre (Chicago) and many others. Mr. Harelik is a playwright, and his works include The Immigran;, The Legacy; and Lost Highway, a play about the music and legend of Hank Williams; and the book for The Immigrant, a musical based upon his play. Mr. Harelik is a Fox Foundation Fellow.

Matt Letscher (Hackett) appeared at SCR previously in What They Have, both the production and the Pacific Playwrights Festival (PPF) reading of Ridiculous Fraud, as well as the NewSCRipts reading of Kate Robin's Anon and the PPF readings of Julia Cho's The Language Archive and Craig Lucas' Singing Forest. Theatre credits include The Rivals and Neil Simon's Proposals on Broadway, Double Double at Williamstown Theatre Festival, Rain Dance and The Tropical Pickle at The Purple Rose Theatre Company, Anatol (LADCC Award) and Tonight at 8:30 at Pacific Resident Theatre, Love's Labour's Lost at The Old Globe and Julius Caesar and As You Like It at the Idaho Shakespeare Festival. Film and television credits include Towelhead, Madison, Straight-Jacket, Identity, Gods and Generals, Super Sucker, The Mask of Zorro, Lovelife, "Entourage," "Brothers & Sisters," "Medium," "Eli Stone," "The New Adventures of Old Christine," "Criminal Minds," "CSI: Miami," "Boston Legal," "Joey," "Good Morning, Miami" and the upcoming Amish Grace on Lifetime in March. His play, Sea of Fools, had its world premiere at The Purple Rose Theatre Company in 2007; his next play, Gaps in the Fossil Record, premiered last May at the Pacific Resident Theatre in Venice, CA, and his new play, Air Play, hopes to find a home in 2010.

Jarion Monroe (Najid) last appeared at SCR in Man of the Moment. He also created the role of Dr. Waxling in Howard Korder's Search and Destroy and traveled with it to Yale Repertory. His 41 years in the business have also included seasons with SCR (‘89-‘91), Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, California Shakespeare Theatre, California Repertory Company, Marin Theater Company (where he played Said in said Said), the Ukiah Playhouse (of which he is a co-founder), ACT, the Joyce, Hudson Guild, Magic Theatre, Ahmanson Theatre, Theater 890, Theater Rhinoceros and Berkeley Stage Co. among many others. Recent film and television projects include principal roles in the features The Game, In Control of All Things, The Zodiac, The Californians, "Trauma," "Frasier" and "Seinfeld." Mr. Monroe is also the voice of Lynch in the game Kane and Lynch and is married to former SCR company member Anni Long.

Phillip Vaden (Prudhomme) hails from Lubbock, TX, and has appeared previously at SCR in Habeas Corpus, Two Gentlemen of Verona and A Christmas Carol. Theatre credits include Caught in the Net (for which he won an Ovation Award) at International City Theatre and A Midsummer Night's Dream. He is a graduate of SCR's Professional Conservatory. He has starred in the movies Pope Dreams, Man Maid and Still Waiting...

For more information, visit http://www.scr.org

Photo: Howard Korder. Photo courtesy of South Coast Repertory.

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