Posner and Teller's THE TEMPEST Opens South Coast Rep's 2014-15 Season Tonight

Shakespeare's tale of shipwrecks, sorcery and young love, adapted and directed by Aaron Posner and Teller, arrives at South Coast Repertory opens the 2014-15 season, tonight, Aug. 29-Sept. 28, on the Segerstrom Stage. After two sold-out runs in Las Vegas and Boston, the performances at SCR will be the show's only Southern California engagement. Tickets for this exclusive run are available now at www.scr.org.

Transformed onstage into a travelling tent show, this is The Tempest unlike anything you -- or the Bard -- ever envisioned. As the wizard Prospero plots revenge on the enemies who banished him, this exuberant tale takes on a new life -- thanks to the haunting ballads by the inimitable Tom Waits and Kathleen Brennan, the magic by Teller and the movement by Matt Kent of the dance troupe Pilobolus. The New York Times calls this production "inventive" and "freshly reimagined."

Posner and Teller spent years crafting, adapting and assembling the creative team for their vision of this Shakespeare classic. They decided to focus on the illusions and magic that Prospero utilizes.

"The production takes place in a Dust Bowl traveling tent show, magician world à la carnival circus," Posner said. "The phrase 'shipwrecked magic show' has guided us in the design. The wooden sets with multiple levels and strings of lights are reminiscent of the quick set-up and quick dismantling designs of traveling shows."

The cast for The Tempest includes Miche Braden, Louis Butelli, Joel Davel, Nate Dendy, Dawn Didawick, Joby Earle, Zachary Eisenstat, Liz Filios, Charlotte Graham, Eric Hissom, Jonathan M. Kim, Edmund Lewis, Mike McShane, Manelich Minniefee, Tom Nelis, Christopher Rose and Matt Spencer.

In addition to Posner and Teller, the design and creative team includes Daniel Conway, scenic design; Paloma Young, costume design; Christopher Akerlind, lighting design; Charles Coes and Darron L West; sound design; Johnny Thompson, magic design; Thom Rubino, magic engineering and construction; Kenny Wollesen, instrument design and Wollesonics; and Miche Braden, music direction. The show's production manager is Joshua Marchesi and the stage manager is Katie Ailinger. The production includes songs by Tom Waits and Kathleen Brennan and choreography by Matt Kent, Pilobolus.

The Tempest is generously supported by Honorary Producers Jean and Tim Weiss and Joan and Andy Fimiano. The media partner for The Tempest is 89.3 KPCC Radio. The Tempest is presented in association with the American Repertory Theater at Harvard University and The Smith Center, Las Vegas.

Tickets start at $25. Discounts are available for full-time students, patrons 25 years of age and under, fulltime educators, seniors and groups of 10 or more. For complete information, visit: www.scr.org. May 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 run Aug. 29-Sept. 28. Ticket prices start at $25. Low-priced preview performances run Aug. 29-Sept. 4.

Special Events:

· Post-Show Discussions: Wednesday, Sept. 10, and Tuesday, Sept. 16. Discuss the play with cast members of The Tempest during free post-show discussions led by South Coast Repertory's literary team. Segerstrom Stage.

• Inside the Season: Saturday, Sept. 20, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Led by members of SCR's literary staff, this lively two-hour session features in-depth interviews with cast members and artists from SCR's production staff, revealing secrets and offering insights into SCR's production of The Tempest. The event includes a guided tour of the set. Segerstrom Stage. Tickets are $12 and may be purchased in advance or at the door.

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 David Emmes/Martin Benson Theatre Center, part of the Segerstrom Center for the Arts. Parking is available on Park Center Drive, off Anton Boulevard.

ABOUT SOUTH COAST REPERTORY: Tony Award-winning South Coast Repertory, founded in 1964 by David Emmes and Martin Benson, is led by Artistic Director Marc Masterson and Managing Director Paula Tomei. SCR is widely recognized as one of the leading professional theatres in the United States. SCR is committed to theatre that illuminates the compelling personal and social issues of our time, not only on its stages but through its wide array of education and outreach programs. While its productions represent a balance of classic and modern theatre, SCR is renowned for its extensive new-play development program, which includes the nation's largest commissioning program for emerging and established writers and composers. Each year, it showcases some of country's best new plays in the Pacific Playwrights Festival, which attracts theatre professionals from across the country. Of SCR's more than 480 productions, one-quarter have been world premieres, whose subsequent stagings achieved enormous success throughout America and around the world. Two SCR-developed works have won Pulitzer Prizes, and another eight were named Pulitzer finalists. In addition, SCR works have won several Obie Awards and scores of major new-play awards. Located in Costa Mesa, California, SCR's David Emmes/Martin Benson Theatre Center is home to the 507-seat Segerstrom Stage, the 336-seat Julianne Argyros Stage and the 94-seat Nicholas Studio. Today, SCR produces 13 shows and eight public readings each season. More information is available at www.scr.org.

Pictured: Caliban (Zach Eisenstat and Manelich Minniefee) and Prospero (Tom Nelis) in The Tempest by William Shakespeare. Photo by The Smith Center/Geri Kodey.

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