THE WEIR Plays SCR’s Julianne Argyros Stage 3/13-4/3

Irish playwright Conor McPherson's The Weir-an atmospheric drama that finds four hard-drinking Irishmen telling ghost stories in a pub one stormy night-hits SCR's Julianne Argyros Stage March 13 - April 3.

The play, which will be directed by Warner Shook, was proclaimed as "exceptional ...the most exciting evening in theatrical London!" by The Guardian when it debuted in 1997 and won similar raves on Broadway.

"Water surrounding a weir may look relatively calm, but dangerous whirlpools lurk beneath," explained Shook. "You're caught between calm waters and devastating waters-the known and the unknown-much like the characters in the play. Are the stories they tell real or make-believe? Are they in a natural world or a supernatural one?"

Playing the tale-telling Irishmen in SCR's production are Richard Doyle (Misalliance), James Lancaster (Dancing at Lughnasa), Daniel Reichert (Arms and the Man) and Tony Ward (Terra Nova). Joining them as Valerie, the mysterious woman with a spellbinding, heartbreaking tale of her own, is Kirsten Potter (The Heiress).

The Weir's creative team includes Thomas Buderwitz (set design), Angela Balogh Calin (costume design), Peter Maradudin (lighting design), Jim Ragland (sound design) and Jennifer Sherman (stage manager).

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 March 13 and continue through April 3. Ticket prices range from $20 to $66. Low-priced preview performances are available Mar. 13 - 17. Opening night is Friday, March 18, and press night is Saturday, March 19, at 7:45 p.m.

TIMES: Previews are Sunday, March 13, at 2 p.m., and Tuesday through Thursday, March 15 - 17, at 7:45 p.m. Regular performances are Tuesday through Sunday evenings at 7:45 p.m., with Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. Discounts are available for full-time students, patrons 25 years of age and under, educators, seniors and groups of 10 or more. There will be an ASL-interpreted performance on Saturday, April 2, at 2 p.m.

POST-SHOW DISCUSSIONS: Tuesday, March 22, and Wednesday, March 23

Discuss the play with members of The Weir cast during free post-show discussions led by South Coast Repertory's literary team.

INSIDE THE SEASON: Saturday, March 26, 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. $12

Inside the Season is a series of interactive seminars that provide a comprehensive inside look at the theatrical production process. Each two-hour session features a set tour and a question-and-answer period with creative personnel working on the production. Inside the Season is offered on select Saturday mornings from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Tickets are $12 each and can be purchased online at www.scr.org, by phone at (714) 708-5555 or at the Box Office. (Tickets to The Weir are sold separately.)

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.

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