South Coast Takes Center Stage : Winning Repertory Theater Adds to Region’s Dramatic Flair

New York has Broadway and the theater; we have Hollywood and the movies.

That kind of oversimplification deservedly gets punctured periodically. Witness this month’s Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Awards.

In the 27th annual giving of the awards, South Coast Repertory in Costa Mesa took the top honors, winning 11 awards--out of 12 nominations. The honors for distinguished achievement in theater totaled nearly twice the number won by SCR’s nearest competition.

The awards for South Coast Repertory, a fixture of the Orange County arts scene for more than 30 years, were a turnabout from its disappointing showing last year. Then the critics gave most of their citations to productions in Southern California’s smaller theaters. The larger companies, such as South Coast, with its two theaters, did not do very well.

But artistic directors know well the variations in the quality of playwrights--some years many fine works, other years, few--and of audiences.

Last year a crowd favorite at South Coast was a revival of Noel Coward’s “Blithe Spirit.” Chekhov’s “The Cherry Orchard” fared less well in the same venue. But the South Coast Repertory show that was especially favored by the critics was “Wit,” which won awards for production, direction, writing (Margaret Edson) and lead performance (Megan Cole). Playwright Edson was also honored for the most outstanding play given its world premiere in Los Angeles or Orange counties in the past year.

SCR has made great strides since its first Orange County productions in Newport Beach; one of its early homes was a converted five-and-dime store in Costa Mesa. In 1978 it opened in its present location after the Segerstrom family donated the land and Costa Mesa and Orange County helped with funds for construction.

Eight years ago co-founders David Emmes and Martin Benson received a Tony Award in New York for artistic achievements and contributions to the cultural life of Orange County.

In receiving an Ovation Award last year from Theater LA, an organization of more than 130 theater companies and producers, Emmes spoke of “a vision of Southern California becoming like London--a major center of theater, film and television.” A worthy goal. Dim the footlights.