Ill Actor Expected to Return at SCR

Veteran actor Nicholas Hormann rehearsed Tuesday and was expected back onstage after a sudden intestinal illness sent him to the hospital over the weekend, forcing him to miss three preview performances in South Coast Repertory’s production of Edward Albee’s “A Delicate Balance.”

While rehearsing Friday afternoon for his eighth role at the Costa Mesa theater, Hormann was stricken with “great pain” and taken to an area hospital, said South Coast spokesman Cristofer Gross. He was discharged, then readmitted and spent Saturday and Sunday hospitalized, Gross said.

Friday night’s scheduled first preview performance was canceled (there was no understudy); on Saturday the show’s director, Martin Benson, took Hormann’s co-starring role as Tobias, and on Sunday SCR company member Hal Landon Jr. played the part, with both reading from a script.

Landon rehearsed Monday and will be the understudy in case of further problems, Gross said.

Previews resumed Tuesday night with Hormann expected to appear, and continue tonight and Thursday, with the regular run beginning Friday.