South Coast Repertory is a professional resident theatre and nonprofit at 655 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa. It was founded in 1964 by David Emmes and Martin Benson, and it is widely known for producing new plays.
The theatre’s season runs from September through June. It performs on the 507-seat Segerstrom Stage and the 336-seat Julianne Argyros Stage, and it uses the 94-seat Nicholas Studio for its conservatory and smaller work. A Christmas Carol is its annual holiday production, and each season includes a Theatre for Young Audiences and Families show.
New plays and the Lab
South Coast Repertory received the Regional Theatre Tony Award in 1988, with new play development cited as a particular strength. Its program for new work, called The Lab@SCR, commissions playwrights and develops plays through readings and workshops.
The centerpiece of the Lab is the Pacific Playwrights Festival, a three-day weekend that presents new plays as readings and full productions, according to a California Arts Council grantee profile.
Classes and community programs
In its IRS filings, the theatre states its purpose as “educating and serving its community” through productions and through dramatic classes for youth and adults. Those classes, called the Conservatory, are taught on site and at community venues across Orange County.
Each summer, a program called Outside SCR presents family-friendly productions outdoors at Mission San Juan Capistrano. The theatre introduced it in 2021 in response to the pandemic and, per its filing, has continued it since.
Ways to support
The theatre sells single tickets and season subscriptions and accepts donations through its website, which also lists Conservatory classes. Program schedules change each season, so the official site is the place to check current productions and class dates.
Official site: https://www.scr.org/
Verified 501(c)(3): South Coast Repertory Inc., EIN 95-6122708, ruling year 1965. This information comes from GuideStar as of September 2026.
Related: Segerstrom Center for the Arts is its neighbor on the Costa Mesa arts campus.
This profile is part of The 824 Journal’s Nonprofit Spotlight series. See more in the Nonprofit Spotlight archive.
Sources
- GuideStar: South Coast Repertory Inc
- California Arts Council: South Coast Repertory organization profile
- Visit Costa Mesa: South Coast Repertory
- Charity Navigator: South Coast Repertory
