South Coast Repertory Presents HOW TO WRITE A NEW BOOK FOR THE BIBLE, 10/19-11/18

Bill Cain's "How to Write a New Book for the Bible," an autobiographical tale about family, a son's devotion, and a mother's love comes to South Coast Repertory from October 19 through November 18. It is directed by Kent Nicholson.

"How to Write a New Book for the Bible" follows the story of Bill, who comes home to take care of his octogenarian mother, Mary. Many times she’s maddening, but she’s always funny as the family’s story unfolds through flashbacks.

Cain, a Jesuit priest, tells his family’s story through “bible stories mixed in with Irish lore, sports stories, neighborhood gossip, literature and history to create a rich stew of beginnings, middles and ends.”

Linda Gehringer originated the role of Mary when "How to Write a New Book for the Bible" was developed at the Ojai Playwrights Conference and portrayed Mary in the world premiere of the play at Seattle Repertory and Berkeley Repertory Theatres. Included among her many SCR performances are the world premieres of "The Language Archive," "The Piano Teacher," "Hold Please, But Not for Me" and "The Intelligent Design of Jenny Chow." This fall, she has a recurring role on “Touch” with Kiefer Sutherland. Other television work includes “Justified,” Weeds,” and “The West Wing.”

In addition to Gehringer, the cast includes two other actors who were featured in the world premiere performances of "How to Write a New Book for the Bible" at Berkeley Repertory and Seattle Repertory Theatres: Aaron Blakely as Paul and Tyler Pierce as Bill. Rounding out the cast is Jeff Biehl as Pete.

SCR’s production is staged in an elegant and simple manner to allow audiences to focus on the words in Cain’s stories. The design team includes Scott Bradley (sets), Callie Floor (costumes), Alexander V. Nichols (lights), Matt Starritt (sound), and Kathryn Davies (stage management). In 2010, "How to Write a New Book for the Bible" received a staged reading as part of the NewSCRipts play development program at SCR. Cain currently is under commission to write a play for SCR.

"How to Write a New Book for the Bible" is generously supported by Honorary Producers Pam and Jim Muzzy and Corporate Honorary Producer Haskell & White.

Tickets 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 Oct. 19 through Nov. 18. Ticket prices range from $20 to $70. Discounts are available for full-time students, patrons 25 years of age and under, fulltime educators, seniors and groups of 10 or more.

Previews performances are from Friday, October 19 through Thursday, October 25 with performances on Friday, Saturday, and Thursday at 8pm and Sunday, Tuesday, and Wednesday at 7:30pm.

The regular performance schedule is Tuesday and Wednesday at 7:30pm, Thursday and Friday at 8pm, Saturday and Sunday at 2:30pm and 8pm. There is no evening performance on Sunday, November 18.

The matinee on Saturday, October 17 will be ASL-interpreted. There will be free post-show discussions after performances on Wednesday, October 31 and Tuesday, November 6.

A seminar on Thursday, October 11 at 7pm will feature a behind-the-scenes look at SCR’s How to Write a New Book for the Bible, as seen through the eyes of the artists. The seminar features engaging dialogue with the director and artists, followed by an open question-and-answer session.

A two-hour Inside the Season session will be held on Saturday, November 3 from 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 "How to Write a New Book for the Bible." Audience questions and comments are encouraged. Tickets are $12 and may be purchased in advance or at the door.

Photo Credit: Ben Horak/SCR