South Coast Rep Launches 2026 With Rotating Repertory of Two Tony Winners

The theater company is presenting 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?' and 'God of Carnage' in an ambitious eight-week run.

Published on Feb. 1, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

South Coast Repertory, the Tony Award-winning theater company, is launching its 2026 season with a unique rotating repertory of two Tony Award-winning plays: 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?' by Edward Albee and 'God of Carnage' by Yasmina Reza. The productions will run for eight weeks on the Segerstrom Stage, the longest run in the theater's 62-year history, with the two plays alternating performances and even being performed on the same day.

Why it matters

This ambitious repertory programming reflects Artistic Director David Ivers' vision of presenting adventurous and event-driven theater that challenges both the actors and the audience. The two plays, written 46 years apart, explore themes of marriage, intimacy, and how we present ourselves to the world, providing a rare and exceptional theatrical experience for audiences.

The details

The productions share a single set that is modified for each play, and two of the actors, Kim Martin-Cotten and Brian Vaughn, have lead roles in both plays, an insanely challenging task. Ivers, a veteran of the repertory model, has created a rehearsal schedule where the actors are never away from a play for more than a day, rehearsing one play in the morning and the other in the afternoon.

  • The rotating repertory runs through March 21, 2026.
  • On Saturdays and Sundays, both plays will be performed: one in the afternoon, the other in the evening.

The players

South Coast Repertory

A Tony Award-winning theater company in Costa Mesa, California, that is presenting the rotating repertory of two Tony Award-winning plays.

David Ivers

The Artistic Director of South Coast Repertory, who has a vision of presenting adventurous and event-driven theater that challenges both the actors and the audience.

Kim Martin-Cotten

One of the actors who has lead roles in both plays in the rotating repertory.

Brian Vaughn

One of the actors who has lead roles in both plays in the rotating repertory.

Edward Albee

The playwright of 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?', which won the 1963 Tony Award for Best Play.

Yasmina Reza

The playwright of 'God of Carnage', which won the 2009 Tony Award for Best Play.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“I felt like we needed to make a commitment, both to the classics, but also to the idea of kind of event driven theater. Really putting things together that give an audience a very rare and exceptional experience.”

— David Ivers, Artistic Director, South Coast Repertory (newportbeachindy.com)

“Virginia Woolf requires incredible stamina of the actors, and it also requires presence of an audience to sit down and partake of a feast. And I think doing these two plays together makes sense to me, because they speak to each other in beautiful ways about what happens when you crack the veneer of something that's seemingly almost perfect from the outside.”

— David Ivers, Artistic Director, South Coast Repertory (newportbeachindy.com)

“The rigor and the discipline required by the cast, creative team and the entire organization really makes me proud of SCR and makes me proud to look at the work in this way. I'm really passionate about this. I'm excited to return to something that is an important piece of my growing up in the theatre.”

— David Ivers, Artistic Director, South Coast Repertory (newportbeachindy.com)

What’s next

Tickets are now on sale for the rotating repertory, which runs through March 21, 2026. Some performances include post-show discussions.

The takeaway

South Coast Repertory's ambitious rotating repertory of two Tony Award-winning plays, 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?' and 'God of Carnage', showcases the theater company's commitment to presenting adventurous and event-driven theater that challenges both the actors and the audience. This rare theatrical experience highlights the enduring power of classic plays to speak to contemporary themes and the importance of repertory programming in fostering shared experiences within a community.