In 1964, Orange County’s population was about to hit one million, Irvine was still a dream waiting to be built, and John Wayne had settled on Newport Beach as his new home.
Newport Beach is also where college pals Martin Benson and David Emmes (who attended Newport Harbor High School) headed, although their humble abode was an old marine swap shop on Villa Way. They converted the upstairs into an apartment, while the bottom floor was eventually remodeled into a small 24 by 58 foot, 70-seat theater better known as South Coast Repertory.
The season also includes the award-winning Stephen Sondheim musical “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street,” the compelling drama “M. Butterfly,” and the return of Southern California satirists Culture Clash in a show guaranteed to make you laugh and think.