Arthur Giron

No matter how fiercely we try to live our lives in the present, all of us swiftly are becoming memories--to our children, our nieces and nephews, to the offspring of our friends. That sense of fleeting time is captured eloquently by "Becoming Memories," Arthur Giron's play about three generations of five sometimes-intersecting families in the Midwest.

No matter how fiercely we try to live our lives in the present, all of us swiftly are becoming memories--to our children, our nieces and nephews, to the offspring of our friends. That sense of fleeting time is captured eloquently by "Becoming Memories," Arthur Giron's play about three generations of five sometimes-intersecting families in the Midwest.

When South Coast Repertory describes the main attraction of its fourth annual Hispanic Playwrights Project as a sweeping epic of capitalist imperialism in Central America, the key phrase is sweeping epic. In the very first scene of Arthur Giron's "A Dream of Wealth"--which is to receive an SCR Mainstage reading on Saturday at 7:30 p.m.

When South Coast Repertory describes the main attraction of its fourth annual Hispanic Playwrights Project as a sweeping epic of capitalist imperialism in Central America, the key phrase is sweeping epic. In the very first scene of Arthur Giron's "A Dream of Wealth"--which is to receive an SCR Mainstage reading on Saturday at 7:30 p.m.

South Coast Repertory Theatre has announced the receipt of grants totaling $160,000 for operating expenses and facilities expansion programs. Mission Viejo Business Properties and the Mission Viejo Co. donated $100,000. Part of this grant will go toward underwriting a later matinee performance for Saddleback Valley-area high school students. The other grants, both $25,000, are from Pacific Mutual and Citicorp. SCR also announced a $10,000 Producers Circle gift from Nordstrom.

L.A. Theatre Works, known for live local performances of contemporary and classical plays that are subsequently broadcast over satellite and public radio, has been awarded $253,000 by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation to support the recording of four new plays and the production of a new monthly radio series, "Relativity," centered on science-themed works.

South Coast Repertory's second annual Hispanic Playwrights Project--the dramaturge program that produces new plays by Latino writers--has received 75 scripts from across the country, program director Jose Cruz Gonzalez said. Although more plays (109) were received last year, Gonzalez said the quality of this year's submissions is higher. "We had a good group before, and this group is even better," he said.

Six young authors have been selected from 78 applicants for the third annual Hispanic Playwrights Project at South Coast Repertory in Costa Mesa. The group, which will meet Aug. 2-14 for readings and workshops with dramaturges, directors and actors, includes: Rafael Melendez of El Paso, Tex.

South Coast Repertory's Hispanic Playwright Project will have twice as much in its budget, and the project's annual workshop will last twice as long this summer, because of a $50,000 Ford Foundation grant announced Wednesday. With a budget of $100,000, the 3-year-old play development program for emerging Latino writers will also offer a conference for directors, actors and dramaturges that will take place six weeks before the annual workshop.

South Coast Repertory Theatrewill offer five world-premiere productions by American playwrights--including Keith Reddin's "Highest Standard of Living" and Craig Lucas' "Three Postcards"--in the 1986-87 season at the two-playhouse complex in Costa Mesa. At the Mainstage playhouse, SCR's producing artistic director, David Emmes, will direct the Reddin work, which opens the season Sept. 9 and runs through Oct. 12. Norman Rene will direct the Lucas play, Jan. 6 through Feb. 8.

Six Latino playwrights have been selected by South Coast Repertory from about 100 who submitted scripts for its fifth annual Hispanic Playwrights Project, a theater spokesman announced Thursday. The playwrights are Arthur Giron, Edwin Sanchez and Jack Agueros--all from New York--Bernardo Solano from Los Angeles, Octavio Solis from San Francisco and Caridad Svich from South Gate in Los Angeles County.

Jewish intellectual, alienated neurotic, passionate humanist, Carmelite nun, Auschwitz martyr and now saint--the tragic figure of Edith Stein embodies many 20th century complexities. The controversy surrounding her has only deepened in the time since the Actors Co-op opened its doors in 1993 with Arthur Giron's fictional biography, "Edith Stein," and in the wake of her recent canonization, the religiously oriented company's revival proves a timely resurrection.