Bill Rauch — who staged the new work at the Costa Mesa, California company's 2005 Pacific Playwrights Festival — will return to direct it for the 42nd season, January 8-29, 2006 at the Julianne Argyros Stage. Opening night is slated for Jan. 13.

The Further Adventures of Hedda Gabler proposes "Hedda lives on in ‘The Neighborhood of Tragic Women,’ an alternative hell where fictional characters are forced to endure until at last they are forgotten. Will she ever really die?"

Whitty earned his Tony for his book to the 2004 Tony Award winner for Best Musical Avenue Q. He is also the author of The Hiding Place (2003 Pacific Playwrights Festival), Suicide Weather, Balls and The Plank Project. His screenplays include "Zora," a feature to star Jennifer Aniston, and as-yet-untitled musical project with music by Andre 3000 of Outkast.

The new season at SCR also includes Bertolt Brecht's The Caucasian Chalk Circle (Sept. 2-Oct. 9), Joe Penhall's Dumb Show (Sept. 25-Oct 16), Garson Kanin's Born Yesterday (Oct. 14-Nov. 20), the American premiere of Terry Johnson's Hitchcock Blonde (Feb. 3-March 12, 2006), Tracy Letts' Man from Nebraska(March 12-April 2, 2006), a world premiere to be announced (March 31 May 7, 2006), Kirsten Greenidge's Bossa Nova (April 23-May 14, 2006) and Tom Stoppard's The Real Thing (May 19-June 25, 2006).

Tickets to the new season at South Coast Rep, at 655 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa, CA are available by calling (714) 708-5555. For more information, visit www.scr.org.