The southern California premiere of Martin McDonagh's The Beauty Queen of Leenane opens March 10 on the Second Stage at South Coast Rep for a one-month run. Andrew J. Robinson directs a cast which includes Ann Gee Byrd, Heather Ehlers, Rob King and Tim Murphy. The design team is Michael Devine (sets), Linda Davisson (costumes), Tom Ruzika (lighting) and Justus Matthews (sound). Lisa Bacani is stage manager.

Beauty Queen is the award-winning first play by the highly-regarded Irish playwright, a domestic brew spiked with Irish humor and conflict. A domineering mother keeps verbally abusing her old maid of a daughter, who gives as good as she gets. Things get serious when a suitor turns up and asks the daughter to marry him and start a new life in America.

Robinson is making his debut at SCR. He recently directed Waiting for Godot at the Matrix Theatre in L.A. Byrd, Ehlers and King have been seen in numerous earlier productions at SCR. Murphy, who is in his SCR debut, is a veteran of the Irish stage.

Second Stage performance times have changed this season.

SCR also announced that registration is now open for the Adult Conservatory which begins its spring session on March 27. Seven acting classes meet Monday-Thursday evenings for nine weeks. Added to the schedule is a Master Class in directing taught by Mark Rucker. For further information call SCR's education department at (714) 708-5577. The box office number is (714) 708-5555, or visit www.scr.org.