BRIEFLY IN DATEBOOK

South Coast Repertory’s 16th NewSCRipts season of staged play readings

continues at 7:30 p.m. Monday with a new play by Steven Drukman titled

“The Bullet Round.” The commissioned work follows a gun as it changes

hands among troubled characters. Drukman is a frequent contributor to The

New York Times, The Nation, The International Herald Tribune and other

publications. Neel Keller, associate artistic director of La Jolla

Playhouse, will direct the piece. The cast is yet to be announced.

Tickets are $8. Information: (714) 708-5555.

Pacific Symphony, union negotiations end

The Pacific Symphony Orchestra recently ended negotiations on a new

three-year collective bargaining agreement with the Orange County

Musician’s Assn., Local 7 of the American Federation of Musicians. The

primary financial terms in the contract, which ends Aug. 31, 2003,

include wage increases of 3.5%, 4.5% and 5%; pension contribution

increases of 2% over the life of the agreement and new procedures related

to absences, chamber orchestra services and substitutes.

Tickets on sale for SCR holiday events

Tickets are on sale for two year-end theater favorites at the South

Coast Repertory: Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” and the Octavio

Solis-Marcos Loya musical “La Posada Magica.”

“A Christmas Carol” opens on SCR’s Mainstage on Nov. 29 with an

opening night party, and continues through Dec. 24. Previews begin Nov.

25. The repertory’s dramaturge, Jerry Patch, adapted Charles Dickens’

1843 novella for the first show in 1980, which has become a holiday

tradition for two generations of county residents. Hal London Jr., who

originated the role of Ebenezer Scrooge in 1980 at SCR and appeared in

all 20 subsequent productions, returns again as Scrooge.

“La Posada Magica” opens on SCR’s Second Stage at 4:30 p.m. Dec. 10

and runs through Dec. 24. Previews are at 8 p.m. Dec. 8 and 9 and 12:30

p.m. Dec. 10. The show was developed and introduced by SCR as a

contemporary counterpart to “A Christmas Carol.” Diane Rodriguez will

make her SCR directing debut, and the cast includes Denise Blasor,

Armando Duran and Benito Martinez.

Tickets are $17 to $45 for “A Christmas Carol” and $13 to $32 for “La

Posada Magica.” The repertory is at 655 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa.

Information: (714) 708-5555.