SCR presents the international multimedia hit Blind Runner
South Coast Repertory (SCR) with Artistic Director David Ivers and Managing Director Suzanne Appel presents the international multimedia hit Blind Runner. A Mehr Theatre Group production with text and direction by award-winning Iranian theatre artist Amir Reza Koohestani, it is performed entirely in Persian with English supertitles. Blind Runner runs October 18-November 8 on the Julianne Argyros Stage.
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Photos courtesy of SCR
“Blind Runner” features performers Mohammad Aghebati and Ainaz Azarhoush, both making their SCR debuts
This marks Blind Runner’s West Coast debut and its second United States engagement, the previous one being at New York’s prestigious St. Ann’s Warehouse in January 2025 as part of the Under the Radar Festival.
“I’m thrilled to welcome Mehr Theatre Group to South Coast Repertory,” Ivers said. “Blind Runner feels urgent in body and in form, using video, projections and technology in innovative ways to immerse us in a play about confinement and motion, surveillance, freedom, separation and solidarity. I am drawn to its assertion that a person who is constrained by political force finds a way to move, a person who cannot see becomes a guide and an act as simple as running becomes charged with danger, devotion and hope.”
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Ainaz Azarhoush
Blind Runner interweaves the destinies of three Iranians. At the insistence of his wife, a political prisoner, a man agrees to help a blind woman train for a race in Paris. After placing third, they take on a second challenge. Can they run the 38-kilometer Channel Tunnel from France to the UK in a few hours to avoid being hit by the first train of the morning?
It received a 2026 Obie Award Special Citation for its ensemble.
“In Blind Runner, human athleticism and dignity are entwined,” Appel said. “This run against time transforms running from an act of resilience into an act of resistance. This universal story of a quest for freedom will deeply resonate with our Orange County audiences. We are so thrilled to have the West Coast premiere of this international hit!”
Blind Runner, marks the first partnership between SCR and Mehr Theatre Group, founded in 1996 in Shiraz, Iran as an acting workshop that seeks to create productions distinct from traditional theater and heavily influenced by cinema.
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Mohammad Aghebati
Blind Runner received generous support from Season Producers Apriem Advisors, with production and engagement support provided by the Sheri and Les Biller Family Foundation.
Post-Show Discussions:
Actor Talks with members of the cast: Wednesday, Oct. 28 and Thursday, Nov. 5.
Terrace Talk is a new feature this season. SCR is taking their popular Actor Talks outdoors under the stars for a more casual, interactive experience on Sunday, Oct. 25.
Community Conversation, a presentation and discussion surrounding a theme specific to Blind Runner on Sunday, Nov. 1.
Inside the Season: Saturday, Oct. 31 from 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m.
Led by members of SCR’s literary staff, this lively 90-minute session includes in-depth interviews with cast members and artists from the production staff, revealing secrets and offering insights into each play. Tickets for the session are $14 and may be purchased in advance or at the door. Audio-Described Performance with live translation and verbal commentary for the visually impaired: Saturday, Oct. 24 at 2 p.m.
Tickets are now on sale and range in price from $44-$128, with additional discounts available for educators, seniors and theatergoers ages 25 and under. Tickets may be purchased online at www.scr.org, or by phone at 714.708.5555.
South Coast Repertory is located at 655 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa.
Complete information is available at www.scr.org.
