South Coast Repertory in Costa Mesa has announced preliminary casting for the five staged readings that will be presented as part of the 12th Annual Pacific Playwrights' Festival, to run May 1-3.

Greg Germann, Mark Harelik, and Bernard White will star in Howard Korder's In a Garden, directed by David Warren, about the cat-and-mouse game between a government minister and the architect hired to design his gazebo. Steven Culp, Nike Doukas, and Matt McGrath will headline Robert Aguirre-Sacasa's Doctor Cerberus, directed by Bart DeLorenoz, about a 13-year-old suburban teen who finds comfort in the horror movies he watches on television.

Andrew Borba, Kimiko Gelman, Darrell Kunitomi, Kirsten Potter, and Greg Watanabe will star in David Wiener's Extraordinary Chambers, directed by Art Manke, about an American couple in Cambodia. Tony Amendola, Matt Letscher, and Maria Thayer will headline Julia Cho's The Language Archive, directed by Mark Brokaw, about an unraveling marriage. The fifth play, Bill Cain's 9 Circles, directed by Michael John Garces, has not announced casting.

The Festival also includes two fully staged productions: Richard Greenberg's Our Mother's Brief Affair and Lauren Gunderson's Emilie, both of which have extended runs.

For tickets and other information, call 714-708-5555 or visit www.scr.org.