The Old Globe announced today the four-member cohort for the 2024 Classical Directing Fellowship, a program of the Karen and Stuart Tanz Fellowships at The Old Globe, led by the Globe’s Erna Finci Viterbi Artistic Director Barry Edelstein, a leading Shakespearean teacher, author, podcast host, and director. This year’s fellows, who are active directors in the San Diego theatre community and who have worked with The Old Globe in various artistic capacities, include Andréa Agosto (associate director of Henry V for The Old Globe’s Globe for All Tour, Buckets at Diversionary Theatre, Game of Tiaras at Falcon Players),Kandace Crystal (Welcome to Sleepy Hollow at Oceanside Theatre Company, Gracie for President at San Diego Junior Theatre, upcoming The Color Purple at New Village Arts), Kian Kline-Chilton (Blue Orange at Fenix Theatre Collaborative, assistant director of The Taming of the Shrew at The Old Globe, assistant director of Exotic Deadly: Or the MSG Play at The Old Globe), and Desireé Clarke Miller (Celebrating Community Voices at The Old Globe’s Power New Voices Festival, Man and Moon at MOXIE Theatre, Monsters of The American Cinema at Diversionary Theatre). The fifth year of this series of workshops on Shakespearean directing will be held at the Globe from Monday, March 25 to Friday, March 29, 2024. In addition to the workshops, the 2024 Classical Directing Fellows will be invited to observe rehearsals of the upcoming summer production of Henry 6, adapted and directed by Edelstein.

The Classical Directing Fellowship focuses on Shakespeare’s text, how it is put together, and how it works in the imaginations and voices of American actors. In these seminars, Edelstein presents a series of techniques that the fellows then employ in rehearsals with a company of professional actors. The work culminates in a private presentation. After that, all involved debrief and broaden the conversation to larger questions about Shakespeare, American culture, and the director’s art and life. Throughout the week, in addition to the artistic work, fellows meet with members of the Globe’s staff in many departments to deepen knowledge of how a classically oriented theatre brings plays to life.

Past participants of The Old Globe’s Classical Directing Fellowship include directors Patrice Amon, Jennifer Chang, Meg DeBoard, Kareem Fahmy, Manoel Felciano, Yolanda Marie Franklin, Lavina Jadhwani, Daniel Jáquez, Victor Lirio, Rondrell McCormick, Delicia Turner Sonnenberg, Tai Thompson, Awoye Timpo, Edward Torres, Sam White, and LA Williams.

The Classical Directing Fellowship is supported by a program of the Karen and Stuart Tanz Fellowships at The Old Globe. Financial support is provided by The City of San Diego. The Theodor and Audrey Geisel Fund provides leadership support for The Old Globe’s year-round activities.

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