Shutter Sisters Cast and Creative Announcement

The Old Globe Announces Full Cast and Creative Team for the Globe-Commissioned World Premiere Play Shutter Sisters by Mansa Ra, Directed by Donya K. Washington and Featuring Terry Burrell and Shana Wride

Performances Begin October 7, 2021 and Run to November 7, 2021, with the Official Opening on Thursday, October 14, in the Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre, part of the Conrad Prebys Theatre Center

Single Ticket Go on Sale Today, Friday, September 10

PHOTO EDITORS: Photos of the Shutter Sisters cast and creative team can be found here.

SAN DIEGO (September 10, 2021) — The Old Globe announced the full cast and creative team for Shutter Sisters written by Mansa Ra (Too Heavy for Your Pocket) and directed by Donya K. Washington (Beautiful Blackbird at Alliance Theatre and Festival Producer at Oregon Shakespeare Festival). The Globe-commissioned world premiere play features Terry Burrell (Broadway’s The Threepenny Opera and Thoroughly Modern Millie) as Mykal and Shana Wride (The Old Globe’s Native Gardens and Diversionary Theatre’s 2.5 Minute Ride) as Michael. Performances begin October 7, 2021 and run through November 7, 2021, with the official opening on Thursday October 14, in the Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre, part of the Conrad Prebys Theatre Center. Single tickets for Shutter Sisters go on sale on today, Friday, September 10.

“Bringing exciting world premiere plays to life is an important part of the Globe’s work,” said Erna Finci Viterbi Artistic Director Barry Edelstein. “We commissioned the brilliant Mansa Ra some time ago, then developed this play in our Powers New Voices Festival, and now it’s our privilege to produce it as we reopen our intimate theatre-in-the round after a too-long hiatus. Ra’s play is a charmer: warm, funny, and deeply heartfelt, it’s about two very different women who discover just how very much they have in common—to their surprise, and ours. It’s a pleasure to restart our programming with such a smart and engaging play, and to welcome both Ra and director Donya Washington into the Globe family.”

Shutter Sisters tells the story of two women living parallel lives on the hardest days of their lives. A White woman named Michael attends her adopted mother’s funeral, while a Black woman named Mykal kicks her adult daughter out of her home. It’s a heartfelt and surprising journey through womanhood, identity, and what it means to belong.

In addition to Mansa Ra and Donya K. Washington, the creative team for the world premiere play Shutter Sisters includes scenic design by Wilson Chin, costume design by Kara Harmon, lighting design by Zach Murphy, sound design by Chris Lane, casting by Caparelliotis Casting, and production stage management by Marie Jahelka.

Shutter Sisters will play in the Globe’s theatre-in-the round at the Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre, part of the Conrad Prebys Theatre Center, in San Diego’s Balboa Park (1363 Old Globe Way). Performances run October 7, 2021 – November 7, 2021, with the official press opening Thursday, October 14 at 8:00 p.m. The performance schedule is Tuesday, Wednesday, and Sunday nights at 7:00 p.m.; Thursday – Saturday nights at 8:00 p.m.; and Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2:00 p.m. Single tickets go on sale on Friday, September 10, 2021. Tickets will be available online at www.TheOldGlobe.org or by phone at (619) 23-GLOBE (234-5623). Regular tickets prices start at $37.00. For additional information about Shutter Sisters, visit www.TheOldGlobe.org.

All patrons who attend an event or performance at The Old Globe will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and present proof of vaccination, or proof of negative results of a COVID-19 PCR test taken within 72 hours of entering the theatre. Additional details are available here.

Shutter Sistersis sponsored by Sue and Edward “Duff” Sanderson and U.S. Bank.

Financial support for The Old Globe 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.

Bios and photos of all participants can be found at www.TheOldGlobe.org/Press-Room.

The Tony Award–winning The Old Globe is one of the country’s leading professional not-for-profit regional theatres. Now in its 87th year, the Globe is San Diego’s flagship performing arts institution, and it serves a vibrant community with theatre as a public good. Under the leadership of Erna Finci Viterbi Artistic Director Barry Edelstein and the Audrey S. Geisel Managing Director Timothy J. Shields, The Old Globe produces a year-round season of 16 productions of classic, contemporary, and new works on its three Balboa Park stages, including its internationally renowned Shakespeare Festival. More than 250,000 people annually attend Globe productions and participate in the theatre’s artistic and arts engagement programs. Its nationally prominent Arts Engagement Department provides an array of participatory programs that make theatre matter to more people in neighborhoods throughout the region. Humanities programs at the Globe and around the city broaden the community’s understanding of theatre art in all its forms. The Globe also boasts a range of new play development programs with professional and community-based writers, as well as the renowned The Old Globe and University of San Diego Shiley Graduate Theatre Program. Numerous world premieres—such as 2014 Tony Award winner for Best Musical A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, Bright Star, The Full Monty, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, and Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas!—have been developed at The Old Globe and have gone on to highly successful runs on Broadway and at regional theatres across the country.

THE OLD GLOBE – 2021 CALENDAR

September 25 – 2021 Globe Gala
October 2 and 3 – AXIS: Power Ball (site-specific dance performance)
October 9 – Globe Learning Virtual Workshop: Theatre Games with Neurodiverse Actors
October 30 – AXIS: Day of the Dead Celebration
November 3 – December 31 – Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
November 19 – December 26 – Ebenezer Scrooge’s BIG San Diego Christmas Show!
December 11 –AXIS: Grinch Sensory-Friendly AXIS Event

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