The Old Globe Announces Exciting New Programming Lineup

SAN DIEGO (January 19, 2021)—As the world catches glimpses of a return to normalcy and dares to imagine a time when we can once again gather together in our theatre spaces, The Old Globe will produce a hybrid of digital and in-person offerings that encompasses a broad range of thrilling theatre created by a diverse group of major talents. The Globe’s upcoming offerings will include three world premieres (two of which are Globe-commissioned); the return of Shakespeare online, on the radio, and in our outdoor theatre; and two revivals of American classics. Additionally the Globe will continue its popular online Arts Engagement TV programs and will move online for the eighth edition of the Powers New Voices Festival and the Globe’s Classical Directing Fellowship.

“Amid continuing uncertainty, the Globe is redoubling its commitment to making theatre that matters and to serving our community with work in a striking range of forms,” said Erna Finci Viterbi Artistic Director Barry Edelstein. “Across many virtual platforms and then, when it’s safe, in person, we’re readying one of the most exciting lineups we’ve ever offered, full of local and national talent at the highest level, and rising to the challenges of this moment to create theatre that’s powerful, moving, and entertaining. Shakespeare enjoys pride of place, but alongside him are thrilling artists of this moment whose voices resonate with the cultural breadth and richness of our region. Taken together, this lineup expresses all the accomplishment and dynamism audiences have come to expect from theatre at the Globe. Our energies are pointed toward that happy day when we will reopen our doors and light our stages even more brilliantly. Until then I’m hugely proud to share this bounty of work, especially in these trying times, and certain that there’ll be more wonderful projects to announce as the months pass.”

For the full press release, click here! For more information and updates on our new programs, click here! To follow The Old Globe on Facebook, click here! To follow The Old Globe Arts Engagement on Facebook, click here!

Photo: Hamlet: On the Radio: Grantham Coleman in the title role of Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, directed by Barry Edelstein, 2017. Photo by Jim Cox.

Dr. Seuss's How the Grinch Stole Christmas! On the Radio Cast and Creative Announcement

SAN DIEGO (November 13, 2020)—The Old Globe today announced the cast and creative team of its 23rd annual production of Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, which this yearwill be presented by KPBS Radio in San Diego as a free audio-only production. Due to the ongoing pandemic, The Old Globe is unable to produce the San Diego favorite on its stage this year. The free audio production of Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas! On the Radiowill pivot this San Diego tradition to a new form, giving San Diegans the chance to continue their holiday season visit with The Grinch, and introducing this beloved production to many for the first time. The performance can be heard on the radio in San Diego on KPBS 89.5 FM, and can be streamed live on the KPBS website, on the KPBS app, and on smart speakers on Thursday, November 26 (Thanksgiving Day) at 12:00 noon; Saturday, December 5 at 12:00 noon; Sunday, December 20 at 12:00 noon; and Thursday, December 24 (Christmas Eve) at 6:00 p.m. All times are Pacific Standard Time (PT).

Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas! On the Radio is a wonderful, whimsical musical based upon the classic Dr. Seuss book. The family favorite features the songs “Santa for a Day,” “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch,” and “Welcome, Christmas (Fah Who Doraze),” the delightful carol from the popular animated version of How the Grinch Stole Christmas! Celebrate the holidays with the Whos and The Old Globe.

Edward Watts returns to the Globe after receiving critical acclaim and delighting audiences as The Grinch the last three years. Watts recently starred as Harold Hill in The Music Man at Goodspeed Musicals and Sky Masterson in Guys and Dolls at Broadway Sacramento/Music Circus. His Broadway and New York credits include Scandalous, Finian’s Rainbow, It’s a Bird...It’s a Plane...It’s Superman, The Fantasticks, The Most Happy Fella, and the acclaimed PBS “Live from Lincoln Center” Show Boat. Tommy Martinez will once again scale Mt. Crumpit as Young Max. He has been seen in NBC’s Hairspray Live!, on the national tour of Kinky Boots, and on Broadway in Newsies. Returning to play Old Max will be John Treacy Egan, whose Broadway credits include My Fair Lady, Casa Valentina, Nice Work If You Can Get It, Sister Act, The Little Mermaid, The Producers, Jekyll & Hyde, and Bye Bye Birdie. And Leila Manuel will once again play Cindy-Lou Who this year. She previously appeared in local productions of Peter Pan and Willy Wonka.

Completing the cast are Grinch alumni Tyrone Davis, Jr. (Papa Who), Charlotte Mary Wen (Mama Who), Larry Raben (Grandpa Who), Bets Malone (Grandma Who), Taylor Coleman (Annie Who), Sophia Adajar (Betty-Lou Who), Alexander Dalton (Boo Who), Bobby Chiu (Danny Who), and Reanne Acasio, Nicholas Alexander, Kevin Hafso Koppman, Kyrsten Hafso Koppman, Janaya Mahealani Jones, Sarah Meahl, Nathan Andrew Riley, William BJ Robinson, Katie Sapper, and Lance Arthur Smith (Grown-Up Who Ensemble).

Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas! On the Radio isdirected by James Vásquez, with book and lyrics by Tim Mason and music by Mel Marvin. The original production of Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas! was conceived and directed by Jack O’Brien with additional lyrics by Theodor S. Geisel, additional music by Albert Hague, and original choreography by John DeLuca. This year’s creative team also includes Elan McMahan (Music Director), Paul Peterson (Sound Design), Mark Anthony Holmes (Audio Recording and Production), Anita Ruth (Orchestrator), Joshua Rosenblum (Vocal Arrangements and Incidental Music), David Krane (Dance Music Arranger), Jess Slocum (Production Stage Manager), and Amanda Salmons (Assistant Stage Manager).

“It’s impossible to imagine the holidays in San Diego without the Globe’s production of Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, and we were not about to let the coronavirus make a Grinchy move of its own and take this grand tradition away from us,” said The Old Globe’s Erna Finci Viterbi Artistic Director Barry Edelstein. “With our friends at KPBS, we are taking a bold step into the world of radio theatre, and this bright, fun, and touching musical is a perfect way to start. The intimacy of radio and its broad, easy access will bring this great show to a huge, new San Diego audience and will spread the magic of theatre and the healing spirit of Dr. Seuss around our region at a time when both could not be more needed. Our virtual tree lighting and our virtual sensory-friendly work will extend The Grinch’s reach even further. We are pleased to acknowledge the generosity of the late Audrey S. Geisel as we make theatre matter to more and more people by transforming the challenge of the pandemic into an opportunity to bring the beauty of storytelling and the humanity of Dr. Seuss to the widest possible community.”

“KPBS is thrilled to partner with The Old Globe to bring Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas! On the Radio to our San Diego airwaves,” said Tom Karlo, General Manager of KPBS. “It reminds me of when families would gather around the radio to listen to entertaining storytelling. Today the radio experience has expanded via smart speakers, web streams, the KPBS app, and traditional radio devices. I hope that in whatever manner families listen, they feel their hearts grow three sizes with joy in hearing this iconic story and sharing the experience alongside their community.”

For the full press release, click here! For more information on Dr. Seuss's How the Grinch Stole Christmas! On the Radio, click here! To follow The Old Globe on Facebook, click here! To follow The Old Globe Arts Engagement on Facebook, click here!

WHAT IS THEATRE NOW?
The Old Globe Announces a New Initiative with Six Visionary Theatre Artists to Explore What Theatre Can Be at This Extraordinary Moment in American Life

These artists include Justin Emeka, Patricia McGregor, Johanna McKeon, Delicia Turner Sonnenberg, James Vásquez, and Whitney White

SAN DIEGO (September 21, 2020)—The Old Globe today announced a new initiative in which it has asked six visionary theatre artists this one question: What Is Theatre Now?

As the prolonged closure of The Old Globe’s performance spaces enters its sixth month, the Globe has been creating a wide range of digital programs in its Arts Engagement, Humanities, and Artistic Departments, all aimed at bringing the transformative power of theatre to audiences at home. The Globe is carefully planning for the day when it can once again gather the community in its theatres and share the art form beloved by so many. And the Globe is taking steps to become more equitable, inclusive, and just, as it heeds the call of an urgent nationwide appeal for racial equity and social justice.

All of these efforts come together in What Is Theatre Now? These six gifted artists will share their insights with the Globe on themes that are universal, wide-ranging, and especially resonant in this time of upheaval and change. They are imagining forms and technologies that might translate onto digital platforms or live theatre, or might introduce new hybrids that blend live and virtual work. The Globe has asked each of these artists to further develop their ideas, and the theatre stands ready to provide them with resources to help bring their work to deep and rich life. This new initiative will inform the Globe’s trajectory moving forward, even as it reshapes and remakes this ancient art form for an extraordinary new era.

The group comprises Justin Emeka, Patricia McGregor, Johanna McKeon, Delicia Turner Sonnenberg, James Vásquez, and Whitney White.

“The day the Globe was forced to close its doors in March, Old Globe Associate Artistic Directors Freedome Bradley-Ballentine and Justin Waldman and our artistic staff began a process of imagining what theatre might look like while audiences shelter at home,” said Erna Finci Viterbi Artistic Director Barry Edelstein. “Reinventing a 2,000-year-old art form in a matter of months is not for the faint of heart, so we turned to the most visionary artists in our orbit, knowing that their bright imaginations would guide our inquiry. The six remarkable theatremakers in this cohort have real and authentic ties to the Globe, sincere affection for San Diego and its audiences, a huge range of interests, talents, and insights, and a wide diversity of backgrounds. Our conversations have already been inspiring and beautiful. From this collaboration, exciting new works will emerge that will fill the Globe’s digital platforms—and soon, we hope, its stages—with thrilling theatre in many forms. We look forward to sharing the fruits of their answers to the question ‘What Is Theatre Now’ as they develop in the time ahead.”

What Is Theatre Now? is sponsored in part by Bank of America.

For the full press release, click here! For more information and updates on our new online theatre programs, click here! To follow The Old Globe on Facebook, click here! To follow The Old Globe Arts Engagement on Facebook, click here!

FREEDOME BRADLEY-BALLENTINE, THE OLD GLOBE’S DIRECTOR OF ARTS ENGAGEMENT, APPOINTED TO ADDITIONAL ROLE OF ASSOCIATE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Katherine Harroff appointed Associate Director of Arts Engagement; Jesse Perez joins senior leadership team

SAN DIEGO (July 13, 2020)—The Old Globe’s Erna Finci Viterbi Artistic Director Barry Edelstein today announced the appointment of Freedome Bradley-Ballentine as Associate Artistic Director. In addition to his expanded role in the Globe’s Artistic Department, Bradley-Ballentine will continue overseeing the Globe’s nationally recognized arts engagement programs. Bradley-Ballentine’s official title will be Associate Artistic Director and Director of Arts Engagement. Bradley-Ballentine’s previous career as a producer will hold the Globe in good stead as he takes a more central role in programming. He will have a more active voice in the development of new artistic relationships as he introduces exciting artists to the Globe’s family, and his aesthetic will have increased influence in season planning and other programming choices. Bradley-Ballentine will continue his work on the senior leadership team of the Globe.

The Globe has two people in the key position of Associate Artistic Director, as Bradley-Ballentine joins Associate Artistic Director Justin Waldman. Waldman has served the Globe brilliantly for nine years as a thinker, leader, and champion of talent. Waldman and Bradley-Ballentine will make a formidable team, complementing and enhancing each other’s skillsets.

“At a moment when good news in the American theatre is in short supply, it’s a special pleasure to acknowledge the extraordinary gifts and contributions of Freedome Bradley-Ballentine to the Globe and beyond,” said Barry Edelstein. “Freedome is a special man: a gifted leader, a profound thinker, and a warm and generous presence. In the five years he’s been here, he’s made the Globe better in countless ways, to the benefit of San Diego. He has broadened our reach and made theatre matter to our neighbors around our county, forging important relationships with institutions and individuals here even as he has built a nationally recognized practice that is the envy of the field. I’m honored to count him and his beautiful family as dear friends, and I feel fortunate to know that his heart and conscience will help lead the Globe through a challenging time with optimism, integrity, kindness, and good humor. Freedome’s talent and creativity inspire his colleagues Katherine Harroff, Justin Waldman, and Jesse Perez, and I congratulate all of them as I look forward to the extraordinary impacts they will make on the Globe for years to come.”

Freedome Bradley-Ballentine noted, “James Baldwin once said, ‘Fires can’t be made with dead embers… enthusiasm in our daily work lightens effort and turns even labor into pleasant tasks.’ Over the past five years, it has been easy to be enthusiastic about working at The Old Globe helming the Arts Engagement team. We’ve developed important partnerships and together created programs that have had a positive impact on a variety of communities. I am as excited now as I was when I walked through the doors the first time. It’s a special place filled with passionate people committed to making theatre matter to more people. I’m thrilled to join the leadership team as the Associate Artistic Director (in addition to my prior role). We have an opportunity to create work that values both excellence and relevance, as well as take major strides to make San Diego arts more equitable. I look forward to developing new artistic relationships, not just in San Diego but throughout the United States. I’m honored to join a team dedicated to increasing the value of the work both nationally and locally. Barry is a transformational leader who has broadened the Globe during his tenure. Justin’s impact in developing work at the Globe is undeniable. Our recent conversations have been full of vivid dreaming of what’s next. I can’t wait to share with the world what we’ve been cooking up! The Globe has an amazing reach and I’m excited to see how fast this car can go!”

Bradley-Ballentine succeeds Travis LeMont Ballenger, who has accepted a position as Producer at Lia Vollack Productions in New York. Ballenger takes a thrilling career step that makes him one of a still too small cohort of significant Black producers on Broadway. This opportunity will allow him to continue the important work he’s done throughout his career championing Black artists and stories. Ballenger will join the producing team of the new Broadway show MJ the Musical (the Michael Jackson bio-musical), and he will be part of the Broadway incarnation of the Globe-born musical Almost Famous.

When The Old Globe created its Department of Arts Engagement five years ago and appointed Bradley-Ballentine as Director of Arts Engagement, the goal was to make theatre matter to more people by serving a far wider swath of San Diego. By engaging communities in the theatre’s work through participatory theatre making in their own neighborhoods, the Globe vastly increased its impact. Bradley-Ballentine’s arrival at the Globe brought transformation with him. A visionary leader and a charismatic individual, he established himself as a local figure and quickly developed a national reputation. He built an acclaimed platform with dozens of new programs, and he reimagined legacy programs that have reached tens of thousands of San Diegans, building positive social connections with economically, geographically, and culturally diverse communities. The Globe partners with numerous community-based organizations, ranging from correctional facilities to homeless shelters to senior centers to veterans organizations to libraries and more. Bradley-Ballentine’s particular approach—based in careful and active listening that lets the community tell the Globe what it needs, and puts the Globe in a position of humble public service—is increasingly influential nationally as other theatre companies seek to emulate the Globe’s best practices. Bradley-Ballentine also has overseen the expansion of the Globe for All Tour, which brings free, live, professional productions of Shakespeare to underserved and diverse multigenerational audiences in neighborhoods throughout the region. A second annual production was added, which takes a Globe mainstage production and tours it in the San Diego community after its run at the theatre.

This administrative restructuring furthers this work by formally bringing arts engagement to the center of the Globe’s artistic life. Bradley-Ballentine has built the Globe’s Arts Engagement Department as a thriving team of strong and talented individuals, in particular Katherine Harroff. To support Bradley-Ballentine in his new role, Harroff has been promoted to the position of Associate Director of Arts Engagement. Harroff helped develop the Globe’s Community Voices playwriting program in 2012 and has instructed hundreds of adults in the San Diego community and beyond in finding their voices in theatre. Harroff most recently held the position of Arts Engagement Programs Manager, and she has been instrumental in the creation of innovative traditional and online programming that has reached thousands of San Diegans in their neighborhoods and in their homes during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bradley-Ballentine continued, “Kate Harroff is a dynamic force to be reckoned with! Over the past few years she has been instrumental in developing many of the cornerstone programs that communities throughout San Diego have come to treasure. She has made a positive impact on dozens of artists who have either discovered or reconnected with their artistry. Most recently she spearheaded the development of our online programs, connecting even more people to the Globe. Kate is a smart, thoughtful, and innovative leader. We have worked closely together, and I look forward to seeing her flourish even further in this new role. I’m so happy, I could burst!”

As part of this restructure, Jesse Perez, Director of Professional Training for The Old Globe and University of San Diego Shiley Graduate Theatre Program, will join the Globe’s senior leadership team. Perez’s impact on the nationally ranked training program has been transformative since his arrival. His leadership skills will enhance the Globe even as his presence on this team recognizes the contribution of our M.F.A. program to the caliber of the Globe’s work, and the impact the Globe makes on the national field through its artist training.

Edelstein continued, “It is essential that the Globe champions the country’s most dynamic and deserving theatre leaders as their gifts help us better serve San Diego. As we strive for our institution to better reflect the world in which we live, we celebrate the unique contributions of the leaders involved in these changes here. And as we commit to amplifying voices and communities that have not frequently been seen and heard center stage here, these changes, and in particular this change in Freedome Bradley-Ballentine’s role, make the Globe better, richer, and more inspiring.”

For the full press release, click here! For more information and updates on our new online theatre programs, click here! To follow The Old Globe on Facebook, click here! To follow The Old Globe Arts Engagement on Facebook, click here!

THE OLD GLOBE NEWS BRIEFS #3: How We Connect with Our Community in These Challenging Times

COMMUNITY VOICES Wraps Up Playwriting Workshops with Live-Streamed Readings of New Plays

PLAYWRIGHTS UNSTUCK Checks In with Globe-Commissioned San Diego–Based Playwrights JESSICA HILT, JONATHAN MELLO, MIKE SEARS, and MIKI VALE

THE LIVING ROOM PLAYS WORKSHOP Teaches How to Write, Develop, Design, Direct, and Present Your Own Short Play

SCHOOL IN THE PARK Moves Online, Offers GLOBE TO GO as a Digital Resource for Teachers, Educators, and Parents

PAM FARR SUMMER SHAKESPEARE STUDIO Moves Online for JULY 13 to AUGUST 1; Adds CREATIVE YOUTH STUDIO Professional Development Program

REFLECTING SHAKESPEARE Expands to New TV Platform, Offering Transformative Tools to Those Incarcerated and the Public

SAN DIEGO (May 21, 2020)—The Old Globe believes that theatre matters, now more than ever, and is determined to continue to serve the public through theatre art. We consider it paramount that we continue to be a leader in programming for our community, and to continue to support and maintain valued connections with those hungering for artistic content and continued personal growth. We continue to add free online programs and new dates for existing ones, all part of The Old Globe’s ongoing commitment to serve the public good by providing programs that make theatre matter to more people.

Celebrating the completion of Community Voices playwriting workshops, the plays developed are being showcased in live-streamed readings on Facebook. These original short scripts by online community participants were seen in a first round of final presentations on May 7: Dubb Thee Fear by Declan Kallberg, Communication by Markey Jones, Lioness by L.S. De Anda, Lyft Off by Tim Cole, Safe by Adam Parker, and Days Lurch Weeks Fly by Shelly Williams. Actors in the presentation included Gerardo Flores Tonella, Katherine Harroff, Jake Millgard, Arielle Siler, Gill Sotu, Miki Vale, and Valeria Vega. Join us for the next round on Thursday, May 21 at 3:00 p.m. Pacific Time on The Old Globe Arts Engagement’s Facebook page, and tune in for more dates and more plays!

As part of our continuing efforts to include all those on the spectrum—a process that began with sensory-friendly performances of Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas! and has since grown into its own Globe family—Community Voices has introduced a private Digital Sensory-Friendly Workshop, with Teaching Artist Samantha Ginn, a nine-week program for neuro-diverse theatre lovers to learn how to create their own plays. For more information, please email kharroff@TheOldGlobe.org.

A new joint Humanities and Arts Engagement project, Playwrights Unstuck begins June 2, hosted by Arts Engagement Programs Manager Katherine Harroff and Literary Manager and Dramaturg Danielle Mages Amato. They will check in with Globe-commissioned San Diego–based playwrights Miki Vale, Jonathan Mello, Jessica Hilt, and Mike Sears on the status of their developing work. Be a fly on the wall as they meet weekly with a different playwright—first for a check-in and reading of their script by actors in The Old Globe and University of San Diego Shiley Graduate Theatre Program, then for discussions of the progress made over the ensuing month. We hope to encourage playwrights of all levels to jump into the creation of their own work, inspired by these professional explorations of the various stages of development. Playwrights Unstuck will broadcast every Tuesday at 3:00 p.m. Pacific Time from June 2 to July 21, live on The Old Globe Arts Engagement’s Facebook page.

The Globe’s coLAB/Community Voices program branches out this spring with The Living Room Plays Workshop. Tune in every Thursday starting June 4 to learn how to write, develop, design, direct, and present your own “living room”–inspired short plays in a final live-streamed, site-specific presentation. The Living Room Plays Workshop will broadcast every Thursday at 3:00 p.m. Pacific Time from June 4 to July 23, live on The Old Globe Arts Engagement’s Facebook page.

For the full press release, click here! For more information and updates on our new online theatre programs, click here! To follow The Old Globe on Facebook, click here! To follow The Old Globe Arts Engagement on Facebook, click here!