- Shows and Tickets
- Plan Your Visit
- Other Programming
- Support Us
- Arts Engagement
- Get Involved
- MFA Program
- About The Globe
- News and Media
PHOTO EDITORS: Photos of past events can be found here.
SAN DIEGO (April 5, 2022)—The Old Globe invites people of all ages from San Diego and beyond to join us once again, and back in person, to celebrate our resident playwright William Shakespeare with cupcakes and more with our annual Happy Birthday, Mr. Shakespeare! on Saturday, April 16 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on the Globe’s outdoor Copley Plaza in Balboa Park. This family-friendly event will work as an entry point for audiences to get acquainted with a brand new and exciting offering: The H6 EPIC Workshop Series, in which general audiences will be able to connect and get involved with the Globe’s Henry 6 production prior to its summer 2023 run. During this AXIS event, attendees will experience the magic of Henry 6 by familiarizing with the play’s themes through many fun activities and workshops.
More information on how to register for the Workshop Series will be shared at the event or you can register now on TheOldGlobe.org.
“After two years of not meeting in person, it will be great to gather once again to dress up, cross swords, and blow out candles for our resident playwright,” stated Associate Artistic Director and Director of Arts Engagement Freedome Bradley-Ballentine. “Happy Birthday, Mr. Shakespeare! was one of our first AXIS events ever, dating back all the way to 2016. It has allowed us to come together and celebrate not only the words and works of a person who gave so much, but each other, as it has offered a time to safely congregate, have fun, and embrace our shared humanity.”
This event will feature various activities for everyone to enjoy! Delight in the ambient music by the Brandon Cerquedo Band; participate in an Elizabethan dance workshop with Monique Gaffney; experience a Henry 6 puppet show by Gaston Morineau; see a Word Up! sonnet performance with Ric Scales and other San Diego artists; take part in a Henry 6fight choreography workshop with Ben Cole; and join in the fun with the crafty workshops of Shakespearian ruffs and Henry 6 roses. There will also be an exciting sonnet writing competition! Apply by Tuesday, April 12 and send your best original sonnet to AEInfo@TheOldGlobe.org for the opportunity to win cash prizes, show tickets, or t-shirts. Bring a friend and enjoy a birthday cupcake and photo opportunities throughout!
About AXIS: Realizing our commitment to making theatre matter to more people, AXIS offers free cultural programs on the Globe’s Copley Plaza, led by local artists and craftspeople. The Globe’s unique physical location—and now our social media platforms—are participatory art venues where we make opportunities for connectivity and creative placemaking. AXIS is an effort to broaden our concept of audience by encompassing diverse, multigenerational constituencies from communities across San Diego County.
Henry 6 is made possible by a generous grant from The Roy Cockrum Foundation. The Old Globe’s arts engagement programs are supported by Price Philanthropies, Qualcomm, U.S. Bank, and Viasat, with additional support by La Jolla Kiwanis Foundation. Globe Teaching Artists are supported by the Ann Davies Fund for Teaching Artists. 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.
For questions regarding our COVID-19 policy, please visit www.theoldglobe.org/covid-19.
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 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.
x x x
The 2022 FREE AXIS PERFROMING ARTS SERIES
Saturday, May 28 from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. – Word Up!
Saturday, June 18 from 12:00 noon to 1:30 p.m. – Juneteenth Celebration
Saturday, July 16 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. – Globe PRIDE
Saturday, August 27 from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. – Word Up!
Saturday, September 17 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. – Mexican Independence Day Celebration
Saturday, October 29 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. –Día de Muertos/Day of the Dead Celebration
Saturday, December 10 – Grinch Sensory-Friendly AXIS Event
