Old Globe Theatre

Old Globe Theatre
Name	Old Globe Theatre
Address	1363 Old Globe Way, Balboa Park
City	San Diego
Country	United States
Opened	1935
Rebuilt	1978
Owner	City of San Diego
Capacity	605 (Cassius Carter Centre; various venues)

Old Globe Theatre The Old Globe Theatre is a professional regional theatre complex in Balboa Park, San Diego, California, known for producing contemporary plays, classics, and new musicals. Founded during the 1935 California Pacific International Exposition and associated with institutions such as the National Endowment for the Arts, the company has become a major cultural anchor alongside organizations like the San Diego Museum of Art and the San Diego Opera. The theatre has commissioned and premiered works that transferred to the Broadway and influenced artists connected to the American Conservatory Theater and the Shakespeare Theatre Company.

History

The theatre began as a replica of Shakespeare's Globe built for the 1935 California Pacific International Exposition on land within Balboa Park near the San Diego Zoo and the San Diego Natural History Museum. After the exposition, the venue hosted civic productions and collaborations with groups such as the San Diego Civic Light Opera and the La Jolla Playhouse. In the postwar era the company affiliated with directors and administrators who had ties to institutions like the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Yale School of Drama. The Globe mounted touring productions, worked with actors from the Actors Studio, and weathered financial cycles influenced by grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and funding shifts involving the California Arts Council.

A devastating arson fire in 1978 destroyed the original theatre, prompting reconstruction supported by donors including foundations linked to the Guggenheim Foundation and civic entities such as the City of San Diego. Rebuilt facilities reopened with an expanded season and partnerships with producers connected to the American Theatre Wing and the League of Resident Theatres. The company’s history includes premieres of works that later reached the Tony Awards and collaborations with playwrights associated with the Playwrights Horizons and the New Dramatists.

Architecture and Facilities

The complex comprises multiple venues situated near landmarks like the Alcazar Garden and the Spreckels Organ Pavilion. The main theatre models Elizabethan proportions inspired by Shakespeare's Globe and shares design principles with theatres such as the Stratford Festival stages. Facilities include the 605-seat outdoor thrust stage, the 250-seat Old Globe Theatre’s indoor space, and a 400-seat arena configured after trends seen at the Hunter Theatre and regional houses like the Geffen Playhouse.

Architectural restoration after the 1978 fire involved architects who had worked on projects with the National Trust for Historic Preservation and consultants connected to the California Historical Society. Backstage and production shops support scenic designers influenced by the Carnegie Mellon School of Drama and lighting designers trained at the Tisch School of the Arts. The complex includes rehearsal rooms, costume shops, and administrative spaces that coordinate with unions such as the Actors' Equity Association and guilds like the United Scenic Artists.

Productions and Programming

The Globe stages classics by playwrights tied to institutions like the Royal Shakespeare Company and new plays developed in workshops similar to those at the American Conservatory Theater. The season often includes Shakespearean cycles alongside contemporary dramatists affiliated with Playwrights Horizons, Lincoln Center Theater, and the Roundabout Theatre Company. Musicals premiered here have transferred to Broadway and received nominations from the Tony Awards, with creative teams that include alumni of the Juilliard School and New York University.

Programming spans mainstage productions, new work development connected to the National New Play Network, and festivals modeled on initiatives from the O'Neill National Playwrights Conference and the Spoleto Festival USA. The theatre collaborates with touring companies such as the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Mark Taper Forum and mounts productions featuring directors who have worked at the Steppenwolf Theatre Company and the Goodman Theatre. Subscription seasons and single-ticket sales are supported by donors from foundations like the James Irvine Foundation and corporate partners aligned with the San Diego Symphony.

Notable Artists and Alumni

The Globe’s alumni include actors, directors, and playwrights who have worked on stages including the Broadway, West End, and institutions like the Royal Shakespeare Company. Notable performers associated with productions here have included artists who later appeared in Tony Awards-winning shows and films showcased at festivals such as the Cannes Film Festival and the Sundance Film Festival. Directors and designers with ties to the Juilliard School, Yale School of Drama, and the California Institute of the Arts have contributed to Globe productions.

Playwrights who premiered works at the Globe have had subsequent residencies at organizations like the New Dramatists and commissions from the Kennedy Center and the Public Theater. Collaborators have included music directors and composers connected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters and performers who later joined ensembles such as the Metropolitan Opera or appeared in productions at the Guthrie Theater.

Education and Community Outreach

Educational programs partner with local schools in San Diego County and civic organizations including the San Diego Unified School District and the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Initiatives include youth conservatories modeled after the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art training and apprenticeships resembling programs at the Williamstown Theatre Festival. The Globe runs outreach that collaborates with cultural institutions in Balboa Park such as the San Diego Museum of Man and includes classroom residencies inspired by curricula from the Kennedy Center.

Programs connect emerging artists to fellowship opportunities similar to those at the Sundance Institute and mentorships with professionals from the Actors' Equity Association and the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society. Community engagement includes free performances and partnerships with civic festivals like the San Diego County Fair and local arts councils comparable to the California Arts Council.

Awards and Recognition

Productions and artists originating at the Globe have earned nominations and awards from the Tony Awards, the Ovation Awards, and the San Diego Theatre Critics Circle. The company has received institutional recognitions from bodies such as the National Endowment for the Arts and honors comparable to awards given by the American Theatre Wing and the Kennedy Center. Individual alumni have achieved accolades at ceremonies like the Drama Desk Awards, the Obie Awards, and the Helen Hayes Awards for work staged after their association with the Globe.

The theatre’s role in developing new musicals and plays has been acknowledged by partnerships and grants from organizations like the MacArthur Foundation and the Broadway League, and its productions have transferred to venues including Lincoln Center Theater and the Winter Garden Theatre.

Category:Theatres in San Diego