Roger Rees to Return to The Old Globe for WHAT YOU WILL, 4/28; Artistic Director Barry Edelstein to Lead THINKING SHAKESPEARE LIVE!, 5/3

The Old Globe today announced it will present two Shakespeare-themed events. On Monday, April 28 at 7:00 p.m., Tony Award winner Roger Rees will return to the Globe for a one-night-only engagement of What You Will, his hysterical (and somewhat historical) 90-minute gallop through the world of Shakespeare. On Saturday, May 3 at 11:00 a.m., Old Globe Artistic Director Barry Edelstein will offer an encore of Thinking Shakespeare Live!, his 90-minute exploration of the language of Shakespeare. This fast-paced, funny, and altogether fascinating program based on Edelstein's book, Thinking Shakespeare: A How-To Guide for Student Actors, Directors, and Anyone Else Who Wants to Feel More Comfortable with the Bard, reveals a performer's approach to Shakespearean language so audiences may easily understand the poetry of the Bard.

"The Old Globe is one of this country's most important producers of Shakespeare, and because his works are in our DNA, it's our pleasure and our duty to offer our audiences new ways to connect with and enjoy them," said Edelstein. "These two special events do precisely that. My Thinking Shakespeare Live! is a glimpse into the ways actors and directors bring Shakespeare's words to life. And Roger Rees's remarkable What You Will is a scintillating example of Shakespeare at its best. Roger is a master, one of the greatest Shakespeareans we have. In his hands, Shakespeare is fun, immediate, and entirely joyous. I could listen to him do Shakespeare all day long, and I know San Diego will swoon at this brilliant evening."

Tony Award winner Roger Rees returns to the Globe Monday, April 28 at 7:00 p.m. only for What You Will, his hysterical (and somewhat historical) 90-minute gallop through the world of Shakespeare. Rees, the acclaimed actor known for his roles on "Cheers" and "The West Wing" and his Tony-winning turn in Broadway's The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby, will bring to life the Bard's most beautiful soliloquies, along with sidesplitting accounts of some of the funniest disasters ever perpetrated on the classical stage. Romeo, Juliet's foolish Nurse, gory Macbeth, Hamlet, the oh-so-tragic Richard II, and even Charles Dickens, Noël Coward, and Stevie Wonder make appearances in this hilarious evening that all of San Diego will be talking about. The Washington Post declared that in What You Will, Rees "conveys each character with the combination of technique and magnetism that has distinguished the Royal Shakespeare Company actors of his generation."

What You Will is to play on the Donald and Darlene Shiley Stage in the Old Globe Theatre, part of the Globe's Conrad Prebys Theatre Center. Tickets are currently available to subscribers only and will go on sale to the public on Tuesday, April 1 at 12 noon. Tickets begin at $33 for subscribers and $35 for general audiences and can be purchased online at www.TheOldGlobe.org, by phone at (619) 23-GLOBE, or by visiting the Box Office at 1363 Old Globe Way in Balboa Park.

Following What You Will, Rees will direct the Globe's World Premiere production of the musical Dog and Pony, with book by Rick Elice (Jersey Boys, Peter and the Starcatcher) and music and lyrics by Michael Patrick Walker (Altar Boyz). Dog and Pony tells the story of Mags and Andy, a screenwriting team with a track record of hits and a professional relationship that's firing on all cylinders. But when Andy's marriage hits the rocks, forever single Mags finds she wants something more. Will romance ruin their perfect relationship? The new musical will run May 29 - June 29. Dog and Pony is a recipient of an Edgerton Foundation New American Plays Award.

Roger Rees returns to The Old Globe after previously directing the theatre's productions of The Merry Wives of Windsor and Love's Labour's Lost. On Broadway, he recently starred in an acclaimed revival of The Winslow Boy and directed Rick Elice's Peter and the Starcatcher with Alex Timbers (also at New World Stages), for which he received a Tony Award nomination for Direction of a Play. Rees won the 1982 Tony Award for Actor in a Play for The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby, and he was nominated in the same category in 1995 for Indiscretions. He has directed the Off Broadway productions of Lynn Nottage's Mud, River, Stone (Playwrights Horizons), Arms and the Man (Roundabout Theatre Company) and Here Lies Jenny (The Zipper Factory, Post Street Theatre). From 1984 to 1985, he served as Associate Artistic Director of Bristol Old Vic, where his credits included Julius Caesar, Turkey Time and John Bull. He also served as Artistic Director of Williamstown Theatre Festival from 2005 to 2007 where his credits include Film Society, The Rivals, The Taming of the Shrew (playing Petruchio opposite Bebe Neuwirth), Double Double, The Late Middle Classes, Anything Goes and Herringbone (also at McCarter Theatre Center and La Jolla Playhouse). His additional regional credits include Red Memories (New York Stage and Film), The Primrose Path (Guthrie Theater) and Treemonisha, The Juniper Tree, A White House Cantata and The Firebrand of Florence (The Collegiate Chorale). He also directed the episode "Variety" of the HBO series "Oz."

Old Globe Artistic Director Barry Edelstein will offer an encore of his program Thinking Shakespeare Live!, a 90-minute exploration of the language of Shakespeare, on Saturday, May 3 at 11:00 a.m. This fast-paced, funny, and altogether fascinating presentation based on Edelstein's book, Thinking Shakespeare: A How-To Guide for Student Actors, Directors, and Anyone Else Who Wants to Feel More Comfortable with the Bard, reveals a performer's approach to Shakespearean language so audiences may easily understand the poetry of the Bard. As Edelstein and three skilled actors demonstrate live on stage the methods he imparts to professional actors in the rehearsal room, this entertaining behind-the-scenes look at the creative process offers a primer on the tools used to hear and understand Shakespeare.

An ideal introduction to the Bard for families and young audiences, Thinking Shakespeare Live! will take place on the Donald and Darlene Shiley Stage in the Old Globe Theatre, part of the Globe's Conrad Prebys Theatre Center. Tickets are currently available to subscribers only and will go on sale to the public on Tuesday, April 1 at 12 noon. Tickets are $10 for subscribers and full-time students and $15 for general audiences and can be purchased online at www.TheOldGlobe.org, by phone at (619) 23-GLOBE or by visiting the Box Office at 1363 Old Globe Way in Balboa Park.

Following Thinking Shakespeare Live!, Barry Edelstein will make his Old Globe Summer Shakespeare Festival directorial debut with the riveting tragedy Othello, running June 22 - July 27 in the Lowell Davies Festival Theatre. Joining Othello in the Festival is the exuberant comedy The Two Gentleman of Verona, directed by Mark Lamos, Aug. 10 - Sept. 14.

Old Globe Artistic Director Barry Edelstein is a stage director, producer, author, and educator. Widely recognized as one of the leading authorities on the works of Shakespeare in the United States, he has directed nearly half of the Bard's works. Most recently Edelstein made his directorial debut at The Old Globe with The Winter's Tale. As Director of the Shakespeare Initiative at The Public Theater (2008-2012), he oversaw all of the company's Shakespearean productions, as well as its extensive educational, community outreach, and artist-training programs. At The Public, Edelstein staged Julius Caesar starring Jeffrey Wright for Shakespeare in the Park, Timon of Athens with Richard Thomas, and The Merchant of Venice featuring Ron Leibman's Obie Award-winning portrayal of Shylock. He was also Associate Producer of The Public's Broadway production of The Merchant of Venice starring Al Pacino. From 1998-2003 he was Artistic Director of Classic Stage Company, where he produced and directed some of New York's most memorable classical productions. Edelstein's Shakespearean directorial credits include The Winter's Tale with David Strathairn, As You Like It with Gwyneth Paltrow, and Richard III with John Turturro. His additional credits include the Lucille Lortel Award-winning revival of Arthur Miller's All My Sons; the world premiere of Steve Martin's The Underpants, which he commissioned; Molière's The Misanthrope starring Uma Thurman in her stage debut; and the world premiere of novelist Nathan Englander's play The Twenty-Seventh Man. He has also directed new and classical work extensively at regional theatres around the USA. His book Thinking Shakespeare was published in 2007 and is now the standard text on American Shakespearean acting. He is also the author of Bardisms: Shakespeare for All Occasions. Edelstein is a graduate of Oxford University, where he studied as a Rhodes Scholar.

LOCATION: The Old Globe is located in San Diego's Balboa Park at 1363 Old Globe Way. There are numerous free parking lots available throughout the park. Valet parking is also available during performances ($10). For additional parking information visit www.BalboaPark.org.

A REMINDER: Balboa Park's 100-year-old Cabrillo Bridge, which provides access to Laurel Street and the west side of the Park, will be closed to automobiles and vehicular traffic during Caltrans' seismic retrofitting process. To access The Old Globe during this repair period, vehicle traffic should enter Balboa Park from the east via Park Boulevard and President's Way. Alcazar Garden, the Organ Pavilion, and the Hall of Champions lots all offer ample parking. The bridge will remain accessible to pedestrians and bicycles, so patrons could arrive a bit earlier and enjoy the short walk across the iconic bridge towards Plaza de Panama and the historic views of the California Tower and Dome. For directions and up-to-date information, visit www.TheOldGlobe.org/Directions.

The Tony Award-winning Old Globe is one of the country's leading professional regional theaters and has stood as San Diego's flagship arts institution for over 75 years. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Barry Edelstein and Managing Director Michael G. Murphy, The Old Globe produces a year-round season of 14 productions of classic, contemporary, and new works on its three Balboa Park stages: the Donald and Darlene Shiley Stage in the 600-seat Old Globe Theatre and the 250-seat Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre, both part of The Old Globe's Conrad Prebys Theatre Center, and the 605-seat outdoor Lowell Davies Festival Theatre, home of its internationally renowned Shakespeare Festival. More than 250,000 people attend Globe productions annually and participate in the theater's education and community programs. Numerous world premieres such as A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder, The Full Monty, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, A Catered Affair, and the annual holiday musical Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, have been developed at The Old Globe and have gone on to enjoy highly successful runs on Broadway and at regional theaters across the country.

Pictured: (top) Tony Award winner Roger Rees returns to The Old Globe Monday, April 28 at 7:00 p.m. to present his one-man Shakespeare tour-de-force What You Will. Photo by David Allen. (side) Old Globe Artistic Director Barry Edelstein leads Thinking Shakespeare Live! on June 15, 2013. Photo by Doug Gates.

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