FAT HAM, RIDE, and More Set For the Old Globe's 2024 Season

The Old Globe has announced its 2024 Season with a lineup of premieres and new adaptations. The season features the same number of productions as prior to the pandemic, and includes two Globe-commissioned, world premiere productions: Karen Zacarías's (The Old Globe's Destiny of Desire and Native Gardens) The Age of Innocence, based on Edith Wharton's Pulitzer Prize–winning classic novel, and Melinda Lopez (The Old Globe's Mala, Huntington Theatre Company's Yerma) and Joel Perez's (La Jolla Playhouse's Kiss My Aztec!, Ars Nova's Playing with Myself) Stir, about family, food, and healing. The season will also include two American premieres: the smash-hit London musical Ride with book and lyrics by Freya Catrin Smith (London's Network Theatre's The Limit, Edinburgh Festival Fringe's Part A), music and lyrics by Jack Williams (London's Network Theatre's The Limit, Edinburgh Festival Fringe's Part A), and directed by Sarah Meadows (U.K. premiere of Marie Curie, U.K. tour of The Good Enough Mums Club), and the theatrical extravaganza Duel Reality, a production by The 7 Fingers and directed by Shana Carroll (Cirque du Soleil's Iris, Alliance Theatre's Water for Elephants), the producers and creator of the Globe's crowd-pleasing 2023 hit Passengers.

In its 2024 Season, The Old Globe will also produce the two most recent winners of the prestigious Pulitzer Prize: James Ijames's (Theatre Horizon's White, Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival's The Most Spectacularly Lamentable Trial of Miz Martha Washington) Fat Ham, a fresh and hilarious take on Shakespeare's Hamlet, and Sanaz Toossi's (Playwrights Horizons's Wish You Were Here) funny and compassionate play English, directed by Arya Shahi (The Old Globe's The Tale of Despereaux, PigPen Theatre Co.'s The Old Man and The Old Moon). Two West Coast premieres are in the lineup: Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express, adapted for the stage by Tony Award–nominated playwright Ken Ludwig (Tony Award–winning Lend Me a Tenor, Tony and Olivier Award–winning Crazy for You) and directed by Peter Amster (Ken Ludwig's The Three Musketeers at Asolo Repertory Theatre, Indiana Repertory Theatre's Sense and Sensibility), which will take Globe audiences on a thrilling ride, and Dracula, A Comedy of Terrors by Gordon Greenberg (The Old Globe's Ebenezer Scrooge's BIG San Diego Christmas Show and The Heart of Rock & Roll) and Steve Rosen (The Old Globe's Ebenezer Scrooge's BIG San Diego Christmas Show; 5th Avenue Theatre's Griswold's Broadway Vacation), the writing duo of this summer's hysterical hit Crime and Punishment, A Comedy. Greenberg is also set to direct. The season also features King James, an energetic and uplifting play by Pulitzer Prize finalist Rajiv Joseph (Broadway's Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, Off Broadway's Guards at the Taj) and directed by Justin Emeka (Pittsburgh Public Theater's Two Trains Running and Sweat), and Kate Hamill's (Primary Stage's Little Women, Classic Stage Company's Dracula) Ms. Holmes & Ms. Watson – Apt. 2B, a fast-paced and wildly entertaining new play that reimagines the most iconic detective team of all time. Globe Resident Artist James Vásquez (The Old Globe's Hair and American Mariachi) will direct.

And The Old Globe's 2024 Summer Shakespeare Festival will mark a major milestone for the theatre, as it completes the Bard's canon with the world premiere adaptation Henry 6, a two-play condensation of Shakespeare's Henry VI, Parts I, II, and III, adapted and directed by the Globe's Erna Finci Viterbi Artistic Director Barry Edelstein (The Old Globe's What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank, Roundabout Theatre Company's The Wanderers).

“The Old Globe's lineup of shows for 2024 is a celebration of how exciting it is to see live theatre,” said Erna Finci Viterbi Artistic Director Barry Edelstein. “Our full slate of shows is as robust as any we've presented since before the pandemic. We are proud, humbled, and grateful to be able to deliver this bounty of work to our community. This wide range of material tells stories that transport us to other worlds and other times even as they entertain us, make us think, make us feel, and make us laugh. There's a wealth of uncommonly good writing, from classics like Shakespeare and Edith Wharton, to world premieres developed by the Globe, to the two most recent Pulitzer Prize winners for drama. There's music and joy, spectacle, and suspense. There's also a landmark in Old Globe history as we join a short list of theatres that have produced all of Shakespeare's plays. This is a milestone for me, as well: the largest production of Shakespeare I'll have directed, and I'm thankful for that opportunity. As always, I'm joined in the creation of theatre by the finest stage artists at work today, hailing from San Diego, across the U.S., and abroad. And all of this work is accompanied by a wide and deep range of community-based programming that demonstrates how uniquely the Globe makes theatre that lives beyond the stage.”

The Age of Innocence

February 8 – March 10, 2024 (opening: Thursday, February 15)
Globe-commissioned world premiere

By Karen Zacarías

This Globe-commissioned world premiere, based on Edith Wharton's Pulitzer Prize–winning classic, is set in 1870s Gilded Age New York City, where high society clashes with love. When the glamorous Countess Ellen Olenska sweeps into town, she upends the lives of everyone around her, especially the dashing lawyer Newland Archer. This new adaptation for the stage from Karen Zacarías (Destiny of Desire, Native Gardens) is the kind of lush period production for which The Old Globe is renowned.

Ride

March 30 – April 28, 2024 (opening: Friday, April 5)
American premiere

Book and lyrics by Freya Catrin Smith
Music and lyrics by Jack Williams
Directed by Sarah Meadows

Ready, set, ride! The smash-hit London musical makes its U.S. premiere. It's 1895, and Annie Londonderry wants to discover if a woman can ride a bicycle around the world. The problem? She's only ridden one twice! As Annie and her unwitting secretary Martha share unbelievable adventures across four continents, they learn that no matter how far we ride, our past is always right behind us. With a high-energy score and a wildly versatile cast, this fresh and funny show is what Theatre Weekly called “an amazing piece of theatre and a must-watch for everyone.”

Fat Ham

May 25 – June 23, 2024 (opening: Thursday, May 30)

By James Ijames

The 2022 Pulitzer-winning, Tony-nominated sensation Fat Ham is a fresh and funny take on Shakespeare's Hamlet that The New York Times called “a flat-out hilarious comedy.” During a Southern family cookout, Juicy is confronted by the ghost of his father, who demands revenge for his murder. But Juicy, a young, queer, Black man, has enough on his plate. James Ijames's remarkable play uses uproarious humor and profound insight to explore the conflict between what you owe your family and what you owe yourself. “Smart, fearless, and wildly entertaining” (The Chicago Tribune).

Duel Reality

July 6 – August 4, 2024 (opening: Thursday, July 11)
American premiere

A production by The 7 Fingers
Directed by Shana Carroll

The triumphant return of the company that brought Globe audiences the smash hit Passengers. Romeo and Juliet comes to life through circus in this one-of-a-kind adaptation of Shakespeare, a one-act romp perfect for the whole family. The 7 Fingers reimagines the feud between the Capulets and Montagues as a battle of acrobatics, each competition more daring than the last. While the two teams face off, cheered on by their side of the audience, a pair of star-crossed lovers struggles to escape the showdown. The exhilaration and danger of competition provide the thrilling backdrop to this one-of-a-kind daredevil theatrical extravaganza.

Originally produced and created in collaboration with Virgin Voyages. Tour made possible thanks to the touring assistance program of the Quebec Council for the Arts and Letters.

Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express

September 7 – October 6, 2024 (opening: Thursday, September 12)
West Coast premiere

Adapted for the stage by Ken Ludwig
Directed by Peter Amster
Get ready for a glamorous and enthralling journey in this adaptation of Agatha Christie's masterpiece. On a train traveling through Europe, a wealthy American tycoon is found dead in his compartment, the door locked from the inside. Enter world-famous detective Hercule Poirot, who must navigate a train full of suspects and solve the murder before the killer strikes again. With humor and romance, Tony Award–nominated playwright Ken Ludwig takes audiences on a thrill ride in a spectacular production whose gorgeous designs and innovative staging are a true knockout.

This production of Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express originally appeared at Asolo Repertory Theatre in January 2020.

English

January 27 – February 18, 2024 (opening: Thursday, February 1)

By Sanaz Toossi
Directed by Arya Shahi

Winner of the 2023 Pulitzer Prize, the Obie Award, and the Lucille Lortel Award. In a classroom near Tehran, four adult students prepare for an English proficiency exam. They each have a reason for being there: a chance at opportunity, access, or a new calling. But as they bond over this new way to express themselves, they also grapple with the lives they must leave behind. Told with hilarious wit and genuine compassion, Sanaz Toossi's English is “both a buoyant comedy of communication and a subtle but probing exploration of what it means to speak and feel understood” (New York Theatre Guide).

King James

March 9 – March 31, 2024 (opening: Thursday, March 14)

By Rajiv Joseph
Directed by Justin Emeka

The breathtaking career of NBA icon LeBron James is the backdrop for this energetic and funny play by Pulitzer Prize finalist Rajiv Joseph. Shawn is Black and Matt is White, and they couldn't be more different—except for their love of the Cleveland Cavaliers. The friendship that develops between them, at turns contentious and compassionate, becomes something as enduring and profound as James's legacy itself. Interwoven with moments of camaraderie, laughter, and poignancy, King James dives into the heart of basketball fandom and highlights the profound connections that sports can cultivate.

Stir

May 4 – May 26, 2024 (opening: Thursday, May 9)
Globe-commissioned world premiere

By Melinda Lopez and Joel Perez

A Globe-commissioned, world-premiere play about family, food, and healing. Two siblings, separated by distance and circumstance, meet to share their mother's favorite recipe. What starts as a simple project leads to surprising connection as they reminisce and reveal secrets of their own. This tender comedy from Melinda Lopez (Mala at The Old Globe) and Joel Perez (Kiss My Aztec! at La Jolla Playhouse) invites audiences to grab a seat at the table and savor the possibility of reuniting with loved ones after a long time apart.

Ms. Holmes & Ms. Watson – Apt. 2B

July 27 – August 18, 2024 (opening: Thursday, August 1)

By Kate Hamill
Directed by James Vásquez

A fast-paced and wildly entertaining new play that reimagines the most iconic detective team of all time. In present-day Baker Street, steampunk hipster Shirley Holmes and her spunky new roommate Joan Watson become entangled in a series of cases all related to the same supervillain, who always seems to be one step ahead of them. From the witty imagination of Kate Hamill, one of the most popular playwrights in America, this irreverent take on the beloved characters packs nonstop laughs into a rollicking murder mystery with a bold and modern lens. BroadwayWorld proclaimed, “Ms. Holmes & Ms. Watson – Apt. 2B is delightful and entertaining.”

Dracula, A Comedy of Terrors

September 20 – October 13, 2024 (opening: Thursday, September 26)
West Coast premiere

By Gordon Greenberg and Steve Rosen
Directed by Gordon Greenberg

Celebrate Halloween with a new side-splitting adventure based on Bram Stoker's classic tale that's sure to induce blood-curdling screams—of laughter! Famed vampire hunter Jean Van Helsing and her motley crew chase Count Dracula around the English countryside in a madcap race to save his innocent victims. Gordon Greenberg and Steve Rosen return to The Old Globe following their wildly popular Ebenezer Scrooge's BIG San Diego Christmas Show! and Crime and Punishment, A Comedy. Filled with their signature imaginative staging, irreverent farce, and special effects, this hilarious scarefest is the perfect way to get spooky this season!

Henry 6

June 30 – September 14, 2024 (opening: Friday, July 19) for Part 1
July 9 – September 15, 2024 (opening: Saturday, July 20) for Part 2
World premiere adaptation

By William Shakespeare
Adapted and directed by Barry Edelstein

The Globe joins a small group of theatres that have completed Shakespeare's canon with the 2024 Summer Shakespeare Festival. Noted Shakespeare director and the Globe's Erna Finci Viterbi Artistic Director Barry Edelstein turns Henry VI, Parts I, II, and III into a thrilling two-part event, running simultaneously through the summer in our beautiful outdoor theatre.

The plays chronicle two ruling families of medieval England, the Yorks and the Lancasters, as they fight each other in a civil war known as the Wars of the Roses. These adaptations include all the great language, characters, spectacle, battles, and sweeping crowd scenes that make the three Shakespeare plays so memorable, as they explore the impact of national politics on individual lives.

This milestone will be celebrated with a yearlong program of citywide arts engagement and humanities events, including opportunities for interested San Diegans to participate in the making of the production.

Henry 6 is made possible by a generous grant from The Roy Cockrum Foundation.

 

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