The Old Globe Announces Additional Online Programs and News Briefs

The Old Globe continues 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.

Shakespeare's 154 sonnets, each only 14 lines long, contain some of his most beautiful and moving poetry. The Globe's Erna Finci Viterbi Artistic Director Barry Edelstein returns with a third sonnet in this free online edition of Thinking Shakespeare Live: Sonnets! on Tuesday, April 28. This "social-distance" version of his popular Thinking Shakespeare Live! introduces the sonnets and delves into one masterpiece of the form each time, exploring its language, how it works, and how it relates to Shakespeare's work for the stage. Thousands watched on March 31 and April 14; join us Tuesday, April 28 at 6:30 p.m. on The Old Globe's Facebook page.

Behind the Curtain, one of our most popular weekly offerings, is expanding! The advanced Behind the Curtain: Technical Assistance Facebook group-which went live on Wednesday, April 22-creates channels for aspiring technical theatre designers to learn more, build their network, and connect with Globe industry professionals. Members of the team-including Production Manager Ben Thoron, Associate Production Manager/Production Stage Manager Leila Knox, Costume Director Stacy Sutton, Technical Director Joe Powell, Sound Director Paul Peterson, Properties Director Dave Buess, and Interim Lighting Director Jason Bieber-will directly answer questions and suggest materials for deeper learning. While the Facebook live-streamed workshops of Behind the Curtain introduce the world of theatre, the Technical Assistance group is the next step for those who enjoyed the workshops and want further learning in these weekly open-forum discussions-but young people early in their theatre design careers could also benefit!

Word Up! joins our online roster on Friday, May 1 at 6:00 p.m. More of a gathering than a show or a class, Word Up! is a digital opportunity for community members to connect with each other. Every Friday night, join Arts Engagement Programs Manager and host Laura Zablit for a fun, festive word-based collaboration between audience and artist. This Mad Libs-style communal storytelling will feature a new performing artist every week, as well as special community guests from around San Diego. Together, they will create opportunities for viewers to learn from and participate in their art form, creating accessible art in real time. Art forms on offer may include spoken word, rap, puppetry, singing, and more, often with bilingual and multicultural elements. Tune in and partake every Friday at 6:00 p.m. Pacific Time on The Old Globe Arts Engagement's Facebook page.

Shows may close, but the fun lives on! Flashbacks videos bring you songs and scenes from the Globe productions you have loved, introduced by cast or creative team members who share backstage stories and fond memories of their time with the show. Jump back in time with us and relive all the excitement from the Globe's stages. Participants thus far have included Gordon Greenberg chatting about The Heart of Rock & Roll, Sophie Hearn performing a beautiful song from Life After, and Jennifer Paredes reflecting on American Mariachi. Check them out on the Globe website here!

"Theatre endures, even in the most challenging circumstances," said Erna Finci Viterbi Artistic Director Barry Edelstein. "The Old Globe's 85-year history of providing exciting and entertaining programming for our community continues with these special initiatives. I'm so proud of our staff, whose hard work and endless creativity have developed ways for us to bring our work to San Diego and beyond, and I'm so thrilled to be able to fulfill our mission to serve and support our community in this unprecedented moment. Our arts engagement programs are nationally renowned, and I know that participating in them will be a balm. Our humanities programs keep us in conversation about how theatre maintains the world spinning forward. And personally: a great mentor of mine taught me that there's no problem in this world that can't be eased at least a little by having some Shakespeare thrown at it, so I'm raring to go. We all look forward to seeing you, at least virtually, very soon."

Updated Guide to FREE ONLINE THEATRE PROGRAMS:

Community Voices: Interactive workshops dedicated to the process of creating short plays inspired by personal experiences. No experience required, only the desire to learn and share your own stories. Hosted by Arts Engagement Programs Manager Katherine Harroff and two Teaching Artists. The program began March 26 and runs every Tuesday and Thursday at 3:00 p.m. Pacific Time through April 28, live on The Old Globe Arts Engagement's Facebook page.

Behind the Curtain: Explore the magic of creating a theatrical production. Interactive workshops with industry professionals introduce design disciplines, including costumes, sets, sound, lighting, and props. Guest artists, hosted by Arts Engagement Programs Manager Laura Zablit, teach principles of design while offering practical and transferable skills. The program began April 1 and runs every Wednesday at 3:00 p.m. Pacific Time through May 13, live on The Old Globe Arts Engagement's Facebook page.

Behind the Curtain is going bilingual with Detrás del Telón-a separate edition for Spanish-speaking audiences to enjoy at home. This workshop features the same structure and industry guests as the original, but will have simultaneous live translations for audiences to comment on and engage with. The first Detrás del Telón premiered April 27, and will run every Monday at 3:00 p.m. Pacific Time through June 1, live on The Old Globe Arts Engagement's Facebook page.

In On Book: The Old Globe's Shakespeare Reading Group, audiences read and discuss Shakespeare's plays, beginning with The Taming of the Shrew and Henry V, with Shakespeare scholars and actors, hosted by Globe Literary Manager and Dramaturg Danielle Mages Amato. The program began April 2 and runs twice a week, live on The Old Globe's On Book Facebook group page (see the Facebook page for upcoming schedule).

For Play At Home, a national initiative of not-for-profit theatre companies, reached out to artists to create a series of world-premiere short plays commissioned specifically for families to read at home! Globe artists include Ngozi Anyanwu, Barry Edelstein, Nathan Englander, Selina Fillinger, José Cruz González, Gordon Greenberg and Steve Rosen, Tony Meneses, Heather Raffo, Mike Sears, Gill Sotu, Whitney White, and Anna Ziegler. Scripts are available for free downloading at www.playathome.org. Share on social media by tagging #PlayAtHome!

When the curtain falls, where do the artists go? Act Breaks reveals the answer, with exclusive video content connecting us with favorite actors, writers, directors, and artisans to see what they are up to during this Great Intermission. Each artist shares what is foremost in their hearts and minds: new songs, from Gordon Greenberg, Steve Rosen, and the Ebenezer Scrooge cast to Bright Star's Edie Brickell; a sonnet from great Shakespearean actor Robert Foxworth; and messages from Richard Thomas, Blair Underwood, and Huey Lewis. Check our website, or sign up for weekly eblasts at http://email.wordfly.com/join/OldGlobe, to be the first to discover our newest ambassador!

ON OTHER FRONTS

Back on campus! During the four-week intensive curriculum of the Pam Farr Summer Shakespeare Studio, high school students and recent graduates dive into acting, movement, music, and writing classes, and training in voice and speech, stage combat, and text. This summer's new dates at The Old Globe are July 13 - August 8 (dates subject to change), with master classes led by Globe artists and staff, many of them leaders in their respective fields. Tuition is $725, students are admitted without regard to ability to pay, and financial aid (and a bus pass) are available for all students with demonstrated need. The application deadline has been extended once again to May 10. For information, please email Studio@TheOldGlobe.org.

To help us continue in our 85 years as an institution central to the cultural and civic lives of San Diego, The Old Globe announces an important new campaign: GlobeRISING. When our stages were closed by war or destroyed by fire, we continued to make theatre as the community rallied to bring the Globe back better than ever. Today we are one of the nation's great theatre companies, creating sublime productions that bring joy and laughter, that connect us to each other, and that remind us of our common humanity. The Globe is responding to this current period of upheaval with energy, adaptation, and innovation, delivering theatre programs online and planning a reopening worthy of this great institution. Until then, we need the public's support to help keep the GlobeRISING. Donate to help the Globe rise above this challenging time.

Status update: Globe productions and events have been postponed until further notice; all dates are subject to change. Make sure to follow us at www.TheOldGlobe.org for schedules and updates! To watch videos, visit www.TheOldGlobe.org/edp-pages/2020/Online-Theatre-Programs. Please contact PR Director Susan Chicoine if you need to download visuals for media usage, or go to www.dropbox.com/sh/jd37hdzqg2l6i39/AACPyV80Dm0gotFxGTHfLxjva?dl=0

The Tony Award-winning The Old Globe is one of the country's leading professional not-for-profit regional theatres. Now in its 85th 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 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.

To post a comment, you must register and login.