The Old Globe Announces Four New Resident Artists

The Old Globe has announced the appointments of four Resident Artists to join the Globe's artistic staff for a two-year residency. Patricia McGregor (Globe's What You Are, Globe for All Tour of A Midsummer Night's Dream), David Israel Reynoso (Globe's The Tempest, Red Velvet, Barefoot in the Park), Delicia Turner Sonnenberg (Globe's Skeleton Crew, coLAB production of Elizabeth Hobbs Keckley: From Slavery to Modiste), and James Vásquez (Globe's American Mariachi, Tiny Beautiful Things, Dr. Seuss's How the Grinch Stole Christmas!) will provide their artistic insights and counsel to Globe leadership. Each of these successful San Diego artists has a celebrated history of collaboration with The Old Globe. The artists will start at the Globe on April 1, 2021.

These four individuals will make a significant impact on the artistic life of The Old Globe as they contribute their voices, artistry, and perspectives to every area of the theatre's artistic operations. They will be involved in the process of how plays are selected for production, helping to democratize the process of selecting plays and to center BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) works and artists in the life of The Old Globe. Resident Artists will attend Globe artistic staff meetings; read plays under consideration and share their opinions of them; weigh in on creative teams being assembled for productions that are under serious consideration; offer ideas for additional material to consider in the Globe's programming; and introduce playwrights, directors, and designers to the Globe; and they are invited to submit projects on which they are primary creatives.

"It gives me enormous pleasure to welcome these four extraordinary artists into the very center of the Globe's artistic life," said Erna Finci Viterbi Artistic Director Barry Edelstein. "Patricia, Delicia, James, and David Are already important figures at this theatre, and their superb work has graced our stages many times. But now they will help me and the Globe's artistic staff set our future course. In particular they will help us honor the commitments we've published in our Social Justice Roadmap, aimed at making the Globe and its work more inclusive, equitable, and accessible to San Diego's-and the nation's-BIPOC theatre makers. I know that they will enrich the Globe immeasurably. Their arrival here is an important moment, and I look forward to celebrating them in an ongoing partnership, collaboration, and, above all, friendship."

All in-person Globe productions and events have been postponed until further notice; all dates are subject to change. In the meantime, the Globe recently announced a new 2021 lineup of programming, including free online work to continue reaching the San Diego community, and in-person shows when we are able to return to our theatres in Balboa Park.

Hamlet: On the Radio will air in partnership with KPBS beginning April 23. The Globe's Barry Edelstein directs this audio revival of the Globe's 2017's smash-hit production of Shakespeare's exhilarating tragedy. Associated free programs include Thinking Shakespeare Live: Infinite Book, the latest installment of Edelstein's popular series; the online exhibit Shakespeare in San Diego: The Virtual Experience; our sixth annual Happy Birthday, Mr. Shakespeare! AXIS event; Vicki and Carl Zeiger Virtual Insights Seminars; and the return of On Book: The Old Globe's Shakespeare Reading Group.

Current online arts engagement programs include Community Voices: Comedy Edition writing workshops; new middle school and high school Globe to Go focused resources, a part of School in the Park, which offers free downloadable K-5 resources for teaching; season 3 of Reflecting Shakespeare TV, a digital version of the transformative initiative offered at prisons; the exploration of modern poetry The Poet's Tree; Creative Youth Studio, a series of professional development opportunities for youth and high-school theatre enthusiasts; collaborative Mad Libs-style program Word Up!; Globe Learning professional development programs for theatre practitioners; the AXIS events Happy Birthday, Mr. Shakespeare! and Día de Muertos/Day of the Dead; and another year of the Pam Farr Summer Shakespeare Studio and Theatre Design Studio for high school students and recent graduates.

The Globe recently presented its 2021 Classical Directing Fellowships, the 2021 Powers New Voices Festival, and a virtual production of A Midsummer Night's Dream with The Old Globe and University of San Diego Graduate Theatre Program.

When the Globe's three stages open once again, there will be an exciting season of new works, classic plays, and thrilling musicals. The Summer Shakespeare Festival in the Globe's famed outdoor Festival Theatre will feature William Shakespeare's masterful comedic take on the battle of the sexes, The Taming of the Shrew, and the American tribal love-rock musical Hair; with book and lyrics by Gerome Ragni and James Rado and music by Galt MacDermot, directed by James Vásquez and choreographed by Rickey Tripp. In the Globe's two indoor theatres there will be Alice Childress's American classic Trouble in Mind directed by Delicia Turner Sonnenberg; the Globe-commissioned world premiere musical The Gardens of Anuncia, inspired by the life story of Broadway legend Graciela Daniele, who directs and choreographs, with book, music, and lyrics by five-time Tony Award nominee Michael John LaChiusa; the world premiere of Mansa Ra's Globe-commissioned play Shutter Sisters, directed by Donya K. Washington; and the world premiere play El Borracho by Tony Meneses, directed by Edward Torres.

Programs and videos archived on our website at www.TheOldGlobe.org and on our YouTube channel, available for viewing at any time from the comfort of your home, including the world premiere of Bill Irwin's In-Zoom; The Old Globe Coloring Book; a free commissioned short-plays project Play At Home; outreach from familiar Globe artists in Act Breaks and Flashbacks; Soap It Up with students from The Old Globe and University of San Diego Shiley Graduate Theatre Program; and Barry Edelstein's hit presentation Thinking Shakespeare Live! and his series Thinking Shakespeare Live: Sonnets! Archived arts engagement programs include the Community Voices playwriting workshop and its Spanish-language version Voces de la Comunidad; Behind the Curtain and its offshoots, the Spanish-language Detrás del Telón, Behind the Curtain: Technical Assistance forum, and Behind the Curtain: Art of Protest; check-in program with Globe-commissioned writers Playwrights Unstuck; and The Living Room Play Workshop.

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