Old Globe Theatre facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
The Old Globe

Address	1363 Old Globe Way
Location	San Diego, California, U.S.
Coordinates	32°43′56.1″N 117°9′8″W / 32.732250°N 117.15222°W / 32.732250; -117.15222
Type	Regional theater
Capacity	Old Globe Theatre: 580 Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre: 250 Lowell Davies Festival Theatre: 620
Construction
Opened	1935
Renovated	1982–1993
Architect	Thomas Wood Stevens (original); Liebhardt, Botton & Associates, A.I.A. (rebuilt)

The Old Globe is a famous theatre in Balboa Park in San Diego, California. It's a place where professional actors perform plays and musicals. Each year, they put on about 15 different shows. These shows happen during both summer and winter.

The Old Globe has three different stages where plays are performed. Together, these stages are known as the Simon Edison Centre for the Performing Arts:

• The Old Globe Theatre is the main stage. It has 580 seats and is completely inside. It features the Donald and Darlene Shiley Stage.
• The Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre is a smaller, cozy theatre with 250 seats. It's a "theatre in the round," meaning the audience sits all around the stage. It was finished in 2009.
• The Lowell Davies Festival Theatre is an outdoor stage with 605 seats. You can enjoy shows under the stars here!

The Old Globe Theatre and the Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre are part of the Conrad Prebys Theatre Center. The White Theatre is also inside the Karen and Donald Cohn Education Center.

History of The Old Globe

How The Old Globe Started (1930s–1950s)

The Old Globe Theatre was built in 1935. It was part of a big event called the California Pacific International Exposition. The theatre was designed to look like the famous Globe Theatre in London, England. That's where many of William Shakespeare's plays were first performed long ago.

Just like the original Globe, this theatre had an open roof in the middle. The seating areas on the sides had a roof. During the exposition, the theatre showed short versions of Shakespeare's plays. People loved it so much that a group was formed to save it from being torn down. This group was called the San Diego Community Theatre.

They made the theatre more permanent by adding a full roof. They also started putting on full-length plays. The Globe Players, led by Thomas Wood Stevens, first performed short Shakespeare plays. This helped attract visitors to San Diego.

Luther Kennett became the first director of the Globe in 1937. On December 2, 1937, the newly updated Old Globe Theatre opened. It showed a play called The Distaff Side. A young actor named Craig Noel was in the cast. He later became the theatre's second director. Craig Noel helped the theatre grow for over 50 years! Under his leadership, the Globe won a special award called a Tony Award. It also became the first professional theatre on the West Coast to work with Actors Equity. He also started the San Diego National Shakespeare Festival.

In 1939, Craig Noel became the general director. During World War II, the United States Navy used all the buildings in Balboa Park, including the Globe. The theatre group kept performing short plays in other places around San Diego. When the Globe was returned in 1947, Noel came back as general director. He stayed in a leadership role until he passed away in 2010.

In 1949, he started the Globe's summer Shakespeare Festival. This festival has happened almost every summer since then. The only year it didn't was in 1953. That year, Noel decided to put on a very popular play called Mister Roberts instead. The Globe continued to show both modern plays and classic plays by Shakespeare.

In 1951, the San Diego Junior Theater Wing started at the Old Globe. It offered fun plays for children. Many young actors from this program later became famous. For example, Victor Buono became a film star after being at the Globe.

Challenges and Growth (1960s–1990s)

In 1969, another theatre was added. It was called the Cassius Carter Centre Stage. This was a "theatre in the round," built in a space that used to be a restaurant. It was later rebuilt in 2009 and is now the Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre.

In March 1978, a sad event happened: the Globe Theatre was destroyed by a fire. But the theatre group didn't give up! They quickly built an outdoor stage. This allowed them to continue their 1978 season. The outdoor stage was just for the National Shakespeare Festival. They even put modern twists on Shakespeare's plays. For example, in 1987, they performed A Midsummer Night’s Dream with jazz music.

The Globe Theatre was rebuilt and opened again in 1981. Then, in 1984, the outdoor festival stage was also damaged by a fire. But once again, it was rebuilt! This stage is now called the Lowell Davies Festival Theatre. All three theatres together are known as the Simon Edison Centre for the Performing Arts.

In 1981, Jack O'Brien became the artistic director. Craig Noel became the executive producer.

The Globe Today (1990s–Present)

In 2012, Barry Edelstein became the artistic director. The Old Globe has grown into a theatre known around the world. It's considered a very important theatre among regional theatres. In 1984, it received a special award called the Tony Award for being the best regional theatre. This shows how much the Old Globe has achieved!

Famous Shows from The Old Globe

Many shows that first started at The Old Globe later moved to Broadway in New York City. Broadway is where some of the biggest and best plays and musicals are performed. Shows from the Old Globe have won nine Tony Awards and received nearly 60 nominations!

Here are some of the famous shows that started at The Old Globe: