2012 San Diego Summer Shakespeare Festival

The Old Globe in San Diego

One of the most renowned regional theatres in the country, the Old Globe has been a cultural institution in San Diego for over seventy-five years. In that time, this internationally-acclaimed theatre has won and been nominated for the coveted Tony Award.

More than twenty productions originally produced at the Old Globe went on to Broadway, including Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, nominated for 11 Tony Awards in 2005. Some of the other productions at the Old Globe include 2000′s The Full Monty, which was nominated for ten Tony Awards. The artistic director of the Old Globe, Jack O’Brien received the Tony Award in 2003 for his direction of the musical Hairspray and the Tony Award in 2004 for his direction of Henry IV at Lincoln Center.

The Globe Theatre was founded in 1935 in order to present abridged versions of Shakespeare’s plays as part of the California Pacific International Exposition. Once the exposition ended in 1937, the theatre was leased from the City of San Diego (along with adjacent buildings) for use by the San Diego Community Theatre, a non-profit producing corporation.

Located in San Diego, the Old Globe now produces theatre year-round and is known for its very popular summer Shakespeare festival.

The Old Globe’s 2012 Summer Shakespeare Festival in San Diego

Summer Shakespeare programs are a long-standing theatre tradition, and the summer season at the Old Globe is no exception. It is an excellent way to enjoy classic theatre under the stars in the Old Globe’s outdoor theatre.

This year’s Summer Shakespeare festival at the Old Globe Theatre runs from June 3rd until September 30th. This summer’s schedule includes two works by Shakespeare, As You Like It and Richard III, as well as another classic play by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee, Inherit the Wind.

As You Like It is one of Shakespeare’s most beloved comedies, about romance, deception and mistaken identity. In this play, Rosalind disguises herself as a man to get closer to her love, Orlando, who falls for another woman.

Richard III is a tragedy about a diabolical and power-mad villain who plots to gain the English crown.

Inherit the Wind is a fictionial recreation of the Scopes Monkey Trial that pits two lawyers against each other when a small-town teacher is arrested for teaching Charles Darwin’s theories of evolution.

The Lowell Davies Festival Theatre

The summer Shakespeare festival at the Old Globe is presented in the Lowell Davies Festival Theatre, an outdoor theatre that was built in 1984 after arson destroyed the previous summer festival theatre.

This theatre is set against the backdrop of San Diego’s Balboa Park and is named for a former Board President and a major Old Globe supporter, Lowell Davies.

Planning Your Visit

If you would like to see a play this summer at the Old Globe Theatre, ticket prices start at $29.00.

The box office is open Tuesdays through Sundays, starting at noon. On performance days, the box office closes at final performance time. On days without a show, the box office closes at 6:00 pm.

You can also order tickets over the phone, by calling (619) 23-GLOBE (234-5623), fax at (619) 231-6752 or email, by emailing tickets@theoldglobe.org.

The Old Globe is located at 1363 Old Globe Way in San Diego, California.