The San Diego Union-Tribune: All the world may indeed be a stage, as Shakespeare famously wrote in 1599, the same year he helped launch the original Globe Theatre in London. For The Old Globe, the Shakespeare-inspired theater that opened in Balboa Park in 1935, the stage has changed dramatically since the coronavirus pandemic spread around the world this winter.
2 comments:
We love to see a virtual pivot. I like that this artistic director's vision is to keep the art form of theater vital, because it has been such a monumental part of history. Also, I think the fact that the Globe has not cancelled an outdoor summer season since 1947 shows how much we work as a section of the industry. Anyways, I like that they’re announcing a season without dates, that shows some real flexibility on the theater’s part. I think that having theaters like the Old Globe go through social changes, exploring how they can bring audiences of more diverse demographics to their theaters is a really good example for other companies to follow. If old traditionalists actually become more progressive, then maybe we can all begin embracing the deconstruction of the white supremacist system that we live and breathe in. Also, a social justice roadmap is a good start, let’s see what they actually do with it.
As a San Diego local, I am oddly proud of the direction the Old Globe is taking in regards to possible changes to keep theater happening. I have actually met Barry Edelstein and he is a very reasonable guy, the kind who would be open to doing these type of changes and going full out on them. Although not mentioned in the article, the Globe has also done multiple workshops – some with fees and some without – to keep community engagement even when the season has abruptly come to a stop. The effort has certainly not gone unnoticed, as I have heard from a few friends back home that the quality of these events has only improved since they are starting to get the hang of how to properly run them. I have even heard of a few who have collaborated with the Globe with online shows, and they have pretty positive things to say so good job to the teams behind!
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