The Old Globe Sets Tentative Schedule for World Premiere of Michael John LaChiusa's THE GARDENS OF ANUNCIA & More

by BWW News Desk Apr. 22, 2020

The Old Globe today announced a tentative schedule for postponed spring productions. Though they don't have exact dates, as of today their plan is to resume performances this fall with the West Coast premiere of Faceless by award-winning playwright Selina Fillinger, directed by Gaye Taylor Upchurch. The West Coast premiere of Little Women by Kate Hamill, directed by Sarah Rasmussen, would then take place in January 2021, followed by the Globe-commissioned world premiere of Michael John LaChiusa's The Gardens of Anuncia, based on the life of and directed and choreographed by Broadway legend Graciela Daniele. The world premiere of What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank by Nathan Englander, directed by Barry Edelstein, would be rescheduled to early spring 2021. This plan is provisional and may be revised as the facts of the pandemic change.

This crisis is fast-moving and ever-changing, and guidelines issued by public health authorities at the city, county, state, and federal level continue to evolve, sometimes daily. The Globe is working around the clock to put together plans for the time when we can once again gather and share this theatre we all love, and the Globe will continue to roll out new online arts programs to keep us all connected in the meantime. The health and safety of their audiences and the wellbeing of their artists and staff remain their primary concerns. They are grateful to all for bearing with them as they continue to respond as best they can to circumstances beyond their control. They look forward to seeing their loyal audiences back in Balboa Park soon!

Globe staff is currently reaching out directly to all ticket holders with tickets to spring productions. They are offering a range of options, which include moving existing tickets to the play's rescheduled run; converting tickets into a 100%-tax-deductible donation to support the Globe's ongoing operations; receiving a credit toward a future ticket purchase, including a subscription renewal; or receiving a refund.

The coronavirus pandemic has devastated the nation's not-for-profit arts institutions, and The Old Globe has already experienced significant financial losses. If possible, rescheduling shows from this season is the easiest way for ticket holders to show their continued support for The Old Globe and the artists on our stages. Their choice to do that and/or to make a donation will help ensure the ongoing stability of this theatre, now and when we reopen.

"The Globe's commitment that theatre matters calls on us to do everything we can to keep our institution moving forward," said Erna Finci Viterbi Artistic Director Barry Edelstein. "As the coronavirus crisis grinds on, all of us-individuals, communities, and institutions-face circumstances beyond our control and do our level best to respond. Sometimes we have to make choices that are painful and disappointing, and our decision to postpone this slate of shows is one such choice. We are proud that as of now we've not had to cancel any productions, but we know that postponement is a blow to artists and audiences alike. However, we take comfort in knowing that these productions will happen, that the brilliant artistry behind them will be on our stages, and that our audiences will experience how exciting and transporting they are. We want to thank our supporters for their patience and understanding as we refine our schedule and planning, perhaps multiple times. We will reopen, and great theatre will once again be at the center of life in San Diego."

Production Details:

The West Coast premiere of Faceless by award-winning playwright Selina Fillinger (The Armor Plays: Cinched/Strapped, Something Clean) is scheduled for now to resume performances this fall in the Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre, part of the Conrad Prebys Theatre Center. Faceless was presented in the 2019 Powers New Voices Festival and will be directed by Gaye Taylor Upchurch (the Globe's The Last Match and also Off Broadway, Bethany, and The Blameless). The originally scheduled Faceless tour to four Community Partner venues with their free Globe for All program has been cancelled completely.

National tensions swirl around the trial of Susie Glenn, an American teenager who left her home and family to join ISIS. Federal prosecutor Claire Fathi takes the case despite being reluctant to have her own gender and Muslim faith exploited in the name of justice. The Chicago Tribune exclaims that Selina Fillinger "can pack more moment-by-moment tension into a play than most playwrights ever manage in their careers." This West Coast premiere etches compelling, complex portraits of a troubled young woman, her father, and the attorneys who battle over her future.

Little Women by Kate Hamill (Off Broadway's Sense & Sensibility, Pride & Prejudice, Dracula) is currently scheduled to run in January 2021 on the Donald and Darlene Shiley Stage in the Old Globe Theatre, part of the Globe's Conrad Prebys Theatre Center. This brand-new version of Louisa May Alcott's classic novel about Jo March and her three unforgettably distinct sisters is presented in association with Dallas Theater Center and is directed by Sarah Rasmussen (Artistic Director of Jungle Theater, which originally commissioned the play).

Louisa May Alcott's classic novel of the March sisters is beloved by generations of readers. Now her heartfelt story of Jo March and her three unforgettably distinct sisters, Meg, Beth, and Amy, comes to the stage in a brand-new version that honors the spirit of Alcott's original while freshly interpreting it for a new era. The Wall Street Journal named the prolific and widely produced Kate Hamill as Playwright of the Year. The West Coast premiere of her sparkling adaptation will have audiences falling in love with the March sisters all over again as they grow from young girls to little women.

The Globe-commissioned world premiere musical The Gardens of Anuncia is scheduled for now to follow later in 2021 on the Donald and Darlene Shiley Stage in the Old Globe Theatre, part of the Globe's Conrad Prebys Theatre Center. With book, music, and lyrics by five-time Tony Award nominee Michael John LaChiusa (Globe's Rain, Broadway's The Wild Party, Marie Christine), The Gardens of Anuncia is inspired by the life story of an icon of the American stage, who directs and choreographs the show at the Globe: Broadway legend Graciela Daniele (the Globe's Chita Rivera: The Dancer's Life, Broadway's Once on This Island, Ragtime).

Anuncia tends the garden of her country house as she reflects on her life, looking back on her girlhood in Juan Perón's Argentina and paying homage to the family of women whose sacrifices allowed her to become an artist. This funny, poignant, and beautiful musical features a beguilingly romantic and tango-infused score filled with the exuberant sounds of women reveling in the joys of being alive.

The world premiere of What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank, a modern-day comedy of friendship by Pulitzer Prize finalist Nathan Englander (kaddish.com, For the Relief of Unbearable Urges), is currently scheduled to run in spring 2021 in the Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre, part of the Globe's Conrad Prebys Theatre Center. Englander and director Barry Edelstein (Globe's Rain, Hamlet, The Wanderers, Life After) wowed both New York and Globe audiences with Englander's The Twenty-Seventh Man, and now they team up again.

What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank is Englander's adaptation of his award-winning short story about two high school friends from suburban New York whose adult lives have taken them to opposite ends of the earth, and to wildly different experiences of culture, religion, and family. Reuniting for the first time in years, their love for each other is tested by the distance that has grown between them... and also by their husbands, who don't exactly see eye to eye. Englander's distinctive voice-by turns hilarious, outrageous, and emotional-makes this play a uniquely funny and smart exploration of how we see ourselves, and how our friends see us.

SINGLE TICKETS for most shows begin at $30. When standard operations at the Globe resume, tickets and subscription packages can be purchased online at www.TheOldGlobe.org, by phone at (619) 23-GLOBE [234-5623], or by visiting the Box Office at 1363 Old Globe Way in Balboa Park. Discounts are available for full-time students, patrons 29 years of age and younger, seniors, military members, and groups of 10 or more.