'Barry Edelstein In Conversation with Jack O'Brien' Set for The Old Globe Today

The Old Globe presents a one-night-only event, Barry Edelstein In Conversation with Jack O'Brien, tonight, Monday, Dec. 2 at 7:00 p.m.

This special discussion between Old Globe Artistic Director Barry Edelstein and Old Globe Artistic Director Emeritus Jack O'Brien will explore the history of The Old Globe and O'Brien's new memoir about his early years in theater, Jack Be Nimble: The Accidental Education of an Unintentional Director. After the presentation, O'Brien will also sign copies of the book, which will be available for purchase at the theater. Barry Edelstein In Conversation with Jack O'Brien will take place on the Donald and Darlene Shiley Stage in the Old Globe Theatre, part of the Globe's Conrad Prebys Theatre Center.

Tickets are currently available to subscribers only and will go on sale to the public on Tuesday, Nov. 5 at 12 noon. Tickets are $7 for subscribers and full-time students and $10 for general audiences and can be purchased online at www.TheOldGlobe.org, by phone at (619) 23-GLOBE, or by visiting the Box Office at 1363 Old Globe Way in Balboa Park.

"Jack O'Brien is an American master and one of San Diego's greatest contributions to American culture," said Edelstein. "I am honored to welcome him back to a place that is, after all, his home, and thrilled to be able to bask in his art, wisdom, and abundant wit. His book is delightful and nourishing on many levels, and I'm pleased to commend it to his hometown crowd."

Old Globe Artistic Director Emeritus and three-time Tony Award winner Jack O'Brien served as the Artistic Director of The Old Globe from 1982 through 2007. O'Brien currently serves as director of this season's Broadway production of Macbeth starring Ethan Hawke. His Broadway credits also include The Nance, Dead Accounts, Catch Me If You Can, Impressionism, The Coast of Utopia (Tony Award), Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (Tony nomination), Henry IV (Tony Award), Hairspray (Tony Award), Imaginary Friends, The Invention of Love (Tony nomination, Drama Desk Award), The Full Monty (Tony nomination), More to Love, Getting Away with Murder, Pride's Crossing, The Little Foxes, Hapgood (Lucille Lortel Award, Best Director), Damn Yankees, Two Shakespearean Actors (Tony nomination), and Porgy and Bess (Tony Award). He also directed the Metropolitan Opera production of II Trittico. His London credits include Love Never Dies and Hairspray (Olivier nomination), as well as the National Theatre production of His Girl Friday. He also directed six movies for PBS's "American Playhouse." His awards include 2008 Theatre Hall of Fame Inductee, 2005 John Houseman Award, ArtServe Michigan 2008 International Achievement Award, Honorary Doctorate at University of Michigan, and Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters at University of San Diego. Jack Be Nimble: The Accidental Education of an Unintentional Director, his memoir about the early years of his career, was released this summer by Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

Old Globe Artistic Director Barry Edelstein is a stage director, producer, author, and educator. Widely recognized as one of the leading authorities on the works of Shakespeare in the United States, he has directed nearly half of the Bard's works. As Director of the Shakespeare Initiative at The Public Theater (2008-2012), he oversaw all of the company's Shakespearean productions, as well as its extensive educational, community outreach, and artist-training programs. At The Public, Edelstein staged Julius Caesar starring Jeffrey Wright for Shakespeare in the Park and The Merchant of Venice featuring Ron Leibman's Obie Award-winning portrayal of Shylock. He was also Associate Producer of The Public's Broadway production of The Merchant of Venice starring Al Pacino. From 1998-2003 he was Artistic Director of Classic Stage Company, where he produced and directed some of New York's most memorable classical productions. Edelstein's Shakespearean directorial credits include The Winter's Tale with David Strathairn, Timon of Athens with Richard Thomas, As You Like It with Gwyneth Paltrow, and Richard III with John Turturro. His additional credits include the Lucille Lortel Award-winning revival of Arthur Miller's All My Sons; the world premiere of Steve Martin's The Underpants, which he commissioned; Molière's The Misanthrope starring Uma Thurman in her stage debut; and the world premiere of novelist Nathan Englander's play The Twenty-Seventh Man. Edelstein has taught Shakespearean acting at The Juilliard School, NYU's Graduate Acting Program, and the University of Southern California. His book Thinking Shakespeare (called by New York Magazine "a must-read for actors") was published in 2007 and is now the standard text on American Shakespearean acting. He is also the author of Bardisms: Shakespeare for All Occasions.

The Old Globe is located in San Diego's Balboa Park at 1363 Old Globe Way. There are numerous free parking lots available throughout the park. Valet parking is also available ($10). For additional parking information visit www.BalboaPark.org.

The Tony Award-winning Old Globe is one of the country's leading professional regional theaters and has stood as San Diego's flagship arts institution for over 75 years. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Barry Edelstein and Managing Director Michael G. Murphy, The Old Globe produces a year-round season of 14 productions of classic, contemporary, and new works on its three Balboa Park stages: the Donald and Darlene Shiley Stage in the 600-seat Old Globe Theatre and the 250-seat Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre, both part of The Old Globe's Conrad Prebys Theatre Center, and the 605-seat outdoor Lowell Davies Festival Theatre, home of its internationally renowned Shakespeare Festival. More than 250,000 people attend Globe productions annually and participate in the theater's education and community programs. Numerous world premieres such as The Full Monty, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, A Catered Affair, and the annual holiday musical, Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, have been developed at The Old Globe and have gone on to enjoy highly successful runs on Broadway and at regional theaters across the country.

Pictured: Old Globe Artistic Director Barry Edelstein. The Old Globe will offer Barry Edelstein In Coversation with Jack O'Brien on Monday, Dec. 2 at 7:00 p.m. at The Old Globe. Photo by Joseph Moran.

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