Craig Noel Memorial Held at Balboa Park's Spreckels Organ Pavilion 5/24

Old Globe Executive Producer Lou Spisto announces that the memorial service honoring Founding Director of The Old Globe, Craig Noel, on Monday, May 24 at 7:00 p.m. will now be held at the historic Spreckels Organ Pavilion in Balboa Park. The memorial, "Celebrating the Theatrical Legacy of Craig Noel," was originally scheduled to be held in the Old Globe Theatre. Due to the size of the response, the event has been moved to the larger outdoor venue. Following the service, a reception will be held on the theater's Copley Plaza, a short walk from the Pavilion. The memorial service is free and open to all.

As previously announced, the Globe's lower courtyard will be named the Craig Noel Garden on the day of the memorial. Both entrances to the garden will bear his name and a dedication plaque will be located at the main entrance. The prominent courtyard located directly below the iconic California Tower hosts dozens of Globe events each year, is a gathering place for staff and artists, and is used by countless park visitors from around the world.

Craig Noel died at his home in San Diego of natural causes on April 3 at the age of 94. Noel was a significant figure in the development of American theater, having led the Globe from its earliest days as a community organization to an internationally renowned institution. Over his more than 70-year career at the Globe, Noel directed more than 200 works, produced an additional 270 productions and created innovative and influential theater programs. In 2007, Noel received the National Medal of Arts - the nation's highest honor for artistic excellence - by President George W. Bush in a ceremony at the White House. Noel had been in failing health but remained active through his unflagging support of live theatre.

The Old Globe is located in San Diego's Balboa Park at 1363 Old Globe Way. The Spreckels Organ Pavilion is located a short walk away from the theater complex. There are numerous free parking lots available throughout the park. 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 75 years. Under the direction of Executive Producer Louis G. Spisto, The Old Globe produces a year-round season of 15 productions of classic, contemporary and new works on its three Balboa Park stages: the 580-seat Old Globe Theatre, the 250-seat Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre and the 612-seat outdoor Lowell Davies Festival Theatre, home of its internationally renowned Shakespeare Festival. More than 300,000 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.

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