Hal Linden to Lead The Old Globe's THE TWENTY-SEVENTH MAN; Cast & Creative Team Announced!

The Old Globe today announced Tony and Emmy Award winner Hal Linden ("Barney Miller," The Rothschilds) will star in the West Coast Premiere of The Twenty-seventh Man by award-winning novelist Nathan Englander, directed by Globe Artistic Director Barry Edelstein. The cast also features Ron Orbach, Robert Dorfman, Eli Gelb, James Shanklin, and Lowell Byers. The Twenty-seventh Man will run February 14 through March 15 in the Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre, part of the Conrad Prebys Theatre Center. Preview performances run February 14-18. Opening night is Thursday, February 19 at 8:00 p.m. Single tickets go on sale Friday, January 16. Tickets 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.

In a Soviet prison in 1952, Stalin's secret police have rounded up 26 writers, the giants of Yiddish literature in Russia. As judgment looms, a 27th suddenly appears: a teenager, unpublished and unknown. Baffled by his arrest, he and his cellmates wonder at what has brought them together and wrestle with what it means to write in troubled times. Time Out New York called The Twenty-seventh Man "exquisite - as chilling and haunted as a ghost story." With The Twenty-seventh Man, Edelstein returns to the Englander play he premiered in New York and reimagines it for the Globe's intimate in-the-round space, bringing us larger-than-life personalities and an unforgettable reminder of the transcendent power of storytelling.

Hal Linden will play Yiddish writer Yevgeny Zunser. A versatile Emmy and Tony Award-winning actor/singer/musician, Linden appeared on Broadway in Cabaret, The Gathering, The Sisters Rosensweig, and I'm Not Rappaport, Off Broadway in Visiting Mr. Green, and as Scrooge in A Christmas Carol at Madison Square Garden. The world recognizes him from the enormously popular television series "Barney Miller," and he is a familiar face on television and in films including Out to Sea and A New Life.

The acting company also includes Lowell Byers (the Globe's The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Othello, and Pericles, Prince of Tyre) as the Guard, Robert Dorfman (The Lion King and Social Security on Broadway, A Dybbuk and The Normal Heart at The Public) as Vasily Korinsky, Eli Gelb (Off Broadway's The Thickness of Skin and Brighton Beach Memoirs) as Pinchas Pelovitz, Ron Orbach (film Clueless, Chicago and Laughter on the 23rd Floor on Broadway) as Moishe Bretzky, and James Shanklin ("Hell on Wheels," original Broadway company of Wit, Bethany at the Globe) as Agent in Charge.

The creative team includes Michael McGarty (Scenic Design), Katherine Roth (Costume Design), Russell H. Champa (Lighting Design), Darron L West (Sound Design), Caparelliotis Casting (Casting), and Anjee Nero (Stage Manager).

"I'm honored to bring Nathan Englander's beautiful and powerful play to the Globe in its first production since its New York premiere," said Artistic Director Barry Edelstein. "The play highlights a little-known episode in 20th-century history that deserves to be remembered, but its canvas is much larger than that. It talks about the potency of art and the necessity of stories, and it reminds us that while tyranny is a sad constant in human life, so are wit, wisdom, and the creative spark. Englander's very specific voice speaks to universal themes, and I know San Diego audiences will be moved by his work."

Nathan Englander's theatrical adaptation of his short story The Twenty-seventh Man premiered at The Public Theater in New York in November 2012. He is currently working on a commission, by Lincoln Center Theater, to adapt his short story What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank for the stage. Englander was selected as one of 20 Writers for the 21st Century by The New Yorker and has received a Guggenheim Fellowship, PEN/Malamud Award, a Berlin Prize, and the Sue Kaufman Prize for First Fiction from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. His most recent book, the story collection What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank, was the winner of the Frank O'Connor International Short Story Award and a finalist for the 2013 Pulitzer Prize. His previous books are the novel The Ministry of Special Cases and the story collection For the Relief of Unbearable Urges. Englander translated the New American Haggadah (edited by Jonathan Safran Foer) and co-translated Etgar Keret's Suddenly a Knock at the Door. He lives in Brooklyn, New York, where he is Distinguished Writer-in-Residence at New York University.

Old Globe Artistic Director Barry Edelstein is a stage director, producer, author, and educator. Widely recognized as one of the leading American authorities on the works of Shakespeare, he has directed nearly half of the Bard's plays. His directing credits include his Globe directorial debut with The Winter's Tale starring Billy Campbell, the first Shakespeare to be staged in the Globe's indoor theatre in over a decade, and his 2014 Summer Shakespeare Festival production of Othello starring Blair Underwood, Richard Thomas, and Kristen Connolly in the Lowell Davies Festival Theatre. As Director of the Shakespeare Initiative at The Public Theater (2008-2012), Edelstein oversaw all of the company's Shakespearean productions, as well as its extensive educational, community outreach, and artist-training programs. At The Public, he 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 Twenty-seventh Man is supported in part through gifts from The Elaine Lipinsky Family Foundation, Jean and Gary Shekhter, and Erna and Andrew Viterbi.

TICKETS to The Twenty-seventh Man were initially available only as part of a Season Package, which offer substantial savings with special subscriber benefits. Subscription prices for the 2014-2015 Season range from $68 to $463. Subscription packages may 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. Single tickets go on sale Friday, January 16, and start at $29. Performances begin on February 14 and continue through March 15. Performance times: Previews: Saturday, February 14 at 8:00 p.m., Sunday, February 15 at 7:00 p.m., Tuesday, February 17 at 7:00 p.m., and Wednesday, February 18 at 7:00 p.m. Opening night is Thursday, February 19 at 8:00 p.m. Regular Performances: Tuesday and Wednesday evenings at 7:00 p.m., Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings at 8:00 p.m., Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2:00 p.m. and Sunday evenings at 7:00 p.m. The evening performance on Wednesday, February 18 will begin at 8:00 p.m. There will a Wednesday matinee performance on March 4 at 2:00 p.m. and no matinee performance on Saturday, March 7. Discounts are available for full-time students, patrons 29 years of age and under, seniors, and groups of 10 or more.

The Old Globe will present a one-night-only event, Barry Edelstein In Conversation with Nathan Englander, on Wednesday, February 18 at 6:00 p.m. This special discussion between the director and the writer will explore the evolution of the play, about a group of writers imprisoned in Soviet Russia under mysterious circumstances; its fascinating historical setting; Englander's work in fiction versus theatre; and literature's place in modern American culture. Co-sponsored by the Judaic Studies Program of UCSD and Congregation Beth El, Barry Edelstein In Conversation with Nathan Englander 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 available now to subscribers and will go on sale to the general public on Tuesday, January 20 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.

"Nathan Englander is one of the finest writers of his generation, as well as a profound and provocative thinker about our culture and our times," said Edelstein. "That he has turned his talents to the stage is a great boon to the American theatre, and our continuing collaboration together on The Twenty-seventh Man remains a highlight of my career. I'm honored to produce the play at the Globe and truly delighted to join the Judaic Studies Program of UCSD and Congregation Beth El in sharing Nathan's incisive, witty, and warm perspective with our audience."

The Judaic Studies Program of the University of California, San Diego is dedicated to researching and teaching all facets of Jewish culture and history, from Iron Age Israel and the Levant through the 21st-century Diaspora. Each year, experts in Jewish languages, history, literature, archaeology, and anthropology offer instruction to hundreds of graduate and undergraduate students. Their aims are to foster knowledge and understanding of Jews and Judaism in all students, irrespective of background, and to train future scholars of Judaic Studies.

Congregation Beth El is a Conservative synagogue whose mission is to create a home for every soul by offering a variety of Jewish experiences to nourish the mind, heart, and spirit, while being a caring Jewish community. Since being founded in 1957, Beth El has grown from 25 families to now over 500 families, led by Rabbis Philip Graubart and Avi Libman. Beth El offers education programs for both children and adults, and numerous internationally known Jewish leaders and Rabbis have lectured and held services for the congregation. Today, Congregation Beth El leads San Diego's Jewish community toward the future while remembering the beautiful memories of their past.

Additional events taking place during the run of The Twenty-seventh Man include:

INSIGHTS SEMINAR: Tuesday, February 17 at 7:00 p.m.

The seminar series features a panel selected from the current show. Reception at 6:30 p.m. FREE

POST-SHOW FORUMS: Tuesdays, February 24 and March 3, and Wednesday, March 11. Discuss the play with members of the cast and crew following the performance. FREE

SUBJECT MATTERS: Saturday, March 14

Following the 2:00 p.m. performance, explore the ideas and issues raised by the production through brief, illuminating post-show discussions with local experts. FREE

LOCATION and PARKING INFORMATION: 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. Guests may also be dropped off in front of the Mingei International Museum. The Balboa Park valet is also available during performances ($12), located in front of the Japanese Friendship Garden. For additional parking information visit www.BalboaPark.org. For directions and up-to-date information, please visit www.TheOldGlobe.org/Directions.

PLEASE NOTE: To look up online or GPS directions to The Old Globe, please do not use the Delivery Address above. There is only a 10-minute zone at that physical address. For GPS users, please click here for the map coordinates, and here for written directions to The Old Globe and nearby parking in Balboa Park.

2014-2015 SEASON CALENDAR: Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (11/15-12/27), Murder for Two (1/24/15-3/1), The Twenty-seventh Man (2/14-3/15), The White Snake (3/21-4/26), Buyer & Cellar (4/4-5/3), Arms and the Man (5/9-6/14), Rich Girl (5/23-6/21), Twelfth Night (6/21-7/26), Kiss Me, Kate (7/1-8/9), Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery (7/24-8/23), The Comedy of Errors (8/16-9/20).

PHOTO EDITORS: Digital images of The Old Globe's productions are available at www.TheOldGlobe.org/pressroom.

The Tony Award-winning Old Globe is one of the country's leading professional regional theatres 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 theatre's education and community programs. Numerous world premieres such as 2014 Tony Award winner for Best Musical, A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder, 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 theatres across the country.

To post a comment, you must register and login.