The Old Globe to Present HENRY IV, Part I Featuring 12 M.F.A. Students

The Old Globe will present Shakespeare's Henry IV, Part I featuring students from The Old Globe and University of San Diego Shiley Graduate Theatre Program. Program Director and USD Craig Noel Distinguished Professor Jesse Perez directs a cast of 12. The limited engagement will play eight performances only from November 12 to 19, 2021 at The Old Globe's House of Charm Rehearsal Hall. Situated across from the Globe's main campus and located three stories below Balboa Park, this space is rarely opened to and seen by the public, yet is where world premieres have been developed for decades. Tickets go on sale on Friday, October 15. "

"Henry IV, Part I is one of the towering works in the Shakespeare canon, and its gallery of extraordinary characters is always a gold mine for a great cast of classical actors," said Erna Finci Viterbi Artistic Director Barry Edelstein. "That's what makes it such a great choice for The Old Globe and University of San Diego Shiley Graduate Theatre Program. The actors now in training represent the future of classical acting on the American stage, and they will meet the challenge of this extraordinary work with aplomb, showing us a glimpse of the direction our field will move in in the time ahead. Program Director and USD Craig Noel Distinguished Professor Jesse Perez is a prolifically inventive stage artist, and he will guide this talented group toward a memorable production. I can't wait to see it!"

Henry IV, Part I will be performed live by the M.F.A. students from The Old Globe and University of San Diego Shiley Graduate Theatre Program. The cast of 12 features Henian Boone, Brett Cassidy, Jacqui Dupré, Savannah Faye, Komi M. Gbeblewou, Camilla Leonard, Becca Lustgarten, Jeffrey Rashad, Bernadette Sefic, Jude Tibeau, Nathan VanAtta, and Maggie Walters.

The actors in training at The Old Globe and University of San Diego Shiley Graduate Theatre Program bring Shakespeare's epic tale of history, power, honor, and family to thrilling life. Staged in the unique environs of the Globe's large, open, and raw rehearsal studios, this modern production brings Hal, Hotspur, Quickly, and, yes, Falstaff into the 21st century. A small company of 12 M.F.A. actors conjures an intimate experience that moves from the tavern to the battlefield, with laughter, poetry, and drama throughout.

In addition to Henry IV, Part I director Jesse Perez (M.F.A. Program Director), the creative team includes scenic design by Robin Sanford Roberts, costume design by Elisa Benzoni, lighting design by Jason Bieber, sound design by Melanie Chen Cole, fight choreography by Ka'imi Kuoha, assistant direction by Jersten Seraile, vocal and speech coaching by Jan Gist, dramaturgy by Abraham Stoll, and stage management by Nicole Ries.

Henry IV, Part I will play at The Old Globe's House of Charm Rehearsal Hall in San Diego's Balboa Park (1439 El Prado) from November 12 to 19 for eight performances only. The schedule is Friday, November 12 at 8:00 p.m.; Saturday, November 13 at 8:00 p.m.; Sunday, November 14 at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.; Tuesday, November 16 at 7:00 p.m.; Wednesday, November 17 at 7:00 p.m.; Thursday, November 18 at 8:00 p.m.; and Friday, November 19 at 8:00 p.m. Tickets go on sale on October 15 and will be available at www.TheOldGlobe.org or by phone at (619) 23-GLOBE (234-5623). Regular tickets are $10.00; students and Globe subscribers and donors are $7.00; and groups of 15 or more are $7.00.

All patrons who attend an event or performance at The Old Globe will be required to wear masks while attending, as well as present proof of COVID-19 vaccination or provide negative results of a COVID-19 PCR test taken within 72 hours of entering the theatre. Additional details about The Old Globe's COVID-19 policies are available here.

The Lead Underwriter of Henry IV, Part I is Darlene Marcos Shiley, with additional support from Maggie Acosta and Larry Shushan. Major underwriting of The Old Globe and University of San Diego Shiley Graduate Theatre Program is provided by Darlene Marcos Shiley. Additional support is provided by the Globe Guilders, the Dorothy Brown Endowment Fund, and the Louis Yager Cantwell Foundation.

Financial support is provided by The City of San Diego.

The Theodor and Audrey Geisel Fund provides leadership support for The Old Globe's year-round activities.

Full casting details, as well as bios and headshots, will be released at a later date.

A joint venture of The Old Globe and the University of San Diego, the Shiley Graduate Theatre Program nationally recruits seven students each year to participate in an intensive two-year, year-round course of graduate study in classical theatre. In 1987, The Old Globe and the University of San Diego established a graduate acting program. The result has been one of the most acclaimed classical training programs in the United States, receiving hundreds of applications each year. It has become one of the most competitive graduate acting programs in the country. The program's graduates have made their mark in the profession. They have performed extensively on and Off Broadway, in regional theatres, in feature films, and on television. They have also founded successful theatre companies, written award-winning plays and screenplays, and performed throughout Europe and Canada. One notable graduate is Jim Parsons, the Golden Globe and Emmy Award-winning star of "The Big Bang Theory."

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