The Old Globe to Present the Return of THINKING SHAKESPEARE LIVE!

The Old Globe's event Thinking Shakespeare Live!, created and presented by the Globe’s Erna Finci Viterbi Artistic Director Barry Edelstein, will be held on Saturday, May 30, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. on the Donald and Darlene Shiley Stage in The Old Globe Theatre, part of the Globe’s Conrad Prebys Theatre Center.

Drawn from Edelstein’s approachable and inviting book Thinking Shakespeare: A How-To Guide for Student Actors, Directors, and Anyone Else Who Wants to Feel More Comfortable with the Bard, Thinking Shakespeare Live! will feature Edelstein, who will be joined by three professional classical actors. Immediately after the event, Edelstein will sign copies of his book, which will be available for purchase at the theatre.

This program is an ideal introduction to Shakespeare for families and young audiences, as well as an exciting new look at the playwright for Bardophiles. Edelstein has performed Thinking Shakespeare Live! across the country, including at the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, D.C.

In addition to serving as Artistic Director at the Globe, Edelstein is a renowned stage director, producer, podcast host, and educator. He has directed over half of the Bard’s plays. Edelstein’s Globe directing credits include this season’s hit, Henrik Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler, which starred Katie Holmes in the title role; What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank; The Winter’s Tale, Othello; The Twenty-Seventh Man, the world premiere of Rain; Picasso at the Lapin Agile; Romeo and Juliet; and the world premiere adaptation of Henry 6, among others. He oversaw The Old Globe’s inaugural Classical Directing Fellowship program. Prior to joining the Globe, Edelstein was the Director of the Shakespeare initiative at The Public Theater (New York City), and the Artistic Director of Classic Stage Company (New York City). He is also the creator and host of The Old Globe and Pushkin Industries’ podcast Where There’s a Will: Finding Shakespeare, an exploration of the many ways Shakespeare has made his way into unexpected corners of American life. His book Thinking Shakespeare is considered the standard text on American Shakespearean acting.

Tickets for Thinking Shakespeare Live! are now available to Globe subscribers and donors and go on sale to the general public on Friday, May 1, 2026, at noon. Tickets are available online at TheOldGlobe.org, by phone at (619) 23-GLOBE (234-5623), or in person at our Box Office in Balboa Park. Regular ticket prices start at $19. Discounts available for students and Old Globe subscribers and donors. For additional information, visit TheOldGlobe.org.

The Old Globe’s 2026 Summer Shakespeare Festival, which takes place under the stars in the Lowell Davies Festival Theatre, features two exciting plays by the Bard. The festival kicks off with Measure for Measure, a timeless tale of power and hypocrisy, directed by Vivienne Benesch (PlayMaker’s The Game, Hamlet). Performances run June 14 – July 12, 2026, with the opening on Saturday, June 20. The festival concludes with the witty and delightful Much Ado About Nothing, directed by Barry Edelstein (The Old Globe’s Henry 6, Hedda Gabler).  Performances run August 2 – August 30, 2026, with the opening on Saturday, Aug. 8. Single tickets for the Globe’s 2026 Summer Shakespeare Festival productions will go on sale at a later date.

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