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Bartleby at The Old Globe

Dates: 2/20/2026 - 3/15/2026

📍 Theatre: The Old Globe


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Fiasco Theater Company presents a new adaptation of Herman Melville's Bartleby, exploring the absurdities of work and individuality set in an 1850s law firm. Directed by Emily Young, this world premiere combines humor and existential reflection, portraying the chaos that ensues when the mild-mannered Bartleby asserts his famous refusal: "I would prefer not to." The play promises a vivid theatrical experience that challenges conventional norms about productivity and compliance.

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News About Bartleby at The Old Globe

Review: FIASCO THEATER’S BARTLEBY at The Old Globe

February 27, 2026

There are few phrases in literature more quietly unhinged than “I would prefer not to.” And in Fiasco Theatre’s ' Bartleby, now playing at The Old Globe through March 22, that polite little sentence lands like a stick of dynamite in an otherwise well-oiled office machine.

Exclusive Photos: Fiasco Theater’s BARTLEBY at The Old Globe

February 25, 2026

Get a first look at The The Old Globe's commissioned world premiere of Fiasco Theater’s Bartleby, now running through March 22, 2026. Performances began February 20, with the official opening set for February 26 in the Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre, part of the Conrad Prebys Theatre Center in Balboa Park.

Fiasco Theater's BARTLEBY Extended at The Old Globe

February 6, 2026

The Old Globe will present a one-week extension for the Globe-commissioned world premiere of Fiasco Theater’s Bartleby, adapted by Noah Brody and Paul L. Coffey, from Herman Melville’s “Bartleby, the Scrivener.”

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What shows are coming up next at The Old Globe?

Macbeth (Globe for All Tour) (10/27/26-11/21/26)

What shows have played recently at The Old Globe?

Macbeth (Globe for All Tour) (10/27/26-11/21/26)
Topdog/Underdog (09/25/26-10/18/26)
BEGIN AGAIN (09/06/26-10/11/26)
Much Ado About Nothing (08/02/26-08/30/26)
Cyrano (07/18/26-08/09/26)
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