SAN DIEGO —The Old Globe would like to invite friends, Romans, countrymen—all of San Diego, in fact—to join them in celebrating their resident playwright William Shakespeare’s birthday with Happy Birthday, Mr. Shakespeare! Saturday, April 22, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., on the Globe’s campus in Balboa Park. The Bard’s birthday—his 453rd!—is a fitting and festive reason to recognize his countless contributions to arts and culture around the world. This exciting day of family activities is free and open to the public as part of the Globe’s ongoing commitment to programs that serve all of San Diego County. Don your best doublet and ruff—or come as you are.
Birthday games and activities, emceed by local artist Nadia Guevara, will run the gamut of eras from Elizabethan to today. The celebration will feature live music from local artist DJ Redlite, backing up sonnet karaoke, led by the illustrious students in The Old Globe and University of San Diego Shiley Graduate Theatre Program. Challengers welcome—bring your own sonnet or monologue—or choose one of ours! And the talented Arts Engagement team will be on hand to help out with the fun, as will members of the San Diego Shakespeare Society.
The doors to ther indoor theaters will be wide open for you to explore, with a fabulous costume exhibit in the Globe lobby and informative docents on hand to answer questions. Shakespeare-themed activities on Copley Plaza will include a life-sized board game, and in the Craig Noel Garden, little ones can create their own Shakespearean puppets and perform in an interactive puppet theatre show with the San Diego Guild of Puppetry. Grab a photo of your friends in the stocks or as the original Queen Mum, Elizabeth I. It will be a festive day suitable for the whole family, plus cake served at 12:00 noon.
“‘It is my birthday,’ says Cleopatra in Act III of the great play Shakespeare wrote about her, and though the line may not be one of the Bard’s most famous, it’s still fitting for this particular day,” said Erna Finci Viterbi artistic director Barry Edelstein. “Shakespeare is the lifeblood of The Old Globe, and the Globe is central to San Diego, so we couldn’t let his 453rd go by without a bang. We’ve planned a day of fun for the whole family: music, costumes, performances, games, and food. I know it’s going to be a blast, and I look forward to welcoming the whole city to join us.”
For directions and up-to-date information visit theoldglobe.org/plan-your-
