San Diego Old Globe Theatre

San Diego Old Globe Theatre. A long and checkered history accompanies the replica of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre built in San Diego in 1935 as part of the California Pacific International Exposition. The structure was meant to be temporary, but a group of citizens raised money to make the building the permanent home of the San Diego Community Theatre. Popularly called the Old Globe, the group changed its name to that in 1958. Craig Noel, a member of the company for a decade, became artistic director in 1947 and presented summer Shakespeare productions in association with San Diego State College, the troupe now calling itself the San Diego National Shakespeare Festival. A fire destroyed the old structure in 1978, but a zealous board of directors saw it rebuilt into an impressive 580‐seat house with a strong resident company headed by Noel and Jack O'Brien. Today the company performs in the replica as well as in the 612‐seat outdoor Lowell Davies Theatre and the 225‐seat Cassius Carter Centre Stage. The repertory is large and varied, including classic revivals with new plays and musicals. Under O'Brien's leadership the theatre has found national attention, sending several works to Broadway, including Into the Woods, Jake's Women, a popular revival of Damn Yankees, Play On!, and The Full Monty. The Old Globe won the regional theatre Tony Award in 1984.