THE OLD GLOBE Presents the Now-Virtual FREE AXIS Event and Our Favorite Party: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MR. SHAKESPEARE!
AT The Old Globe on Saturday, April 25 from 11 AM to 1 PM
for Family-Friendly and Interactive Activities in Celebration of Our Resident Playwright
What: Not even these uncertain times could make us miss our fifth annual Happy Birthday, Mr. Shakespeare! The popular celebration of Bard-inspired activities on the Globe’s Copley Plaza, commemorating our resident playwright, will still happen—but live-streamed online, hosted by Director of Arts Engagement Freedome Bradley-Ballentine! The whole family can play and learn with interactive activities from the comfort and safety of their own home.
When: Tune in on Saturday, April 25 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. live on The Old Globe Arts Engagement’s Facebook page.
Family-friendly offerings will include:
- An introduction and speech from Shakespeare performed by Erna Finci Viterbi Artistic Director Barry Edelstein
- Hip-hop sonnet writing workshop by Teaching Artist and hip-hop artist Miki Vale; viewers can compete for a chance for their hip-hop sonnet to be presented later in the day!
- Creative ruff-making craft offered throughout the event by Master Teaching Artist and Programs Manager Lisel Gorell-Getz
- A Reflecting Shakespeare lesson (usually shared with our incarcerated populations) with Programs Manager Erika Phillips and Master Teaching Artist James Pilar
- A makeup and character workshop from A Midsummer Night’s Dream with San Diego Ballet
- A Henry V Saint Crispin’s Day speech performed by actors in The Old Globe and University of San Diego Shiley Graduate Theatre Program
- The hip-hop sonnet presentation by Teaching Artists and hip-hop artists Miki Vale and Kendrick Dial
NOTE: The remaining events of the 2020 AXIS series will continue to feature free and fun-filled activities, but due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, they will now be offered online on The Old Globe Arts Engagement’s Facebook page for the time being. Outstanding professional and community partner organizations and personalities will teach, speak, play, perform, and inspire, with many opportunities for viewers to engage in at each of the online events.
About AXIS: Realizing our commitment to making theatre matter to more people, AXIS usually offers free cultural programs on the Globe’s Copley Plaza, led by local artists and craftspeople. But because our campus is dark due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have moved AXIS events online for everyone to enjoy in the safety of their homes. The Old Globe engages 9.5 million Balboa Park visitors annually in our participatory art venues, utilizing the Globe’s unique physical location—and now our social media platforms—as opportunities for connectivity and creative placemaking. AXIS is an effort to broaden our concept of audience, extending beyond regular ticket holders and encompassing diverse, multigenerational constituencies from communities across San Diego County.
AXIS is supported by a grant from The James Irvine Foundation. Financial support is provided by The City of San Diego.
Note about our online offerings: In addition to Happy Birthday, Mr. Shakespeare!, we have pivoted several programs to our digital platforms, with huge success. These include our acclaimed playwriting workshop Community Voices; the theatre-making workshop Behind the Curtain, and its Spanish edition Detrás del Telón; Thinking Shakespeare Live: Sonnets!, an introduction to Shakespeare’s language by Erna Finci Viterbi Artistic Director Barry Edelstein; On Book: The Old Globe’s Shakespeare Reading Group, an interactive club where Shakespeare’s plays are discussed; Act Breaks, short videos with uplifting songs and messages by favorite Globe artists; and the national initiative Play At Home, in which new short, family-friendly plays have been commissioned to download and read at home.
For more information, or to watch videos of the initial offerings:
www.theoldglobe.org/edp-pages/2020/online-theatre-programs.
