MFA in Action
The MFA Cast of "Mother Courage and her children" by Bertolt Brecht, directed by Rosa Joshi, Spring 2023
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Fall 2024
Henry VIII
Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre
By William Shakespeare
Directed by Sam White
November 16-24, 2025
With no male heir and the weight of the nation on his shoulders, King Henry VIII seeks to divorce his wife Katherine so he can marry Anne Boleyn. But Henry’s trusted advisors have plans of their own, and the consequences of his decisions will change their lives—and the history of England—forever. The talented students of The Old Globe and University of San Diego Shiley Graduate Theatre Program perform Henry VIII for the very first time, bringing to thrilling life this final installment of Shakespeare’s history plays.
Summer 2024
Henry 6 Plays 1 & 2
June 30 – September 14, 2024 (opening: Friday, July 19) for One: Flowers and France
July 9 – September 15, 2024 (opening: Saturday, July 20) for Two: Riot and Reckoning
Lowell Davies Festival Theatre
World premiere adaptation
By William Shakespeare
Adapted and directed by Barry Edelstein
A once-in-a-generation event comes to San Diego in 2024: The Old Globe becomes one of only a small handful of theatres in the country’s history to complete Shakespeare’s canon with Henry 6, the largest Shakespeare production the Globe has ever presented. Acclaimed Shakespeare director and the Globe’s Erna Finci Viterbi Artistic Director Barry Edelstein turns the rarely produced Henry VI, Parts I, II, and III into a thrilling two-part event, running simultaneously through the summer in our beautiful outdoor theatre. Two ruling families of England, the Yorks and the Lancasters, fight each other in a high-stakes civil war for power known as the Wars of the Roses. These adaptations include everything people love about the Bard—ingenious language, vibrant characters, breathtaking battles, and sweeping crowd scenes—as they explore the impact of national politics on individual lives. And the action is framed by a design team working at the very top of their craft, and a sprawling cast of professional actors and local community members. This historic milestone will be celebrated with a yearlong program of citywide arts engagement and humanities events that will bring audiences closer to the art than ever before, including opportunities for San Diegans to participate in the making of the production itself. It is an event that simply cannot be missed!
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Spring 2024
THESIS NIGHT-
The Studio Theatre - ON CAMPUS at USD
Performance Schedule
Sunday April 21st, 7:30 PM
Seven original works written, directed and starring - Jose Balistrieri, Luana Fontes, Madeline Grace Jones, Carter Piggee, Vandous Stripling II, Emma Svitil, Michael Underhill
Get your tickets soon because space is limited.
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Spring 2024
CYMBELINE- A Workshop Production
The Studio Theatre - ON CAMPUS at USD
Directed by Madison Mae Williams
Modern Verse Translation by Andrea Thome
Performance Schedule
Friday March 22nd, 7:30 PM
Saturday March 23rd, 2:00 PM & 7:30 PM
Sunday March 24th, 2:00 PM
Cymbeline is one of Shakespeare’s late romances—or maybe one of his first telenovelas!—brimming with high drama, love, power, deception, and forgiveness. When Imogen’s husband is banished from the kingdom by her father, she doesn’t take the news lying down, and instead fights to set the record straight. Cymbeline will have you rooting for Imogen as she faces the odds stacked against her. Cymbeline is presented as part of The Old Globe and University of San Diego Shiley Graduate Theatre Program’s ongoing partnership with Play On Shakespeare, a nonprofit company promoting and creating contemporary modern translations of Shakespeare’s plays for modern audiences. This version of Cymbeline is directed by Madison Mae Williams and translated by Andrea Thome.
Winter 2024
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The Last Days of Judas Iscariot
The Studio Theatre - University of San Diego
directed by Lamar Perry
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Performance Schedule
Friday February 16th, 7:30 PM
Saturday February 17th , 2:00 PM & 7:30 PM
Sunday February 18th , 2:00 PM
Judas is on trial for his betrayal of Jesus, his soul is left in the balance. What will the verdict be?Pulitzer Prize winner Stephen Adly Guirgis’ provocative and irreverently funny play forces us to examine our ideas of love, divine mercy, free will and forgiveness, searching for the line between good and evil. What does reconciliation look like after betrayal? Content Warning Please be advised that this production features use of discriminatory language that exhibits racism, homophobia, sexism, ableism and anti-Semitism. It explores themes of death, violence and suicide (specifically hanging), references to abortion, rape, and disordered eating, and contains debate on theological arguments, faith and spirituality. $15 General Admission $10 Students, Seniors, Military and USD Faculty
Summer 2023
The Old Globe:
Twelfth Night
By William Shakespeare
Directed by Kathleen Marshall
June 8 – July 9, 2023
The Merry Wives of Windsor
By William Shakespeare
Directed by James Vásquez
July 30 – September 3, 2023
Jeffrey Rashad(23) and Camille Hsieh(23)
Jose Balistieri(24)and Jude Tibeau(23)
Jeffrey Rashad(23) and Camille Hsieh(23)
The Class of 2023 and the Class of 2024
MFA Actors in the Fall 2022 Old Globe Theatre Shakespeare Production directed by Delicia Turner Sonnenberg
Fall 2023
The Old Globe: Fall Shakespeare Production
The Two Gentlemen of Verona
directed by Jimonn Cole
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Set in a modern-day Italy, we meet two young men in search of identity—and Julia, the first Shakespearean female character to disguise herself as a young man. This company of 14 M.F.A. actors, now in training at The Old Globe and University of San Diego, brings a wild cast of characters to life in a bold staging of this timely, classy comedy that highlights themes of betrayal, loyalty, and friendship. The Two Gentlemen of Verona will be performed live by the M.F.A. students from The Old Globe and University of San Diego Shiley Graduate Theatre Program. The cast of 14 features Danny Adams as Duke, Kevin Alicea-Minor as Speed, Jose Balistrieri as Proteus, Luana Fontes as Outlaw 3, Chris Hathaway as Host and Outlaw 2, Madeline Grace Jones as Julia, Erick Lindsey as Antonio, Angelynne Pawaan as Sylvia, Carter Piggee as Lance, Akoni Steinmann as Turio, Vandous Stripling II as Valentine, Emma Svitil as Eglamour, Michael Underhill as Pantino and Outlaw 1, and Lisa VillaMil as Lucetta.
"Mother Courage and her children" by Bertolt Brecht. Directed by Rosa Joshi
"Mother Courage and her children" by Bertolt Brecht. Directed by Rosa Joshi
Spring 2023
Production:
Mother Courage and her children
by Bertolt Brecht
directed by Rosa Joshi
First Year Workshop:
TWELVE OPHELIAS
( a play with broken songs)
by Caridad Svich
Directed by Jesse Perez
2nd Year Thesis 2023: one night festival of solo plays created and performed by the Class of 2023
Fall 2022
The Old Globe Theatre
Fall Shakespeare Production
Measure for Measure
directed by Old Globe Resident Artist
Delicia Turner Sonnenberg
Photography by Rich Soublet
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Measure for Measure is one of Shakespeare’s richest plays, mixing comedy and drama in a thrilling story of love and power. In a decadent Vienna - in the power of the 1980's: the strict, newly appointed leader Angelo wants to rid the city of moral decay—until he falls for a young woman pleading for the life of her brother. Justice, lust, hypocrisy, and redemption take center stage along with a wild cast of characters in a bold staging of this timely classic, featuring the best American classical actors of tomorrow, who are now in training at the Globe and USD. Tickets available Nov. 12th - November 20th! Limited Engagement! “Shakespeare is central to The Old Globe, and so is the professional actor training we do at The Old Globe and USD Shiley Graduate Theatre Program,” said Erna Finci Viterbi Artistic Director Barry Edelstein. “A highlight of each year here is our chance to watch the great classical actors of tomorrow engage with a major Shakespeare play as part of their development. Measure for Measure, with its unusual comic tone and its charged insights into the intersections of sexuality and power, is one of Shakespeare’s most provocative plays, and it’s sure to be a memorable evening in the theatre, especially in the capable hands of director Delicia Turner Sonnenberg, a Globe Resident Artist. I look forward to sharing it with our audiences” Measure for Measure will be performed live by the M.F.A. students from The Old Globe and University of San Diego Shiley Graduate Theatre Program. The cast of 14 features Jose Balistrieri, Luana Fontes, Madeline Jones, Sarah Joyce, Camilla Leonard, Becca Lustgarten, Carter Piggee, Jeffrey Rashad, Bernadette Sefic, Vandous Stripling II, Emma Svitil, Jude Tibeau, Michael Underhill, and Maggie Walters.
The Class of 2023 and the Class of 2024
Bernadette Sefic(2023) as Mistress Overdone - center, Emma Svitil(2024) center floor, Vandous Stripling II(2024) - left, Carter Piggee (2024) right
MFA Actors in the Fall 2022 Old Globe Theatre Shakespeare Production directed by Delicia Turner Sonnenberg
The Class of 2023 and the Class of 2024
directed by Patricia McGregor Picture: Brett Cassidy, Maggie Walters, Camilla Leonard, Jacqui Dupré as Fairies Photo by Rich Soublet II
The Old Globe Theatre directed by Patricia McGregor picture: Bernadette Sefic(2023) and Jeffrey Rashad(2023) photo by Rich Soublet II
Directed by Shana Cooper picture: Deborah Ann Woll and James Udom Photo by: Jim Cox
directed by Patricia McGregor Picture: Brett Cassidy, Maggie Walters, Camilla Leonard, Jacqui Dupré as Fairies Photo by Rich Soublet II
Summer 2022
The Old Globe:
Taming of the Shrew and
A Midsummer Night's Dream
Taming of the Shrew Directed by Shana Cooper June 5th - July 10th 2022 Lowell Davies Festival Theatre “After a two-year absence, Shakespeare returns to the Globe’s outdoor Festival stage with a riotous and deeply inventive new production of The Taming of the Shrew,” said Erna Finci Viterbi Artistic Director Barry Edelstein. “One of Shakespeare’s most famous comedies, it’s given a fresh, modern, and wildly energetic production by Shana Cooper, a renowned interpreter of the Bard’s works. She takes the play very seriously even as she mines new levels of romance and laughter in its complex views of gender, power, and love. San Diego audiences will enjoy this Shrew under the stars, and we could not be happier to welcome them again.” Shana Cooper directs a cast of 20, which includes Armando Durán as Baptista (Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s A View from the Bridge), Felicity Jones Latta as Tranio (Broadway’s Metamorphoses), Orville Mendoza as Grumio (Broadway’s Pacific Overtures), Jesse J. Perez as Gremio (The Old Globe’s El Borracho, Romeo and Juliet), Cassia Thompson as Bianca (The Book Club Play), John Tufts as Hortensio, Biondello, and Merchant (Pride and Prejudice, Lucille Lortel nomination), James Udom as Petrucio (Joel Coen’s Macbeth with Denzel Washington, Lincoln Center’s The Rolling Stone), and Deborah Ann Woll as Katherine (Karen Page in Netflix’s “Daredevil,” Jessica Hamby in HBO’s “True Blood”). The cast also includes students in The Old Globe and University of San Diego Shiley Graduate Theatre Program: Henian Boone (Vincentio, Ensemble), Brett Cassidy (Peter, Ensemble), Jacqui Dupré (Tailor, Nicholas, Ensemble), Savannah Faye as (Philip, Ensemble), Komi M. Gbeblewou (Nathaniel, Ensemble), Camilla Leonard (Ensemble), Becca Lustgarten (Widow, Joseph, Ensemble), Jeffrey Rashad (Haberdasher, Ensemble), Bernadette Sefic (Curtis, Police Officer, Ensemble), Jude Tibeau (Lucentio), Nathan VanAtta (Sugarsop, Police Officer, Ensemble), and Maggie Walters (Ensemble). In addition to Cooper, the creative team includes scenic design by Wilson Chin, costume design by Ásta Bennie Hostetter, lighting design by Stephen Strawbridge, sound design by Paul Peterson and Paul James Prendergast, original music by Paul James Prendergast, voice and text coach Ursula Meyer, movement consultant Tiffany Rachelle Stewart, casting by Alaine Alldaffer, CSA and Lisa Donadio, production stage manager Marie Jahelka, and assistant stage manager Kendra Stockton.
A Midsummer Night's Dream Directed by Patricia McGregor July 31st - September 4th Lowell Davies Festival Stage “Patricia McGregor has graced San Diego and the Globe with her abundant talent for years now, and as she departs our city to become Artistic Director of the great and important New York Theatre Workshop, we can’t imagine a better curtain call than her amazing new production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” said Erna Finci Viterbi Artistic Director Barry Edelstein. “Shakespeare is one of Patricia’s loves, and this magical, funny, and totally marvelous play will allow her abundant talents to flourish. From the romantic lovers to the winsome fairies to the slapstick ‘mechanicals,’ Midsummer is chock full of delights. It really is the perfect play for this director, and the perfect Shakespeare to experience under the starts on a balmy San Diego summer night. This is a show that’s certain to be unforgettable.” Patricia McGregor directs a cast of 20, which includes Karen Aldridge as Titania (Broadway’s Matilda The Musical, FX’s “Fargo”), Celeste Arias as Helena (The Old Globe’s Uncle Vanya, Off Broadway’s Anatomy of a Suicide), Paul James as Oberon (Showtime’s “I Love That for You,” Netflix’s “Soundtrack”), Jake Millgard as Bottom (The Old Globe’s Trouble in Mind, Macbeth), Victor Morris as Egeus (The Old Globe’s Trouble in Mind, Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s Twelfth Night), Carter Piggee as Fairy (The Old Globe’s The Taming of the Shrew, MOXIE’s Ironbound), Christopher Michael Rivera as Puck (Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles’s Henry IV, Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream), Jamie Ann Romero as Hermia (Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s Shakespeare in Love, Off Broadway’s Dracula), and Miki Vale as DJ (The Old Globe’s Globe for All Tour’s Measure for Measure, Shakespeare: Call and Response). The cast also includes students in The Old Globe and University of San Diego Shiley Graduate Theatre Program: Brett Cassidy (Theseus, Mustardseed), Jacqui Dupré (Peaseblossom), Savannah Faye (Starveling), Komi M. Gbeblewou (Snout),Camilla Leonard (Hippolyta, Cobweb), Becca Lustgarten (Quince), Jeffrey Rashad (Demetrius), Bernadette Sefic (Lysander), Jude Tibeau (Snug, Fairy), Nathan VanAtta (Flute), and Maggie Walters (Moth, First Fairy).
Spring 2022
Thesis Project:
"...And Then Some Light Gets In"
May 9th 2022 Studio Theatre - University of San Diego A collaborative workshop class dedicated to supporting, mentoring, creating, and producing the 2nd year MFA Actor Thesis Project - a solo acting performance written by the actor. Coursework includes in-depth discussions with feedback, research, writing sessions, brainstorming, rehearsals,tech, and perfortmance. Guest Artist Professor and the Old Globe Director of New Plays and Dramaturgy, Danielle Mages Amato, guides this 2nd year class of amazing artists to their opening night - May 9th 2022.
Thesis Project 2022
Thesis Project 2022
Thesis Project 2022
Thesis Project 2022
Directed by Dawn M. Simmons picture: Jeffrey Rashad and Maggie Walters photo by Camilla Leonard
Directed by Dawn M. Simmons picture: Becca Lustgarten and Bernadette Sefic photo by: Camilla Leonard
Directed by Dawn M. Simmons picture: Bernadette Sefic photo by Mark Holmes
Directed by Dawn M. Simmons picture: Jeffrey Rashad and Maggie Walters photo by Camilla Leonard
Spring 2022
PlayOn Macbeth
Directed by Dawn M. Simmons Adaptation by Migdalia Cruz April 22nd - April 24th 2022 Shakespeare's classic gets a contemporary adaptation by Migdalia Cruz in a staged reading with a rotating cast every night!In Migdalia Cruz’s Macbeth, the Witches run the world. The Macbeths live out a dark cautionary tale of love, greed, and power, falling from glory into calamity as the Witches spin their fate. Translating Shakespeare’s language for a modern audience, Nuyorican playwright Migdalia Cruz rewrites Macbeth with all the passion of the Bronx.Please join us for any and all performances as this rotating cast of actors explore identity and power from all perspectives.Each performance has a different rotating cast. Maggie Walters - Macbeth Jeffrey Rashad - Lady Macbeth Bernadette Sefic - Banquo Jude Tibeau - Macduff | Witch 1 Becca Lustgarten - Witch 2 Camilla Leonard - Malcolm | Witch 3 Bernadette Sefic - Macbeth Becca Lustgarten - Lady Macbeth Jeffrey Rashad - Banquo Camilla Leonard - Macduff | Witch 1 Maggie Walters - Witch 2 Jude Tibeau - Malcolm | Witch 3 Jude Tibeau - Macbeth Camilla Leonard - Lady Macbeth Maggie Walters - Banquo Becca Lustgarten - Macduff | Witch 1 Jeffrey Rashad - Witch 2 Bernadette Sefic - Malcolm | Witch 3
Spring 2022
The Skin of Our Teeth
Directed by Matt Morrow by Thorton Wilder photography by Daren Scott Studio Theatre - University of San Diego February 25-27 2022 GEORGE ANTROBUS-Jude Tibeau MAGGIE ANTROBUS-Jacqui Dupré SABINA -Henian Boone HENRY 1, FORTUNE TELLER, GLADYS 3-Becca Lustgarten MR. FITZPATRICK, PROFESSOR, CONVEENER-Komi M. Gbeblewou JUDGE, CONVEENER, BROADCAST OFFICIAL, ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER-Brett Cassidy MAMMOTH, MUSES, GLADYS 2, IVY -Savannah Faye GLADYS 1, CONVEENER, BROADCAST ASSISTANT, HESTER-Camilla Leonard ANNOUNCER 1, DOCTOR, CONVEENER, CHAIR PUSHER, HENRY 3-Nathan VanAtta TELEGRAPH BOY, ANNOUNCER 2, CONVEENER, MR. BAILEY-Bernadette Sefic DINOSAUR, HOMER, HENRY 2, MR. TREYMANE-Jeffrey Rashad
Directed by Matt Morrow photo by Daren Scott
Directed by Matt Morrow photo by Daren Scott
Directed by Matt Morrow photo by Daren Scott
Directed by Matt Morrow photo by Daren Scott