Performances Will Run JANUARY 27 THROUGH MARCH 4, 2018

PHOTO EDITORS: Advance photos for The Importance of Being Earnest are available by clicking here.

SAN DIEGO (January 5, 2018)—The Old Globe’s 2017–2018 Season continues with today’s announcement of the complete cast and creative team of a top-notch revival of Oscar Wilde’s endlessly entertaining comedy The Importance of Being Earnest. Maria Aitken will direct the Globe’s handsome production of this timeless world classic—an unmissable opportunity to see what the London Telegraph calls “the most perfect comedy in the English language.” The Importance of Being Earnest will run January 27 – March 4, 2018 on the Donald and Darlene Shiley Stage in the Old Globe Theatre, part of the Globe’s Conrad Prebys Theatre Center. Tickets start at $30.00 and are on sale now to the general public. Previews run January 27–31. Opening night is Thursday, February 1 at 8:00 p.m.

Oscar Wilde’s wildly entertaining comedy sparkles with dazzling wordplay and hilariously unlikely situations. This “trivial comedy for serious people” features two carefree bachelors, Jack and Algernon, each with a carefully hidden double life. But when Algernon discovers that Jack has been posing as a man named Ernest to escape to the city, he promptly travels to Jack’s country estate to pose as the fictional figure himself! Silliness ensues with whimsical ingénues, jealous fiancées, indomitable dowagers, and the most famous handbag in theatre history.

The cast features Kate Abbruzzese (Hon. Gwendolen Fairfax), Sam Avishay (Merriman), Helen Carey (Lady Bracknell), Helen Cespedes (Cecily Cardew), Christian Conn (Algernon Moncrieff), Rodney Gardiner (Rev. Canon Chasuble), Daniel Harray (Lane, Moulton), Jane Ridley (Miss Prism), and Matt Schwader (John “Jack” Worthing).

The creative team includes Hugh Landwehr (Scenic Design), Fabio Toblini (Costume Design), Philip S. Rosenberg (Lighting Design), Fitz Patton (Sound Design), David Huber (Voice and Dialect Coach), Caparelliotis Casting (Casting), and Anjee Nero (Production Stage Manager).

“World-class revivals of the world’s classics have always been an important part of The Old Globe’s work, and this splendid and hilarious production of The Importance of Being Earnest continues this theatre’s legacy of excellence,” said Erna Finci Viterbi Artistic Director Barry Edelstein. “I am thrilled to welcome the great Maria Aitken here for her Globe debut. Along with a distinguished acting career that saw her perform in more than one production of this play, she has forged a directing career notable for its accomplishment in high comedy. There’s no director in whose hands I’d rather see this gloriously witty play, and the actors and designers Maria has gathered promise a beguiling and wild night of Wilde.”

The Importance of Being Earnestis supported in part through gifts from the Jean and Gary Shekhter Fund for Classic Theatre and Production Sponsors Nikki and Ben Clay, Ann Davies, Silvija and Brian Devine, Jean and Gary Shekhter, Darlene Marcos Shiley, United Airlines, and The Erna Finci Viterbi Artistic Director Fund. Financial support is provided by The City of San Diego.

Oscar Wilde (Playwright, 1854–1900) was born in Dublin, Ireland, and attended University of Oxford, where he proved to be a brilliant scholar, winning the Newdigate Prize for his poem “Ravenna.” His first collection, Poems, was published in 1881. His only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, was published in 1890 and was widely condemned by Victorian critics for its “immoral” content, but it remains one of his most acclaimed works. In the subsequent years, Mr. Wilde had enormous success on stage with his comedies Lady Windermere’s Fan (1892), A Woman of No Importance (1893), An Ideal Husband (1895), and The Importance of Being Earnest (1895). His play Salome (1893), written in French, was refused a license in London but, 13 years later, was adapted by Richard Strauss into a successful opera. The Marquess of Queensberry strongly disapproved of the playwright, and a quarrel ensued that eventually led to Mr. Wilde’s imprisonment for homosexuality. He was sentenced to two years hard labor and was released in 1897. He moved to France under the name Sebastian Melmoth and, while there, wrote his famous poem “The Ballad of Reading Gaol.” He died in exile in 1900.

Maria Aitken (Director) just directed August Strindberg’s Creditors at American Players Theatre. Her previous credits include Tartuffe and Heartbreak House (Resident Ensemble Players), The Cocktail Hour (Guthrie Theater), Bedroom Farce, Private Lives, Educating Rita, The Cocktail Hour, and The Seagull (Huntington Theatre Company), Man and Boy (Broadway, West End, tour), The Gift (Melbourne Theatre Company, Geffen Playhouse), Private Lives and As You Like It (Shakespeare Theatre Company, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre), Quartermaine’s Terms (Williamstown Theatre Festival), The 39 Steps (Broadway, Tony Award nomination for Best Direction of a Play, Olivier Award-winning nine-year West End production, Helpmann Award), Japes (Bay Street Theater), The Mystery of Irma Vep and Happy Family (West End), After the Ball Was Over (The Old Vic), and The Rivals (Court Theatre). Ms. Aitken has taught courses in high comedy at the British American Drama Academy, The Juilliard School, Yale School of Drama, New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, The Actors Center, Academy for Classical Acting, and Royal National Theatre Studio. As leading actress, she has appeared in the West End productions of Blithe Spirit and Bedroom Farce (National Theatre), Travesties and Waste (Olivier Award nomination for Best Actress), The Happiest Days of Your Life (Royal Shakespeare Company), Humble Boy, Sylvia, Other People’s Money, The Vortex, The Women, Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All for You, Design for Living, Private Lives (Olivier Award nomination for Actress of the Year in a Revival), and A Little Night Music. She also appeared in the film A Fish Called Wanda (BAFTA nomination for Best Actress in a Supporting Role). Ms. Aitken is the author of A Girdle Round the Earth and Style: Acting in High Comedy. She received a Master of Arts from University of Oxford in English Language and Literature, and she is a Trustee of the Noel Coward Foundation.

Additional events taking place during the run of The Importance of Being Earnest include:

VICKI AND CARL ZEIGER INSIGHTS SEMINAR: Tuesday, January 30 at 5:30 p.m.

An opportunity to closely connect with productions both onstage and backstage. A panel selected from the artistic company of each show (playwrights, actors, directors, designers, and/or technicians) engages patrons in an informal and illuminating presentation of ideas and insights to enhance the theatregoing experience. Reception at 5:00 p.m. FREE.

SUBJECT MATTERS: Saturday, February 3 following the 2:00 p.m. matinee.

Explore the ideas and issues raised by a production through brief, illuminating post-show discussions with local experts, such as scientists, artists, historians, and scholars. Subject Matters will ignite discussion, bring the play’s concerns into sharp focus, and encourage you to think beyond the stage! FREE.

POST-SHOW FORUMS: Tuesdays, February 6 and February 13, and Wednesday, February 21.

Join us after the show for an informal and enlightening question-and-answer session with cast, crew, and/or Globe staff members. Get the inside story on creating a character and putting together a professional production. FREE.

OUT AT THE GLOBE 2018   Thursday, February 8 at 6:30 p.m., curtain at 8:00 p.m.
See The Importance of Being Earnest in an evening for the whole LGBT community! This event includes three drinks from the wine and martini bar, delicious appetizers, door prizes, and a pre-show mixer. Featured guest Christian Conn (Algernon in Earnest) will give us a brief "inside scoop" on what it's like to play one of Oscar Wilde's most unforgettable characters, the witty and stylish Algernon Moncrieff. Everyone is welcome. Just $24 per person in addition to your theatre ticket. Sponsored by Sabuku Sushi.

SINGLE TICKETS to The Importance of Being Earneststart at $30.00 and are on sale now to the general public. Tickets can be purchased online at www.TheOldGlobe.org, by phone at (619) 23-GLOBE [234-5623], or by visiting the Box Office at 1363 Old Globe Way in Balboa Park. Discounts are available for full-time students, patrons 29 years of age and under, seniors, military members, and groups of 10 or more.

Performances begin on January 27, 2018 and continue through March 4, 2018. Performance times: Previews: Saturday, January 27 at 8:00 p.m.; Sunday, January 28 at 7:00 p.m.; Tuesday, January 30 at 7:00 p.m.; and Wednesday, January 31 at 7:00 p.m. Opening night is Thursday, February 1 at 8:00 p.m. Regular performances (February 2 – March 4): Tuesday and Wednesday evenings at 7:00 p.m., Thursday and Friday evenings at 8:00 p.m., Saturdays at 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., and Sundays at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. There will be an additional matinee performance on Wednesday, February 21 at 2:00 p.m. and no matinee performance on Saturday, February 24 at 2:00 p.m.

LOCATION and PARKING INFORMATION: The Old Globe is located in San Diego’s Balboa Park at 1363 Old Globe Way. Through a special arrangement with the San Diego Zoo, Old Globe evening ticket-holders have the opportunity to pre-purchase valet parking in the Zoo’s employee parking structure. With a drop-off point just a short walk to the Globe, theatregoers may purchase fast, easy, convenient valet parking for just $14 per vehicle per evening. Pre-paid only, available only by phone through the Old Globe Box Office. Call (619) 234-5623 or visit
www.theoldglobe.org/plan-your-visit/directions--parking/valet-parking. The Balboa Park valet is also available during performances, located in front of the Japanese Friendship Garden. For additional parking information visit www.BalboaPark.org.

There are numerous free parking lots available throughout the park. Guests may also be dropped off in front of the Mingei International Museum. There is a 10-minute zone at The Old Globe, used only for daytime deliveries, ticket purchases, and handicapped access dropoff. For directions and up-to-date information, please visit www.theoldglobe.org/plan-your-visit/directions--parking/detailed-directions.

PLEASE NOTE: To look up online or GPS directions to The Old Globe, please do not use the Delivery Address above. For GPS users, please click here for the map coordinates, and here for written directions to The Old Globe and nearby parking in Balboa Park.

CALENDAR: The Importance of Being Earnest (1/27/18–3/4), Uncle Vanya (2/10–3/11), AXIS: Give Love San Diego (2/10), American Mariachi (3/23–4/29), AXIS: Mariachi Reyna (3/31), The Wanderers (4/6–5/6), AXIS: Happy Birthday, Mr. Shakespeare! (4/21), A Thousand Splendid Suns (5/12–6/17), Native Gardens (5/26–6/24), The Tempest (6/17–7/22), Dr. Seuss’s The Lorax (7/2–8/12), Barefoot in the Park (7/28–8/26), Much Ado About Nothing (8/12–9/16), 2018 Globe Gala (9/22).

PHOTO EDITORS: Digital images of The Old Globe’s productions are available at www.theoldglobe.org/press-room.

The Tony Award-winning Old Globe is one of the country’s leading professional regional theatres and has stood as San Diego’s flagship arts institution for over 80 years. Under the leadership of Erna Finci Viterbi Artistic Director Barry Edelstein and Managing Director Timothy J. Shields, The Old Globe produces a year-round season of 15 productions of classic, contemporary, and new works on its three Balboa Park stages: the Donald and Darlene Shiley Stage in the 600-seat Old Globe Theatre and the 250-seat Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre, both part of The Old Globe’s Conrad Prebys Theatre Center, and the 605-seat outdoor Lowell Davies Festival Theatre, home of its internationally renowned Shakespeare Festival. More than 250,000 people attend Globe productions annually and participate in the theatre’s artistic and arts engagement programs. Numerous world premieres such as the 2014 Tony Award winner for Best Musical, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, Meteor Shower, Bright Star, Allegiance, The Full Monty, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels,and the annual holiday musical Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas! have been developed at The Old Globe and have gone on to enjoy highly successful runs on Broadway and at regional theatres across the country.

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CAST AND CREATIVE TEAM BIOGRAPHIES

Kate Abbruzzese (Hon. Gwendolen Fairfax) appeared in the Off Broadway workshops of As You Like It (The Public Theater) and Describe the Night (Atlantic Theater Company). Her regional credits include Miranda in The Tempest and Allie in Dairyland (Chautauqua Theater Company), Portia and Casca in Julius Caesar, the title role in Hamlet, and Susie in Parasite Drag (Shakespeare & Company), Perdita in The Winter’s Tale (Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival), Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice (Baltimore Center Stage), the title role in Sylvia (Florida Studio Theatre), and Desdemona in Othello (Tennessee Shakespeare Company). Ms. Abbruzzese’s film and television credits include The Chaperone and “NCIS: New Orleans.” She received a B.A. from Vassar College and an M.F.A. from New York University Graduate Acting. She is also the recipient of the Molly Thatcher Kazan Memorial Award and the Olympia Dukakis Scholarship.

Sam Avishay (Merriman) was last seen at the Globe in Hamlet and King Richard II. He is an M.F.A. student at The Old Globe and University of San Diego Shiley Graduate Theatre Program. His prior credits include Prince/Chorus in Romeo and Juliet, Chuck in The Maderati, Chorus in Ajax, and Thurio in The Two Gentlemen of Verona (Globe/USD). Prior to beginning graduate studies at the University of San Diego, he studied cooking and butchery at Chez Panisse in Berkeley and Eatrip in Tokyo. He received his B.A. in History with a focus on International Food History from UC Berkeley. He speaks Hebrew, French, and Spanish and has studied Japanese and Arabic. @sammax.jpeg on Instagram.

Helen Carey (Lady Bracknell) appeared on Broadway in the six-time Tony Award-winning production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and in Pygmalion and London Assurance (Tony Award nomination, Theatre World Award, Joe A. Callaway Award). Her other credits include The School for Scandal and Arms and the Man (Stratford Festival), Kate Keller in All My Sons (Abbey Theatre), Mary Tyrone in Long Day’s Journey into Night (Arena Stage), and Phyllis in Follies (Signature Theatre Company), and well as many major roles at Guthrie Theater and Shakespeare Theatre Company, where she is a long-standing company member. Ms. Carey holds three Helen Hayes Awards for her Washington, DC appearances. Her film credits include Julie & Julia, The Next Three Days, and Black Knight. She has appeared in several popular television series, among them “BrainDead,” “The Good Wife,” “Brotherhood,” “Law & Order,” and “Seinfeld.”

Helen Cespedes (Cecily Cardew) has appeared in New York in The Cripple of Inishmaan (Broadway), The Rose Tattoo with Patti LuPone and Bobby Cannavale (benefit for The Acting Company), The School for Scandal (Red Bull Theater), A Picture of Autumn (Mint Theater Company), and Couriers and Contrabands (TimeLine Theatre Company). Her regional credits include Taking Steps (Barrington Stage Company), The Women of Padilla (Two River Theater), the world premiere of José Rivera’s Another Word for Beauty (Goodman Theatre, New York Stage and Film), The Importance of Being Earnest (Williamstown Theatre Festival), world premiere of Beth Henley’s Laugh and Tribes (Studio Theatre), and Love’s Labour’s Lost (Chautauqua Theater Company). Film and television credits include The Way I Remember It starring Christine Ebersole and “The Knick” (Cinemax). Ms. Cespedes trained at The Juilliard School, where she received the John Houseman Prize.

Christian Conn (Algernon Moncrieff) made his Globe debut playing Damis in The Metromaniacs in 2016; he originated the role at Shakespeare Theatre Company and will reprise it this spring in New York. His other theatre credits include Desire Under the Elms (Broadway), The Liar (Classic Stage Company), The School for Scandal (Red Bull Theater), Fulfillment (The Flea Theater), Other Desert Cities (Guthrie Theater), Venus in Fur (Studio Theatre, Pittsburgh Public Theater), The Liar, The Beaux’ Stratagem, and Love’s Labor’s Lost (Shakespeare Theatre Company), The Grapes of Wrath and Philadelphia, Here I Come! (Asolo Repertory Theatre), Angels in America and All My Sons (PlayMakers Repertory Company), four seasons with The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, three seasons with The Eugene O’Neill Theater Center, and one with The Acting Company. His television and film credits include “Unforgettable,” The (718), and “Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn.” He received a B.F.A. from Rutgers University. christianconn.com.

Rodney Gardiner (Rev. Canon Chasuble) has appeared at Oregon Shakespeare Festival over eight seasons as Cassius in Julius Caesar, Blacksmith in Unison, Feste in Twelfth Night, Tinman in The Wiz, Nathan Detroit in Guys and Dolls, Dromio of Louisiana and Harlem in The Comedy of Errors, Cockney Quartet in My Fair Lady, Coughlin and Rook in The Unfortunates, and Ben Pettus in American Night. His other theatre credits include Off Broadway performances as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in The|King|Operetta, King Darius in The Persians, Kublai Khan in Marco Millions, and others (Waterwell) and Wailin’ Walter in his one-man blues narrative Episodes in Blue (various theatres and high schools around the New York Tri-State Area). Mr. Gardiner’s regional credits include Caesar Wilks in Gem of the Ocean (The Fountain Theatre, NAACP Theatre Award for Best Supporting Male), Willie in “Master Harold”… and the Boys (GableStage), and Cymbeline and Man of La Mancha (Utah Shakespeare Festival). He has also written for Waterwell and performed in Miami jails, rehab centers, and homeless shelters.

Daniel Harray (Lane, Moulton) is delighted to make his debut at The Old Globe. He has appeared Off Broadway in The 39 Steps directed by Maria Aitken (Union Square Theatre) and The Visitation (Witness). His regional credits include As You Like It, Don Juan, and The Beaux’ Stratagem (Shakespeare Theatre Company), Private Eyes and Wit (Seattle Repertory Theatre), Twelfth Night and The Beard of Avon (Portland Center Stage), The Father (Studio Theatre), The Taming of the Shrew and Titus Andronicus (Illinois Shakespeare Festival), 33 Variations (Festival Stage of Winston-Salem), The School for Scandal (New Harmony Theatre), Cyrano (Sierra Repertory Theatre), and The Importance of Being Earnest (Perseverance Theatre). Mr. Harray can be seen in season 5 of “Orange Is the New Black”and the independent feature film Hold Me. He holds a B.S. in Speech from Northwestern University and an M.F.A. from the Academy for Classical Acting. danielharray.com.

Jane Ridley (Miss Prism) is pleased to be performing for the first time at The Old Globe. Her recent roles include the indomitable Dr. Ruth Westheimer in the one-woman show Becoming Dr. Ruth and Juliana in The Other Place (Walnut Street Theatre), Betty Meeks in The Foreigner and Mistress Quickly in Henry V (Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival), and Carol in 4000 Days (Fulton Theatre). Her previous regional experience includes Private Lives (Shakespeare Theatre Company), Wit, Enchanted April, Noises Off, and Doubt (Fulton Theatre), Death of a Salesman and Hamlet (Mill Mountain Theatre), The Winter’s Tale, Morning’s at Seven, The Foreigner, and All’s Well That Ends Well (Utah Shakespeare Festival), and Twelfth Night and Henry V (Orlando Shakespeare Theater). Ms. Ridley’s one-person show, Mrs. Kemble’s Tempest, written by Tom Ziegler, has been seen at festivals in New York City and Edinburgh as well as regionally across this country. janeridley.net.

Matt Schwader (John Worthing) is making his debut with The Old Globe. He recently played Philip Lombard in And Then There Were None (Kansas City Actors Theatre). Prior to that, he was a core company member with American Players Theatre. He has also appeared with Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Court Theatre, Goodman Theatre, and Northlight Theatre in Chicago, as well as A Contemporary Theatre, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival, and Indiana Repertory Theatre. His favorite roles include Tristan Tzara in Travesties, Raskolnikov in Crime and Punishment, Orlando in As You Like It directed by Gary Griffin, Lelie in The Molière Comedies directed by Brian Bedford, and the title roles in Hamlet, The Great Gatsby, and Henry V. Mr. Schwader has done voice work for television, internet, and radio spots and appeared on NBC’s “Chicago P.D.” He holds an M.F.A. from the University of Delaware’s Professional Theatre Training Program, and he is a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association and SAG-AFTRA. mattschwader.com.

Hugh Landwehr (Scenic Design) has designed scenery throughout the United States. His work on Broadway has included productions of Frozen, Bus Stop, All My Sons, and A View from the Bridge. Off Broadway, he has designed Last Easter, Scattergood, Filumena, and The Baby Dance, among others. He has worked at many regional theatres, including Alley Theatre in Houston, Baltimore Center Stage, Long Wharf Theatre in New Haven, Guthrie Theater, Seattle Repertory Theatre, and many others. He has designed at Williamstown Theatre Festival, Berkshire Theatre Festival, and the Westport Country Playhouse. He is presently a faculty member of New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, and has taught at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, University of North Carolina School of the Arts, and Williams College. He is proud to have twice been the recipient of NEA grants as an Associate Artist, to have won the Mary L. Murphy Award in Design (administered by Long Wharf Theatre), and to be the 2003 winner of the Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Set Design. He was educated at Yale College.

Fabio Toblini (Costume Design) previously designed The Old Globe’s Kiss Me, Kate. His recent credits include A Flea in Her Ear (American Players Theatre), Tartuffe (Resident Ensemble Players), The Comedy of Errors (Hartford Stage), Les Liaisons Dangereuses (Baltimore Center Stage), Pip’s Island (Skylight Modern), and Afterplay (Irish Repertory Theatre). Mr. Toblini’s has designed regional productions at Guthrie Theater, Alley Theatre, Long Wharf Theatre, Children’s Theatre Company, Ford’s Theatre, and Studio Theatre. His opera credits include Santa Fe Opera, Wexford Festival Opera in Ireland, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Nationale Reisopera in the Netherlands, Landestheater in Austria, Gotham Chamber Opera, and Portland Opera. He designed the Broadway production of Romeo and Juliet and the original Off Broadway productions of Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Bat Boy: The Musical, and The Divine Sister. Mr. Toblini has received a 2015 Craig Noel Award nomination, 2015 Connecticut Critics Circle Award nomination, 2012 Connecticut Critics Circle Award,2008Irene Sharaff Young Master Award, and 2001 Lucille Lortel Award nomination. fabiotoblini.com.

Philip S. Rosenberg (Lighting Design) has designed the Broadway productions of The Elephant Man, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder,and It’s Only a Play. His Off Broadway credits include The Ruins of Civilization, The Explorer’s Club,and Cactus Flower. His regional credits include productions with The Old Globe, The Kennedy Center, La Jolla Playhouse, Ford’s Theatre, Guthrie Theater, TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, Hartford Stage, Huntington Theatre Company, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Shakespeare Theatre Company, Dallas Theater Center, Denver Center for the Performing Arts Theatre Company, Alley Theatre, Arena Stage, McCarter Theatre Center, Manhattan School of Music, Portland Stage, The Actors Company Theatre, Barrington Stage Company, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Dorset Theatre Festival, Bay Street Theater, Goodspeed Musicals, Two River Theater, George Street Playhouse, and Westport Country Playhouse.

Fitz Patton (Sound Design) previously sound designed the Globe productions of Ken Ludwig’s Robin Hood!, Constellations, The Winter’s Tale, Good People, and August: Osage County and provided original music for Robin Hood! and The Two Gentlemen of Verona. He is currently represented on Broadway with Meteor Shower and Three Tall Women. His other Broadway credits include Present Laughter, The Little Foxes, The Father, The Humans (Drama Desk Award), Blackbird, It’s Only a Play, An Act of God (Drama Desk nomination), Airline Highway, The Other Place, I’ll Eat You Last: A Chat with Sue Mengers, Outside Mullingar, Casa Valentina, The House of Blue Leaves, Brighton Beach Memoirs, and Broadway Bound. Mr. Patton’s many Off Broadway credits include the recent productions of The Other Place (Lucille Lortel Award nomination) and Yen (MCC Theater) and When the Rain Stops Falling (Lincoln Center Theater, Lortel and Drama Desk Awards). His symphony credits include The Holy Land. Mr. Patton is the founder of Chance Magazine, a theatre design magazine.

David Huber (Voice and Dialect Coach) has worked on the Globe productions of Hamlet, Ken Ludwig’s Robin Hood!, The Imaginary Invalid, Skeleton Crew, Red Velvet, The Blameless, Picasso at the Lapin Agile, October Sky, Meteor Shower, Sense and Sensibility, Macbeth, tokyo fish story, Camp David, Constellations, Rain, and Bright Star, among many others. His previous Globe acting credits include The Winter’s Tale, The Tempest, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, and The Merchant of Venice, among several others. He is a graduate of the Graduate Voice Teacher Diploma Program at York University in Toronto. His regional theatre credits include Actors Theatre of Louisville, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Pittsburgh Playhouse, PCPA Theaterfest, Texas Shakespeare Festival, Center REPertory Company, and Centennial Theater Festival, among many others. Mr. Huber coaches voice, speech, and acting privately and at several local colleges, and he also works with special-needs clients. He is a graduate of The Old Globe and University of San Diego Shiley Graduate Theatre Program.

Caparelliotis Casting (Casting) has cast the Globe productions of Uncle Vanya, Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, Ken Ludwig’s Robin Hood!, Skeleton Crew, Red Velvet, Picasso at the Lapin Agile, The Blameless, Meteor Shower, tokyo fish story, Constellations, The Last Match, Ken Ludwig’s Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery, Rich Girl, Arms and the Man, Buyer & Cellar, The White Snake, The Twenty-seventh Man, The Royale, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, Water by the Spoonful, Time and the Conways, Bethany, The Winter’s Tale, The Few, Double Indemnity, The Rainmaker, Other Desert Cities, Be a Good Little Widow, A Doll’s House, The Brothers Size, Pygmalion, and Good People. Their Broadway casting credits include Junk, Meteor Shower, A Doll’s House Part 2, The Front Page, Les Liaisons Dangereuses, The Glass Menagerie, Jitney, The Little Foxes, The Father, Blackbird, An Act of God, Airline Highway, Fish in the Dark, It’s Only a Play, Disgraced, Holler If Ya Hear Me, Casa Valentina, The Snow Geese, Orphans, The Trip to Bountiful, Grace, Dead Accounts, The Other Place, Seminar, The Columnist, Stick Fly, Good People, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, The House of Blue Leaves, Fences, Lend Me a Tenor, and The Royal Family. They also cast for Manhattan Theatre Club, Atlantic Theater Company, Signature Theatre Company, LCT3, Ars Nova, Goodman Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, McCarter Theatre Center, and Arena Stage, among others. Their film and television credits include HairBrained with Brendan Fraser, “American Odyssey” (NBC), “How to Get Away with Murder” (ABC pilot), “Ironside” (NBC), and Steel Magnolias (Sony for Lifetime).

Anjee Nero (Production Stage Manager) has previously worked on The Old Globe’s productions of Benny & Joon; King Richard II; Picasso at the Lapin Agile; October Sky; Kiss Me, Kate; The Twenty-seventh Man; Bright Star; Dog and Pony; The Winter’s Tale; Be a Good Little Widow; Allegiance; A Room with a View; Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show; The Savannah Disputation;and Kingdom. Ms. Nero also worked on the Broadway production of Bright Star and most recently launched the first national tour. Her selected La Jolla Playhouse credits include Sideways directed by Des McAnuff, Ruined directed by Liesl Tommy, A Midsummer Night’s Dream directed by Christopher Ashley, and Herringbone directed by Roger Rees and starring BD Wong. Ms. Nero has worked with several prominent regional theatres including The Kennedy Center, Center Theatre Group (Ahmanson and Kirk Douglas Theatres), Hartford Stage, SITI Company, Huntington Theatre Company, and Berkeley Repertory Theatre to name a few, in addition to having toured nationally and internationally with various organizations.

THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST

By Oscar Wilde

Directed by Maria Aitken

RUNS: January 27 – March 4, 2018.

Donald and Darlene Shiley Stage, Old Globe Theatre, Conrad Prebys Theatre Center.

TICKETS: Ticket prices start at $30.00.

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SYNOPSIS: Oscar Wilde’s wildly entertaining comedy sparkles with dazzling wordplay and hilariously unlikely situations. This “trivial comedy for serious people” features two carefree bachelors, Jack and Algernon, each with a carefully hidden double life. But when Algernon discovers that Jack has been posing as a man named Ernest to escape to the city, he promptly travels to Jack’s country estate to pose as the fictional figure himself! Silliness ensues with whimsical ingénues, jealous fiancées, indomitable dowagers, and the most famous handbag in theatre history. The Globe’s lavish production of this timeless classic offers the unmissable opportunity to see what the London Telegraph calls “the most perfect comedy in the English language.”

CAST: Kate Abbruzzese (Hon. Gwendolen Fairfax), Sam Avishay (Merriman), Helen Carey (Lady Bracknell), Helen Cespedes (Cecily Cardew), Christian Conn (Algernon Moncrieff), Rodney Gardiner (Rev. Canon Chasuble), Daniel Harray (Lane, Moulton), Jane Ridley (Miss Prism), Matt Schwader (John “Jack” Worthing).

CREATIVE TEAM: Hugh Landwehr (Scenic Design), Fabio Toblini (Costume Design), Philip S. Rosenberg (Lighting Design), Fitz Patton (Sound Design), David Huber (Voice and Dialect Coach), Caparelliotis Casting (Casting), Anjee Nero (Production Stage Manager).

BOX OFFICE WINDOW HOURS: 12:00 noon to final curtain Tuesday through Sunday. American Express, Discover, MasterCard, and VISA accepted.
(619) 23-GLOBE [234-5623].

LOCATION: The Old Globe is located in San Diego’s Balboa Park at 1363 Old Globe Way. Free parking is available throughout the park. Valet parking is also available ($14, advance reservation).

PHOTOS: Digital images of Globe productions are available at TheOldGlobe.org/press-room.

PREVIEW PERFORMANCES:

Jan 27 SAT 8:00pm

Jan 28 SUN 7:00pm

Jan 30 TUE 7:00pm (Vicki and Carl Zeiger
Insights Seminar)

Jan 31 WED 7:00pm

OPENING NIGHT: Feb 1 THU 8:00pm

REGULAR PERFORMANCES:

Feb 2 FRI 8:00pm

Feb 3 SAT 2:00pm (Subject Matters)

Feb 3 SAT 8:00pm

Feb 4 SUN 2:00pm

Feb 4 SUN 7:00pm

Feb 6 TUE 7:00pm (Post-Show Forum)

Feb 7 WED 7:00pm

Feb 8 THU 8:00pm

Feb 9 FRI 8:00pm

Feb 10 SAT 2:00pm

Feb 10 SAT 8:00pm

Feb 11 SUN 2:00pm

Feb 11 SUN 7:00pm

Feb 13 TUE 7:00pm (Post-Show Forum)

Feb 14 WED 7:00pm

Feb 15 THU 8:00pm

Feb 16 FRI 8:00pm

Feb 17 SAT 2:00pm

Feb 17 SAT 8:00pm

Feb 18 SUN 2:00pm

Feb 18 SUN 7:00pm

Feb 20 TUE 7:00pm

Feb 21 WED 2:00pm

Feb 21 WED 7:00pm (Post-Show Forum)

Feb 22 THU 8:00pm

Feb 23 FRI 8:00pm

Feb 24 SAT 8:00pm

Feb 25 SUN 2:00pm

Feb 25 SUN 7:00pm

Feb 27 TUE 7:00pm

Feb 28 WED 7:00pm

Mar 1 THU 8:00pm

Mar 2 FRI 8:00pm

Mar 3 SAT 2:00pm

Mar 3 SAT 8:00pm

Mar 4 SUN 2:00pm

Mar 4 SUN 7:00pm

PRESS CONTACTS:

Susan Chicoine (619) 238-0043 x2352 / 325-9416
   schicoine@TheOldGlobe.org

Alejandra Enciso-Dardashti (619) 238-0043 x2356
   aenciso@TheOldGlobe.org