The XIXth Cast and Creative Announcement

The Old Globe
announces the full cast and creative team for the
world premiere of
The XIXth (The Nineteenth),
written by Golden Globe Award winner Kemp Powers,
directed by NAACP Award winner Carl Cofield

Performances run March 17 to April 23, 2023,
with the opening on March 23

PHOTO EDITORS: Photos of The XIXth can be found here.

SAN DIEGO (February 9, 2023) The Old Globe is pleased to announce the full cast and creative team for the world premiere of The XIXth (The Nineteenth), written by Golden Globe Award winner Kemp Powers (Disney/Pixar’s Academy Award–winning animated feature Soul, Amazon’s Academy Award–nominated feature adaptation One Night in Miami… directed by Regina King)and directed by NAACP Award winner Carl Cofield (Classical Theatre of Harlem’s New York Times Critic’s Picks Seize the King and The Bacchae). Powers and Cofield collaborate once again after their critically acclaimed and award-winning world premiere of the stage production One Night in Miami… for Rogue Machine Theatre in Los Angeles, Miami New Drama, and Denver Center.Performances begin March 17 and play through April 23, 2023, with the opening on Thursday, March 23 on the Donald and Darlene Shiley Stage in the Old Globe Theatre, part of the Globe’s Conrad Prebys Theatre Center in San Diego’s Balboa Park. Tickets are now on sale at www.TheOldGlobe.org.

Mexico City, 1968. Two Black American sprinters, the fastest men on Earth, raise their fists in protest. Inspired by real events from the historic 19th Olympic Games, this suspenseful world-premiere play chronicles the intersection of sports and activism, and shows the life-changing repercussions of being a champion who chooses to speak out.

“The Nineteenth takes one of the most famous images in the history of sports and asks what makes it so indelible,” said Erna Finci Viterbi Artistic Director Barry Edelstein. “Playwright Kemp Powers, one of the most exciting storytellers working onstage and on screen today, looks at that image and sets his significant imagination to work. The result is the kind of play I love: driven by passion, full of drama, and focused on big American themes. Directed with verve and insight by Carl Cofield, it’s a striking evening in the theatre, and I’m thrilled to share it with Globe audiences.”

The cast for The XIXth includes Patrick Marron Ball as Pete, Christian Coulson as Neville, Michael Early as Jesse Owens, Biko Eisen-Martin as John Carlos (Los), Korey Jackson as Tommie, Kimberly Scott as Dora, and Nick Wyman as Avery.

Understudies include Manny Fernandes as Avery, Sarah Joyce as Dora, Jeffrey Rashad as John Carlos (Los), Vandous Stripling II as Tommie, Jude Tibeau as Jesse Owens, and Michael Underhill as Pete and Neville.

In addition to Kemp Powers and Carl Cofield, the creative team includes Riw Rakkulchon (Scenic Design), Mika Eubanks (Costume Design), Allen Lee Hughes (Lighting Design), David R. Molina (Original Music and Sound Design), Caparelliotis Casting (Casting), Marie Jahelka (Production Stage Manager), and Kendra Stockton (Assistant Stage Manager).

Bios and photos of all participants can be found at www.TheOldGlobe.org/Press-Room.

The XIXth (The Nineteenth) will play on the Donald and Darlene Shiley Stage in the Old Globe Theatre, part of the Globe’s Conrad Prebys Theatre Center in San Diego’s Balboa Park (1363 Old Globe Way). Performances for the six-week limited engagement run March 17 – April 23, 2023, with the official press opening on Thursday, March 23 at 8:00 p.m. The performance schedule is Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 7:00 p.m., Thursdays and Fridays 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. Notes: there is no performance on Tuesday, April 18 at 7:00 p.m., and a 2:00 p.m. matinee is scheduled for Wednesday, April 19. Tickets are available online at www.TheOldGlobe.org, by phone at (619) 23-GLOBE (234-5623), or in person at The Old Globe’s Box Office in Balboa Park. Regular ticket prices start at $29.The XIXth includes mature themes, profanity, and racially charged language. This production contains the use of herbal smoke and the sound of a gunshot. The Vicki and Carl Zeiger Insights Seminar is scheduled on Tuesday, March 21 at 6:00 p.m., and Post-Show Forum events will be held on Tuesday, March 28; Tuesday, April 11; and Wednesday, April 12. For additional information about The XIXth, visit www.TheOldGlobe.org.

In alignment with the State of California, which has removed mask and vaccine requirements for indoor events, The Old Globe will not require patrons to provide proof of vaccination or to wear masks while attending shows or events. However, the theatre still recommends mask-wearing while at the Globe, and patrons should feel comfortable wearing a mask anywhere on our campus if they choose.

The XIXth is supported by major production sponsors Ann Davies and Hal and Pam Fuson. Financial support for The Old Globe is provided by The City of San Diego. The Theodor and Audrey Geisel Fund provides leadership support for The Old Globe’s year-round activities.

The Tony Award–winning The Old Globe is one of the country’s leading professional not-for-profit regional theatres. Now in its 88th year, the Globe is San Diego’s flagship performing arts institution, and it serves a vibrant community with theatre as a public good. Under the leadership of Erna Finci Viterbi Artistic Director Barry Edelstein and the Audrey S. Geisel Managing Director Timothy J. Shields, The Old Globe produces a year-round season of 16 productions of classic, contemporary, and new works on its three Balboa Park stages, including its internationally renowned Shakespeare Festival. More than 250,000 people annually attend Globe productions and participate in the theatre’s artistic and arts engagement programs. Its nationally prominent Arts Engagement Department provides an array of participatory programs that make theatre matter to more people in neighborhoods throughout the region. Humanities programs at the Globe and around the city broaden the community’s understanding of theatre art in all its forms. The Globe also boasts a range of new play development programs with professional and community-based writers, as well as the renowned The Old Globe and University of San Diego Shiley Graduate Theatre Program. Numerous world premieres—such as 2014 Tony Award winner for Best Musical A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, Bright Star, The Full Monty, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, and Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas! —have been developed at The Old Globe and have gone on to highly successful runs on Broadway and at regional theatres across the country.

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