Destiny of Desire Cast and Creative Announcement

The Old Globe
announces the full cast and creative team for
Destiny of Desire – An Unapologetic Telenovela for the Stage
written by Helen Hayes Award winner Karen Zacarías,
directed by Tony Award winner Ruben Santiago-Hudson

Performances run May 19 through June 25, 2023,
with the opening on Friday, May 26

Tickets go on sale this Friday!

PHOTO EDITORS: Photos of Destiny of Desire can be found here.

SAN DIEGO (April 7, 2023) – The Old Globe is pleased to announce the full cast and creative team for Destiny of Desire – An Unapologetic Telenovela for the Stage, a smart, contemporary comedy written by Helen Hayes Award winner Karen Zacarías and directed by Tony Award winner and Academy Award nominee Ruben Santiago-Hudson. Zacarías and Santiago-Hudson return to the Globe after their critically acclaimed productions of Native Gardens and August Wilson’s Jitney, respectively. Performances begin May 19 and play through June 25, 2023, with the opening on Friday, May 26 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. Destiny of Desire is produced with the generous support of The Foxboro Company Inc./Nelle Nugent, Kenneth Teaton. Tickets go on sale on Friday, April 7 at 12:00 noon and will be available at www.TheOldGlobe.org.

The joys, tribulations, and plot twists of epic love are bursting onstage in this brilliantly funny homage to the telenovela. On a stormy night in Bellarica, Mexico, two babies are born—one into a life of outlandish wealth, and one into a life of poverty. When the newborns are swapped by a ruthless ex–beauty queen, the stage is set for two outrageous misfortunes to grow into an extraordinary destiny. Destiny of Desire explores the emotional rollercoaster and social commentary that make the telenovela the most popular form of storytelling on the planet.

“Destiny of Desire is a joyous work of theatre: funny, outlandish, and daring,” said Erna Finci Viterbi Artistic Director Barry Edelstein. “It also manages to be about some big ideas, from family to identity to the power of story itself to reframe and refashion our lives. Karen Zacarías, who is a close friend of The Old Globe, is doing something unique and fresh with it, and her partner in this work is the great Ruben Santiago-Hudson, another Globe friend and one of the giants in the American theatre. They have drawn an uncommonly gifted company of actors to San Diego to join them in their merry mayhem, and I cannot wait for audiences to experience the fun that’s in store.”

The cast for Destiny of Desire includes, in alphabetical order, Julio Agustín as Dr. Jorge Ramiro Mendoza, Yesenia Ayala as Pilar Esperanza Castillo, Carlos Gomez as Ernesto Del Rio, Mandy Gonzalez as Hortencia Del Rio, Ariella Kvashny as La Gente / u/s Pilar / u/s Victoria, Tito Livas as Dr. Diego Mendoza / u/s Ernesto, Bianca Marroquín as Fabiola Castillo, Tara Martinez as u/s Hortencia / u/s Fabiola / u/s Sister Sonia / u/s La Gente, James Olivas as Sebastián Jose Castillo, Christopher M. Ramirez as La Gente / u/s Sebastián / u/s Dr. Diego, Al Rodrigo as Armando Castillo, Emilia Suárez as Victoria Maria Del Rio, Nancy Ticotin as Sister Sonia, and Luis Villabon as u/s Armando / u/s Dr. Jorge / u/s La Gente.

In addition to Karen Zacarías and Ruben Santiago-Hudson, the creative team includes Lorna Ventura (Choreography), Ricky Gonzalez (Original Music, Music Supervision, Orchestrations, Arrangements, and Music Direction), Rachel Hauck (Scenic Design), Karen Perry (Costume Design), Jane Cox (Lighting Design), Robert Kaplowitz (Sound Design), Hana S. Kim (Projection Design), ARC (Casting), and James Latus (Production Stage Manager).

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

Destiny of Desire 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 May 19 – June 25, 2023, with the official press opening Friday, May 26 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 Saturday, May 20 at 2:00 p.m., Sunday, May 21 at 2:00 p.m., or Tuesday, June 20 at 7:00 p.m.; and a 2:00 p.m. matinee is scheduled for Wednesday, June 21. Tickets go on sale on Friday, April 7 at 12:00 noon and will be 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. Ticket prices start at $29. The Vicki and Carl Zeiger Insights Seminar, scheduled for Tuesday, May 23 at 6:00 p.m., will provide patrons an exploration of the themes and background of Destiny of Desire from selected artistic company members. Post-Show Forum events will be held on Tuesday, May 30; Tuesday, June 6; and Wednesday, June 14. Community Nights at The Old Globe will provide festive opportunities to connect over refreshments and conversation for the BIPOC community on Friday, May 19 and the LGBTQIA+ community on Tuesday, May 30. For additional information about Destiny of Desire, 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.

Destiny of Desire is supported by Major Production Sponsors Karen and Donald Cohn, Entravision, and Karen and Stuart Tanz; and Production Sponsor United. Additional 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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