The Old Globe
The Old Globe is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit professional regional theatre founded in 1935 in San Diego that produces 16 annual productions across three Balboa Park stages, serving over 250,000 attendees yearly through mainstage work, free community touring, and arts education programs.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1935
- HeadquartersSan Diego, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What The Old Globe does
The Old Globe is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit professional regional theatre founded in 1935 in San Diego, California, and recognized as one of the largest nonprofit theatres in the United States outside of New York City. It operates three performance venues within the Conrad Prebys Theatre Center in Balboa Park — the 600-seat Old Globe Theatre (Donald and Darlene Shiley Stage), the 250-seat Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre, and the outdoor 612-seat Lowell Davies Festival Theatre — and produces a year-round season of 16 productions spanning classic plays, contemporary works, and world premieres, including signature annual productions of Dr. Seuss's How the Grinch Stole Christmas! and Ebenezer Scrooge's BIG San Diego Christmas Show.
The organization runs an extensive programmatic ecosystem beyond its mainstage work: the Globe for All tour delivers free Shakespeare and other productions to underserved communities, correctional facilities, and refugee centers across San Diego County and Tijuana; AXIS events provide free outdoor cultural programming; Discovery Programs and the USD Shiley MFA partnership deliver arts education; and the BIPOC Critics Lab (co-hosted with The Public Theater) develops emerging BIPOC theatre journalists. Approximately 250,000 people annually attend Globe productions or participate in these programs.
The Old Globe's revenue model blends earned and contributed income. Earned revenue comes from single tickets, season subscriptions, group sales, and gift certificates across the three stages. Contributed revenue is the larger economic base and includes individual donations at tiered levels (Friends of The Old Globe up to $2,999; Circle Patron tier from $3,000 to $200,000+), corporate partnerships across eight giving tiers (up to the Artistic Angel level at $200,000+), foundation grants (Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, Shubert Foundation, The Hearst Foundations, Price Philanthropies, San Diego Foundation), government grants (NEA, California Arts Council, City of San Diego Cultural Affairs — together representing less than 3% of the annual budget), and planned giving via the Craig Noel Legacy Society. The company is led by Erna Finci Viterbi Artistic Director Barry Edelstein and Audrey S. Geisel Managing Director Timothy J. Shields (with Trish Santini named as incoming Managing Director), under Board President Christian Buckley.
The Old Globe firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Old Globe
- Legal name
- The Old Globe Theatre dba The Globe Theatres
- Website
- https://theoldglobe.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1935
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- The Old Globe is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit professional regional theatre founded in 1935 in San Diego that produces 16 annual productions across three Balboa Park stages, serving over 250,000 attendees yearly through mainstage work, free community touring, and arts education programs.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where The Old Globe is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Diego
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Old Globe business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Ticket Sales: Revenue from single tickets, season packages, group discounts, and gift certificates for productions across its three stages.
- Individual Contributions and Annual Fund: Tax-deductible donations from individual patrons at various levels (Friends of The Old Globe, Circle Patron members at $3,000+), providing critical contributed income.
- Corporate Partnerships: Corporate sponsorships and memberships at various tiers (Artistic Angel $200,000+, Benefactor $100,000–$199,999, Ovation Circle $75,000–$99,999, Producer Circle $50,000–$74,999, Artist Circle $25,000–$49,999, Director Circle $10,000–$24,999, Founder Circle $5,000–$9,999, Craig Noel Circle $3,000–$4,999).
- Foundation and Government Grants: Funding from foundations (Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, Shubert Foundation, etc.) and government bodies (City of San Diego Cultural Affairs, California Arts Council, National Endowment for the Arts, etc.). Public support represents less than 3% of the annual budget.
- Planned Giving and Legacy Gifts: Bequests, charitable gift annuities, retirement account beneficiaries, charitable remainder trusts, charitable lead trusts, life insurance donations, and donor-advised funds arranged through estate planning.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Friends of The Old Globe: Contributor ($1–$249), Enthusiast ($250–$499), Fan ($500–$749), Advocate ($750–$1,499), Champion ($1,500–$2,999) |
| Subscription | Annual | Circle Patron: Craig Noel Circle ($3,000–$7,499), Founder Circle ($7,500–$12,499), Director Circle ($12,500–$24,999), Artist Circle ($25,000–$49,999), Producer Circle ($50,000–$74,999), Ovation Circle ($75,000–$99,999), Benefactor ($100,000–$199,999), Artistic Angel ($200,000+) |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels8 records
The Old Globe product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Old Globe is a professional nonprofit regional theatre that produces 16 annual productions of classic, contemporary, and new works across three Balboa Park stages. Its core offering consists of live theatrical performances — including the internationally renowned Summer Shakespeare Festival and annual holiday productions such as Dr. Seuss's How the Grinch Stole Christmas! — supplemented by arts engagement programming, educational initiatives, community touring, and a graduate MFA program in partnership with the University of San Diego.
Product overview
The Old Globe is a professional not-for-profit regional theatre producing year-round performances on three Balboa Park stages. The core offering consists of theatrical productions including classic plays, contemporary works, and world premieres, highlighted by the internationally renowned Summer Shakespeare Festival at the Lowell Davies Festival Theatre. The theatre operates the Old Globe Theatre, Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre, and Lowell Davies Festival Theatre within the Conrad Prebys Theatre Center. Beyond mainstage productions, the organization offers community engagement programs including the Globe for All Tour (free touring productions), AXIS Events (free outdoor cultural celebrations), and The 360 Project (community theatre showcase). Educational initiatives encompass Discovery Programs, Summer Shakespeare Studio, Camp Studio, and the MFA Program in partnership with the University of San Diego. Annual signature productions include Dr. Seuss's How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (now in its 28th year) and Ebenezer Scrooge's BIG San Diego Christmas Show. The organization also offers season subscription packages and group ticketing options.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- The Old Globe Theatre Productions Professional theatrical productions of classic, contemporary, and new works performed year-round on the Globe's three Balboa Park stages (Old Globe Theatre, Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre, Lowell Davies Festival Theatre). Marketed to general audiences, season subscribers, and group ticket buyers in the San Diego region.
- Dr. Seuss's How the Grinch Stole Christmas! Annual holiday musical adaptation of Dr. Seuss's How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, featuring the songs 'Santa for a Day,' 'You're a Mean One Mr. Grinch,' and 'Welcome Christmas.' Targeted at families and holiday audiences.
- Ebenezer Scrooge's BIG San Diego Christmas Show Comedic reimagining of Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol set in San Diego with local twists, featuring music and humor for audiences of all ages. Operates as a holiday-season alternative alongside Dr. Seuss's How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
- Season Packages Subscription packages (e.g., A New Way to Play with a Four Play Subscription) offering curated or choose-your-own selections of productions with benefits such as presale access, waived fees, and priority seating. Designed for repeat attendees committing to multi-production seasons.
- Summer Shakespeare Festival Annual outdoor Shakespeare festival performed at the Lowell Davies Festival Theatre, featuring multiple Shakespeare productions each summer. Established as the Globe's signature summer programming under Founding Director Craig Noel.
- Globe for All Community Tour Free touring productions bringing Shakespeare and other plays to economically, geographically, and culturally diverse communities throughout San Diego County and Tijuana, Mexico, including shelters, senior centers, refugee centers, military installations, and correctional facilities. Approximately 16,000 community members have experienced a performance since the program's inception in 2014.
- Discovery Programs Educational initiatives serving K-12 students, educators, and youth through Tours, Free Student Matinees, Humanities Programming, Sensory-Friendly Initiatives, Breaking Bread, Pam Farr Summer Shakespeare Studio, Camp Studio, and Behind the Curtain.
- Old Globe/University of San Diego Shiley Graduate Theatre Program (MFA) Graduate MFA theatre program offered in partnership with the University of San Diego, providing advanced training for emerging theatre professionals with co-produced productions and student participation in Globe programming. Established in the 1980s.
- AXIS Community Events Free outdoor cultural programs on the Globe's Copley Plaza featuring local artists and craftspeople, including Lunar New Year, Celebration of Spring, Happy Birthday Mr. Shakespeare!, Juneteenth, Globe PRIDE, Mexican Independence Day, Día de los Muertos, and sensory-friendly Grinch events. Open to the public at no cost.
- The 360 Project Theatre showcase curated by the Arts Engagement Department featuring readings and performances by local community groups including Playwrights Project, Ahaana, Common Ground Theatre, and TuYo Theatre.
Quantifiable outcome
- 250,000+ audience members annually attend productions and participate in arts engagement programs
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use The Old Globe
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
The Old Globe technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
The Old Globe partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.
- Veterans Village of San DiegocoreThe Old Globe delivers Creative Forces theatre programs for veterans and military families at Veterans Village of San Diego, reaching over 3,000 veterans annually. The program uses theatre to help veterans express themselves, build social networks, and improve employment outcomes.
- The Public TheatercoreThe Old Globe and The Public Theater co-host the BIPOC Critics Lab, a first-of-its-kind program founded in 2020 by Jose Solís to train and create work by emerging BIPOC theatre journalists. The 2026-27 season will mark the program's first bi-coastal cohort.
- City of San Diego Cultural AffairscoreThe City of San Diego is a key government funder providing ongoing public support, representing a critical component of the Globe's institutional funding. The relationship is described as 'crucial' despite representing less than 3% of the annual budget.
- The Public Theater (Shakespeare Initiative)coreFormer partnership: Barry Edelstein served as Director of the Shakespeare Initiative at The Public Theater (2008–2012), overseeing all Shakespearean productions and educational, community outreach, and artist-training programs. The partnership continues through the BIPOC Critics Lab co-hosting arrangement.
- University of San DiegoflagshipThe Old Globe and University of San Diego jointly operate the Shiley Graduate Theatre Program, an MFA program training the next generation of theatre professionals. The partnership includes co-produced productions and student participation in Globe programming.
- Theatre Communications Group (TCG)minorThe Old Globe holds membership in Theatre Communications Group, the national association for American theatre. Timothy Shields served as Vice President of TCG's board.
- League of Resident Theatres (LORT)minorThe Old Globe is affiliated with the League of Resident Theatres, the major league of American nonprofit professional theatres. Timothy Shields served as President of LORT.
- KPBSminorThe Old Globe partnered with KPBS to broadcast Hamlet: On the Radio, an audio revival of the Globe's 2017 production directed by Barry Edelstein.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
The Old Globe competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- McCarter Theatre Center: LORT-member professional nonprofit regional theatre in Princeton, NJ with a similar three-venue configuration. Direct comparable: Old Globe's outgoing Managing Director Timothy J. Shields was previously Managing Director at McCarter (2009–2017).
- Milwaukee Repertory Theater: LORT-member professional regional theatre in Milwaukee operating three stages (Quadracci Powerhouse, Stiemke Studio, Stackner Cabaret). Direct comparable: Shields was previously Managing Director here (1998–2009).
- Geva Theatre Center: LORT-member professional regional theatre in Rochester, NY operating multiple stages. Direct comparable: Shields was previously Managing Director here (1992–1998); both institutions occupy similar mid-size regional theatre niches.
- Goodman Theatre: Tony Award-winning professional nonprofit regional theatre in Chicago, one of the oldest and largest in the US. Directly comparable in mission, multi-stage operation, world-premiere development, and educational programming.
- Steppenwolf Theatre Company: Tony Award-winning ensemble-based professional nonprofit theatre in Chicago. Comparable as a leading US regional theatre with a strong new-work development pipeline, multi-stage operation, and educational outreach programming.
- Arena Stage: Tony Award-winning professional nonprofit regional theatre in Washington, DC, operating a three-stage Mead Center for American Theater. Directly comparable in scale, governance model, and new-work development focus.
- American Repertory Theater: Tony Award-winning professional nonprofit regional theatre affiliated with Harvard University in Cambridge, MA. Comparable as a leading US regional theatre with strong new-work development (e.g., Hadestown, Next to Normal) and graduate training programs.
- Seattle Repertory Theatre: LORT-member professional nonprofit regional theatre operating the Bagley Wright and Leo K. theaters in Seattle. Comparable in scale, multi-stage operation, and emphasis on classical and new-work development.
Broad incumbents
- Guthrie Theater: One of the largest nonprofit regional theatres in the US, operating a landmark three-stage Minneapolis campus. Comparable in scale, multi-stage campus model, and new-work development, but with a longer history and larger endowment base.
- Center Theatre Group: Los Angeles's largest nonprofit theatre operator, running the Mark Taper Forum and Ahmanson Theatre. Comparable in mission and new-work development, but with a larger geographic footprint and a broader institutional scope.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Old Globe social profiles
Digital presenceThe Old Globe financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Old Globe leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
The Old Globe funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors2 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Old Globe M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Old Globe
What does The Old Globe do?
The Old Globe is a professional nonprofit regional theatre that produces 16 annual productions of classic, contemporary, and new works across three Balboa Park stages. Its core offering consists of live theatrical performances — including the internationally renowned Summer Shakespeare Festival and annual holiday productions such as Dr. Seuss's How the Grinch Stole Christmas! — supplemented by arts engagement programming, educational initiatives, community touring, and a graduate MFA program in partnership with the University of San Diego.
Is The Old Globe a public or private company?
The Old Globe is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was The Old Globe founded?
The Old Globe was founded in 1935. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is The Old Globe based?
The Old Globe is headquartered in San Diego, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Old Globe make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Ticket Sales are the primary driver. The others are individual Contributions and Annual Fund, corporate Partnerships, foundation and Government Grants and planned Giving and Legacy Gifts.
Who are The Old Globe's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are McCarter Theatre Center, Milwaukee Repertory Theater, Geva Theatre Center, Goodman Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Arena Stage, American Repertory Theater and Seattle Repertory Theatre. Broad incumbents are Guthrie Theater and Center Theatre Group.
Does The Old Globe have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Old Globe.