by tony reverditto
The Old Globe is one of the country’s leading professional nonprofit regional theaters, and was the recipient of a regional Tony Award in 1984. Now in its 90th year, The Globe is San Diego’s flagship performing arts institution, serving a vibrant community by creating theater that lives beyond the stage. More than 250,000 people annually attend Globe productions and participate in the theater’s artistic and arts engagement programs.
In addition to the company’s internationally renowned Summer Shakespeare Festival, The Globe’s summer offering will be Noises Off, the hilarious farce by English playwright Michael Frayn. The play premiered in London in 1982, and ran until 1987. In December 1983, the show opened on Broadway, where it was nominated for four Tony Awards, including Best Play.
Noises Off is a brilliant and uproarious backstage comedy farce within a farce that pulls back the curtain on a theater company struggling to keep its production from falling apart. Forgotten lines, misplaced props and romantic entanglements lead to total chaos with doors slamming and sardines flying, in a whirlwind of slapstick hilarity.
As the actors’ onstage and offstage worlds collide, the result is a wildly hilarious and delightful comedy. The show will run through Sunday, August 10 on the Donald and Darlene Shiley Stage in The Old Globe complex.
Gordon Greenberg will direct Noises Off. As an acclaimed director and writer, he is known for his dynamic approach to both classic and contemporary theater. With a flair for reinvention, he has helmed productions on Broadway and the West End, and at major regional stages across the U.S., breathing new life into beloved titles such as Irving Berlin’s Holiday Inn, Guys and Dolls and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf.
Greenberg’s work is often characterized by inventive staging, sharp humor and a deep respect for storytelling, earning him praise for making theater feel both timeless and refreshingly relevant. Beyond directing, he is also a skilled collaborator, frequently co-writing adaptations that showcase his sharp wit and theatrical insight.
The RAGE Monthly caught up with Greenberg to delve into his remarkable career and his latest project.
When did you realize that you had an affinity for directing comedy?
In my experience, comedy and drama come from the same place — danger! The higher the stakes, the more potential for humor or pathos. I have always loved the challenge in directing comedy. It requires both a core sense of truth and humanity, so we believe the characters are actually in some sort of peril or crisis — and an acrobatic level of physical precision.
Your directorial resume is quite extensive and impressive. Which of those productions do you have the sweetest spot for and why?
I love all my children equally! But I am very proud of the work I have done here at The Globe, from Ebenezer Scrooge’s BIG San Diego Christmas Show and Dracula, A Comedy of Terrors to Crime and Punishment, A Comedy, which was rigorous and hilarious in equal measure. I am very grateful for the uniquely talented, passionate and supportive team at The Globe who make these original comedies possible.
When did your relationship with The Old Globe originally transpire?
My first show at The Globe was an adaptation of Studs Terkel’s book Working with Stephen Schwartz and Lin-Manuel Miranda. It went on to run for a year at Broadway In Chicago and then in New York, where it won a Drama Desk Award. We couldn’t have done any of that without the production at The Globe.
But my closer relationship really began with Barry Edelstein, who brought me here with Steve Rosen to create Ebenezer Scrooge’s BIG San Diego Christmas Show. Our collaboration on that piece, which has become an annual favorite, was so joyous, we continued with Heart of Rock and Roll, which went on to Broadway, and a series of wonderful pieces created especially for The Globe. I couldn’t imagine a better place to make exuberant new plays and musicals.
Why do you think Noises Off stands the test of time, over four decades later?
Noises Off has been hailed as the funniest play ever written by every major critic in the US and UK. Written by Michael Frayn, a brilliant playwright whose work ranges from farce to hyper-cerebral, it is constructed like a Swiss watch; finely calibrated for maximum pleasure.
How will you make your version of this classic fresh and exciting?
Our all-star Broadway cast is ridiculously talented. They all approach the play with profoundly funny senses of humor, deep humanity, and the stamina and discipline of Olympic athletes. They are unique in their sensibilities, and we are loving playing with what they can bring to this play that delivers above and beyond the expected.
What incentive can you offer to readers who may not be accustomed to attending theater performances to encourage them to see the show?
It’s a great night out — and a hilarious peek behind the scenes of the most insanely disastrous productions ever put on!
Finally, do you have any upcoming projects?
Steve Rosen and I are in the midst of writing our next show for The Globe, which, like Dracula, will star a hot guy with no shirt. Stay tuned!
theoldglobe.org | 619.234.5623
Laugh Out Loud and Out Proud at The Old Globe
Join The Old Globe on Friday, July 18, for a fabulous evening of theater and community at LGBTQIA+ Theatre Night, part of The Globe’s vibrant Community Nights series. Celebrate Pride and laughter with a pre-show mixer in the lush Craig Noel Garden, complete with cocktails, bites and queer joy, followed by a performance of Noises Off. Tickets are $55 with promo code PRIDE and include both the mixer and the show. Allies welcome, safe space celebrated — don’t miss this night of theater where the doors (and the jokes) never stop slamming!