New Globe Theater

latest news

20 december 2005 - 1 january 2006
shakespeare's globe coming to brooklyn
If you haven't seen Mark Rylance during his tenure as Artistic Director in London, now is your final chance as he takes his last bow in that capacity in Brooklyn. Yes, Shakespeare's Globe is bringing its production of "Measure for Measure" to St. Ann's Warehouse!

19 october 2005
"come one, come all": public hearing on governors island
The Governors Island Preservation and Education Corporation (GIPEC) held a public hearing to discuss its plans for developing this enchanted isle. Deputy Mayor Dan Doctoroff, the new Chairman of GIPEC, kicked off the meeting with great flair and left no question regarding his commitment to the island. Paul Kelly, the interim president, then presented four exciting conceptual plans.

The complete presentation can be downloaded from the GIPEC website.

18 october 2005
feeling the love from community board 1
We were delighted that Community Board #1 unanimously passed a resolution of support for the New Globe Theater on October 18th. The resolution stated that "Community Board #1 supports the concept for an adaptive use of Castle Williams as a performance space for their program, and is enthused by the New Globe Theater's presentation."

Thank you to Julie Menin, Judy Duffy, Linda Roche, and Bob Townley for guiding us through the process. We are thrilled by CB1's vote of confidence.

18 october 2005
two-hundred and twenty five miles
That is the distance between Governors Island and the Capitol, if you were wondering.
There is no denying it: as excitement for the New Globe builds on the federal level, we've found ourselves commuting to Washington, DC quite a bit.

A highlight from a recent trip was an exceptional meeting with Dana Gioia, Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts. Given the NEA's successful "Shakespeare in American Communities" program, it was most encouraging to hear Chairman Gioia speak of the New Globe as an "educational resource for all America."

2 october 2005
farewell performance at shakespeare's globe
This summer saw the final performances of Mark Rylance as the Artistic Director of Shakespeare's Globe, so we flew out to old Blighty to witness the end of an era. The three-person "Tempest" - directed by Tim Carroll - was extraordinary.

We want to join the chorus of those expressing gratitude for Mark's ten-year commitment to Shakespeare's Globe, and to say how thankful we are for his continued guidance as a key member of our own Advisory Board.

11 august 2005
last chance to see architectural model at royal academy
The exhibit of the New Globe model at the prestigious Summer Exhibition (in its 237th year) of the Royal Academy of Arts in London is drawing to a close. On August 16th, the stunning model - designed by Foster and Partners - is heading home to New York City.

We are honored to have been chosen to partake in this year's exhibition.
For more information on the Royal Academy, click here.

21 july 2005
$2 million pledged to new globe!
On June 30, the City Council adopted the New York City Budget ... and, if we may say so ourselves, the most exciting aspect was that it included $2,000,000 in capital funding for the New Globe in FY2007.

It is wonderful news that the Mayor, City Council and Borough Presidents added nearly $370 million in capital funds to the Department of Cultural Affairs for FY2006 to FY2009 for ongoing projects, as well as new design, construction and capital equipment purchases.

This generosity will allow the New Globe to move into the next phase of our project ... and oh, are we ready.

Did we say thank you? THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!

20 june 2005
new globe submits RFEI
At 4:00pm on this sunny afternoon, the New Globe dropped off its "Request for an Expression of Interest" application at the Battery Maritime Ferry Slip.
Then they went to sleep.

Stay tuned for next steps.

19-20 may 2005
new globe kicks off education outreach
The New Globe initiated their education program with a production of "The American Revolution," performed by Inverse Theater on Governors Island. Two hundred high school students from Lower Manhattan, twenty actors, twenty-five Goldman Sachs volunteers, three park rangers, and two scholars from the New-York Historical Society joined in the festivities.

Check out photos of the students, actors and volunteers during the performances on Governors Island.

Special thanks to Inverse Theater, the New-York Historical Society, the Governors Island Preservation and Education Corporation, the National Park Service, and Goldman Sachs for their generous support.

18 may 2005
new globe lecture at Municipal Art Society
The MAS Urbanists sponsored a presentation on the proposed plan for rehabilitating Castle Williams on Governors Island into a contemporary Globe Theater. Slide presentation by Barbara Romer, Founder of the New Globe, and David Nelson, Deputy Chairman of Foster and Partners, with Q&A session.

26 april 2005
press, press, press ... shall we say "global" domination?
The fabulous New York Times article on the New Globe proposal by Robin Pogrebin (front-front-page mention and "top 20 emailed stories" all weekend long) triggered a press frenzy from Great Britain to Taiwan, from Russia to Qatar.
To read the NY Times story and learn how to spell "Castle Williams" in Chinese, click here.

And, yes, as we have too much time on our hands and like googling discussion forums on the New Globe proposal, we thought we should share our favorite comments with you:

"this is without a doubt, the greatest present yet offered to me by the gods!!!"
"I hope this gets built. Castle Williams would make a great location for this."
"FANTASTIC STUFF!"
"i sincerely hope this proposal makes it to reality..."
"Yessir, this is a winner. I would love to see this happen."
"that's such a cool proposal! it'll definitely put governors island back on the tourist map of nyc for sure."

... not quite in iambic pentameter, but A+ for excitement!

23 april 2005
441 - and not a year older.
Happy Birthday, Monsieur Shakespeare.

28 february 2005
new globe model to be exhibited at municipal art society
Starting this Monday morning, the New Globe model will be on display in the lobby of the Municipal Art Society (457 Madison Avenue). Sneak peak below:

Photo by Nigel Young.
Please come by and take a look by April 5th!

26 february 2005
peter kyle of london's globe talking about partnership
Peter Kyle, the Executive Director of Shakespeare's Globe in London, said today about the New Globe: "Assiduous research, meticulous planning, boundless enthusiasm and an unswervable devotion to a lofty ideal. These are the qualities that built Shakespeare's Globe, here in London, and it is because I see these same qualities in Barbara Romer's vision for a New Globe in New York that we are partnering with her to help realise this world-class dream."

24 february 2005
stunning new globe drawings arrive!
The übertalented Narinder Sagoo of Foster and Partners captures the spirit of the New Globe design.

31 january 2005
chad gracia becomes new globe employee of the month!

january 2005
NPS newsletter proposes "rehab for performance and visual arts center" as option for castle williams!
Yes, all your voices were heard!!! Thank you for participating in the public scoping process.

We are delighted (and relieved) to report that Alternative B of the preliminary management alternatives issued by the National Park Service states: "Rehabilitated National Monument structures and landscapes would serve as venues for cultural events, such as art expositions, performances, and educational symposia, attracting broad and diverse audiences."

Below is a snapshot from the NPS newsletter:

The newsletter unveils preliminary management alternatives, which are "consistent with federal laws, such as the National Historic Preservation Act, and with NPS policies. The alternatives respond to the broad, preliminary planning outlined by GIPEC this past summer, which seeks to make Governors Island a destination with great public open space and heritage tourism attractions, as well as education, conference, entertainment, and cultural arts facilities."

I believe that we shall be dancing a few jigs in celebration.