Globe of the Great Southwest
Encyclopedia
Odessa, Texas
Odessa is a city in and the county seat of Ector County, Texas, United States. It is located primarily in Ector County, although a small portion of the city extends into Midland County. Odessa's population was 99,940 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Odessa, Texas Metropolitan...
, the Globe of the Great Southwest is a replica of William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
's original Globe Theatre
Globe Theatre
The Globe Theatre was a theatre in London associated with William Shakespeare. It was built in 1599 by Shakespeare's playing company, the Lord Chamberlain's Men, and was destroyed by fire on 29 June 1613...
. In addition, the complex also features a replica of Anne Hathaway
Anne Hathaway (Shakespeare)
Anne Hathaway was the wife of William Shakespeare. They were married in 1582. She outlived her husband by seven years...
's Cottage. Both buildings are located on the campus of Odessa College
Odessa College
Odessa College is a public two-year junior college based in Odessa, Texas, USA serving the people of Ector County and the Permian Basin. It opened in 1952 and currently enrolls about 5,000 annually in its university-parallel and occupational/technical courses, and 11,000 students annually in its...
.
The Globe Theatre is a non-profit organization presenting classical and modern plays on an Elizabethan
Elizabethan era
The Elizabethan era was the epoch in English history of Queen Elizabeth I's reign . Historians often depict it as the golden age in English history...
stage. The Globe hosts community theater performances, monthly country-western
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
shows called The Brand New Opree, and other community activities. The Anne Hathaway Library next door, a replica of the cottage
Cottage
__toc__In modern usage, a cottage is usually a modest, often cozy dwelling, typically in a rural or semi-rural location. However there are cottage-style dwellings in cities, and in places such as Canada the term exists with no connotations of size at all...
in which Shakespeare's wife lived, houses displays of special interest to Shakespeare fans. Full-time theatre
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
activity began in the fall of 1968.
The current Artistic Director of the Globe of the Great Southwest is Mr. Anthony Ridley. The Managing Director of the theatre is Ms. Cynthia White, and Kathryn Graybill serves as Artist Manager. Office staff members include Ann Wilson and Office Manager and Bookkeeper Corine Berry.
History of the Globe of the Great Southwest
The idea behind The Globe of the Great Southwest was first conceived in an English class at Odessa High School in the late 1950s:
Fundraising
Fundraising or fund raising is the process of soliciting and gathering voluntary contributions as money or other resources, by requesting donations from individuals, businesses, charitable foundations, or governmental agencies...
efforts for construction were begun in 1958, and construction was completed as funds were raised and became available. The theatre was completed and began its first season in 1968.
Like its original, Elizabethan predecessor, the theatre is octagonal in design and seats 418. The unique shape and construction materials of the theatre (wood and plaster) combine to give the theatre nearly perfect acoustics
Acoustics
Acoustics is the interdisciplinary science that deals with the study of all mechanical waves in gases, liquids, and solids including vibration, sound, ultrasound and infrasound. A scientist who works in the field of acoustics is an acoustician while someone working in the field of acoustics...
. The 1800 square feet (167.2 m²) stage is thrust into the audience to create an intimate actor-audience relationship, similar to that in Shakespeare's day when spectators paid a penny
Penny
A penny is a coin or a type of currency used in several English-speaking countries. It is often the smallest denomination within a currency system.-Etymology:...
to stand in a semicircle at the actors' feet.
From the balconies
Balcony
Balcony , a platform projecting from the wall of a building, supported by columns or console brackets, and enclosed with a balustrade.-Types:The traditional Maltese balcony is a wooden closed balcony projecting from a...
, "the viewer has an unobstructed view of the entire stage at a 40 degree angle. The interior, with its rich British red carpeting and upholstered seats, and its warm London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
dock lantern
Lantern
A lantern is a portable lighting device or mounted light fixture used to illuminate broad areas. Lanterns may also be used for signaling, as 'torches', or as general light sources outdoors . Low light level varieties are used for decoration. The term "lantern" is also used more generically to...
s, makes each visit a memorable and aesthetic experience."