The Old Globe

• Address: 1363 Old Globe Way in Balboa Park, San Diego
• The Old Globe summer Shakespeare season runs from mid-June through late September
• Other productions are staged year round
• The Old Globe website
• Admission is charged and reservations are recommended. See below for more details

The Old Globe performs in three venues - all in close proximity in Balboa Park - which are described below.

Theatres by their nature are limited to the number of people they can seat and can't too overcrowded, but Balboa Park is a popular place among both San Diegans and visitors. You can find several parking lots near the theatre, but during busy times, finding an open space may be harder. Parking attendants are on duty to assist you before every show. Valet parking (small fee) is also available nightly in front of the Prado Restaurant at the House of Hospitality.

• Doors open 30 minutes before the performance. You can picnic outside before the show, but no food is allowed inside.

• Sadly, the nearby Prado restaurant, once a before-show ritual has declined in quality and we can't recommend it. Instead, look for restaurants in the nearby Hillcrest neighborhood.

• Children under age 5 are not permitted, except for the Christmas show.

• It can get chilly in the outdoor theatres, even in summer. Bring a jacket or blanket - and something to cover your legs will feel nice, too.

• Backstage tours are given selected Saturdays and Sundays. Call 619-231-1941, ext 2142 for more info.

We rate the The Old Globe 4.5 out of 5 for the performances we have attended. They won a Tony Award for Regional Theatre in 1984.

We like the variety of plays they produce and their cadre of repertory players is excellent. If you're looking for a theatrical night out while you're in San Diego, the Old Globe should be on your list of schedules to check.

Directions depend on where you're coming from. The Old Globe website has them all.

• Old Globe: A 580-seat, outdoor theatre modeled after Shakespeare's original venue.

• Lowell Davies Festival Theatre: A 615-seat, outdoor theatre, it operates during the summer season.

• Sheryl & Harvey White Theatre: A wonderfully intimate (250-seat) indoor theatre in an arena style, where no seat is more than 5 rows away from the action.

Ticket prices vary by venue, production and day of the week, starting as low as $29 for mid-week shows in the Sheryl & Harvey White Theatre, but easily twice that for a weekend performance of a popular production. Younger folks get a break with the $20 UNDER 30 TICKETS, available for most performances (one ticket per person with valid I.D. showing proof of age).

Buy early online, by phone at 619-234-5623, or in person at Ticket Services, which opens daily at noon.

In 2010, the Wall Street Journal said: "the Old Globe's "Lear" is a splendid piece of work" and also praising them for producing "The Madness of George III," a play with a 26-member cast which, few companies can afford to stage these days. We attended the King Lear performance in 2010, along with the poignant "Last Romance" starring Marion Ross and Paul Michael in a show written especially for them by Tony Award-winner Joe DiPietro. We also attended All's Well That Ends Well in September, 2008.

In previous years, their productions have included Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, The Full Monty, and Damn Yankees, as well as the world premiere of Back Back Back by Itamar Moses (whose credits include The Four of Us and Bach at Leipzig).

As is common in the travel industry, the author received complimentary tickets for the purpose of this review. It has not influenced the outcome. However, About.com believes in full disclosure of all potential conflicts of interest. For more information, see the ethics policy.