St. Louis, Baltimore Theater Vet to Take Charge of Old Globe’s Arts Engagement Programs

The Old Globe has hired a theater veteran to become its new director of arts engagement, officials said Thursday.

Adena Varner is set to begin work in her new post Aug. 1, leading a department with more than 30 employees and teaching artists.

Varner comes to the Old Globe from the Midwest, where she most recently was director of learning and community engagement at the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis. 

A native of Baltimore, she was also the director of learning and social accountability at Baltimore Center Stage before joining the Rep in 2020.

Varner, a playwright, producer, director, performer and educator, received her B.F.A. in theater from University of Maryland, College Park and her M.A. in theater education from The Catholic University of America.

Artistic director Barry Edelstein, in a statement, called Varner “one of our country’s most thoughtful and talented practitioners of community-oriented theater.”

“Adena is a passionate believer in the theater’s power to make a difference in individual lives and to foster greater understanding between people,” Edelstein added. “She will take the Globe’s nationally renowned work to a new level of achievement. I am thrilled to welcome her to our team and our city.”

Varner said she was “humbled and beyond thrilled to join the great legacy of the Old Globe. What a privileged opportunity I have, to lock arms with new colleagues and partners, as we serve the beautiful and culturally rich community of San Diego and its surrounding regions.”

The Tony Award–winning The Old Globe, in its 88th year, is one of the country’s leading professional not-for-profit regional theaters and produces a year-round season of 16 productions of classic, contemporary and new works on three Balboa Park stages.