Interview: Adena Varner Talks About Representing Diverse Voices at San Diego’s Old Globe

In 2020, the esteemed Old Globe Theatre in San Diego embarked on a Social Justice Roadmap for the good of the community. This program, called the 360 Project, gives voice to those who may not often be heard.

“In 2020, the Old Globe was wrestling with its own reckoning,” said Adena Varner, director of arts engagement. “The leadership team created what we now call the Social Justice Roadmap to help us just be better. Part of the roadmap is a comprehensive document that lives on our website: 100-plus action items to be more thoughtful about how we represent BIPOC communities, artists, and stories.”

“[Many] communities and smaller organizations in the region, who don’t necessarily have the same resources that we do, [are invited] to come and use the space for their stories to be celebrated, and for us to absorb as much of the cost as possible,” Varner said.

Varner joined the Old Globe two years ago and has worked on the 360 Project for three seasons.  “When I got here,” she said, “I became really acquainted with the roadmap. I thought, ‘This is a tall task, but I think we can be creative and make it happen.’”

“I want the program to feel more robust and intentional and represent the unique kind of cultural tapestry of our region. And so that’s what this [season] was—six weeks of groups coming in who don’t have a home and who serve historically under-served communities.”

This year, the following groups performed at the festival: TuYo Theatre, Asian Story Theatre, Playwrights Project, the San Diego Black Artist Collective (SDBAC), Viani’s Performing Arts, and the Lipinsky Family San Diego Jewish Arts Festival (JFEST).

“What we do is [bring the elements] together,” she said. “I have my team looking for these types of groups and opportunities, then we send [the invitation] to them. They apply, and we have an artistic consultation moment so we can talk about what we can host appropriately and help them narrow things down. We support them with front of house, box office facilities. Our producer is on site. I have an arts engagement producer, and our production crew is there to support them and actually run the [lighting and sound] board for them. It really feels like they’re a part of us for that residency,” she said.

One of this year’s productions, Too Darn Hot, was conceived, written, and directed by Kasey Viani and Viani’s Performing Arts.

“Kasey has this [intriguing] vision, and her repetiteur is a Latinx man,” said Varner. “We’ve never done dance in the space, and we’ve also never had so many youths [in the cast]. Incorporating youth is part of the mission criteria.”

Too Darn Hot, the story of a young female choreographer who goes back in time to learn about resilience from the choreographers and stars of yesteryear, is autobiographical for Viani. She has been dancing since she was a child, beginning her professional career as a dancer at Disneyland. “I draw a lot of my experience and inspiration from [Disney’s] professional inner workings and seeing the behind the scenes of what it takes to put on a really great show,” Viani said.

“I feel [Too Darn Hot was] in the making since I was a child simply because of how I was brought up,” she continued. “My mom always had classic movies on the TV. I was enriched by the performances of Gene Kelly or George Chakiris. As I was developing the script, I was being very honest with myself, tapping into those times where I felt just kind of minimized, maybe a little disenfranchised. And so I just really refined down what the message was I wanted for this, and I turned the lead in the show into my story.”

When Too Darn Hot opened on April 18 at the 360 Project, Viani received a guest who was part of the birthing process: George Chakiris.

Before the show started, Chakiris said, “[Viani] called me out and had me sitting in the seat and she pulled the entire cast out and had them in a row, and each person told their name and the name of the character they were playing, she made it beautifully intimate and very personal by doing that.”

San Diego Audiences can look forward to the fresh content and perspective at the 360 Project in San Diego’s Old Globe next spring and hopefully for seasons to come.