From the Annals of the Theatre – In 1958, groundbreaking ceremonies were held for the Globe of the Great Southwest. The theater is located in Odessa and is a replica of the original Globe Theater in Southwark, London which was built in 1598 for William Shakespeare’s acting company.  Now called simply the Globe Theater and operated by Odessa College, the theatre is 410-seat venue featuring an authentic Elizabethan stage used for classical and modern plays as well as community theater, concerts and other community events.  The GT was built in response to a proposal from Odessa College Professor Marjorie Morris.  Shakespearean scholar Dr. Allardyce Nicoll has called the theater “the most nearly authentic replica of Shakespeare’s own Globe anywhere on Earth.”