The
Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis, Minnesota is a nationally acclaimed venue. The
theatre is a unique venue for staging plays and is the result of Sir Tyrone
Guthrie's desire for a new kind of theater that would provide an atmosphere
which would encourage the production of great works of literature and cultivate
actors' talents away from the more commercial environment of Broadway. The
theatre is near completion of its new replacement theatre that will be located
along the Mississippi River in downtown Minneapolis.
The new Guthrie
Theatre is set to be complete in June 2006 and is the design work of architect
Jean Nouvel. It is a 255,000 square foot facility that replicates the theater's
signature thrust stage and includes a new 1,100-seat auditorium, 700-seat
proscenium stage, 250-seat studio theater, new classrooms and food service.
Even with
the brand new digs, the Guthrie Theatre oozes of history and tradition. Along
with the Guthrie's innovative production philosophy, the theater itself gained
a lot of attention by the unique style. Original architect Ralph Rapson,
created a thrust irregularly-shaped stage that had 7 sides and took up 1120
square feet. The original theater seated 1,441 people with seating that
radiates outward and upward and balconies that hang over the space just under
ceiling-hung acoustical panels that carry the asymmetrical theme all the way to
the top of the theater.
In 1980,
A world-class director, designer and architect, Liviu Ciulei redesigned the
stage. The acting platform was modified so its size, shape and height were
adjustable, thereby allowing stage designers greater freedom. He also installed
interchangeable floor panels that allowed the stage surface to be redefined and
reshaped for each production. Ciulei adjusted the stage to be more rectangular,
and he opened up the backstage in order to create greater depth.
In 1993, the
Guthrie received another long-awaited facelift. The renovation was a $3.5
million project and included better acoustics, new wheelchair accessible
seating, improved shielding of theater lighting, flexibility for
"flying" props, general refurbishing and the re-upholstery of the
seats. Lobby renovations included an expanded women's restroom, redesigned food
and beverage outlets, a lobby expansion which added eight feet and a new
energy-efficient glass curtain wall. Within the theater there are now 1,298
seats surrounding the stage in a 180 degree arc. None of the theatres
renovations ever compromised Guthrie’s original goals of an intimate venue. In
the theatre, no seat is more than 15 rows or 52 feet away from the stage;
comparably, the distance from a pitcher's mound to home plate is over 60 feet.
The original
Guthrie Theater opened on May 7, 1963 with a production of Hamlet directed by
Sir Tyrone Guthrie, the theater's founder. Since it’s opening, the Guthrie has
performed such great works as Henry V, The House of Atreus, Oedipus the King, A
Streetcar Named Desire, The Taming of the Shrew, The Marriage of Figaro and A
Midsummer Night's Dream. Joe Dowling, the Guthrie's current and seventh
Artistic Director, holds the attendance record for his production of
Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. In 1982 The Guthrie Theater received a
Tony Award for its outstanding contribution to the American Theater.
While the
Guthrie Theater's mission and artistic excellence have remained constant, much
has changed over the past four decades. The theater opened with 22,000 season
ticket holders and after many years of ups and downs, it is at a new high of
32,000 subscribers. What began as a summer season of four productions supported
by a minimal staff is now a complex organization employing more than 900 people
per year.
Forever
growing and changing as the community that founded it changes, the Guthrie
Theater is a living organization reflecting the culture and human spirit of its
audiences. The Theater is truly devoted to a traditional classical repertoire
that will continue in its new theatre. The new theatre is sure to draw even
more patrons and will be a known hot spot in Minneapolis.
The Guthrie has hosted great shows. In the spring and summer of 2007, Major Barbara and 1776 tickets were gobbled up by patrons and were mostly on limited or call-ahead availability. Major Barbara is a George Bernard Shaw play about the tensions between and father and daughter about where to find their salvation. 1776 is a John Miller-Stephany directed play based on a concept by Sherman Edwards. It is set in Philadelphia during the title year. There is much division in the 13 colonies but 1776 sees John Adams, Ben Franklin and Thomas Jefferson bind them all under the Declaration of Independence. Get tickets for this show now because it will be hugely popular around July 4.
|
