Guthrie Theatre Foundation

THE GUTHRIE THEATER, FOUNDED IN 1963, IS AN AMERICAN CENTER FOR THEATRE PERFORMANCE, PRODUCTION, EDUCATION, AND PROFESSIONAL TRAINING.

THEATER PERFORMANCES: THE 2022-2023 SEASON WAS THE GUTHRIE'S FIRST FULL SEASON SINCE THE PANDEMIC SHUTDOWN IN 2020 AND THE THEATER'S MILESTONE 60TH SEASON. WE BROUGHT TEN MAINSTAGE PRODUCTIONS TO LIFE AND SERVED OVER 300,000 PATRONS THROUGH OUR TRADEMARK MIX OF CLASSIC AND CONTEMPORARY PLAYS, INCLUDING A STUNNING ANNIVERSARY PRODUCTION OF HAMLET, WHICH OPENED THE THEATER IN 1963. WE OFFERED A ROBUST LINEUP THAT INCLUDED LITERARY ADAPTATIONS OF BELOVED CLASSICS THAT INCLUDED MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS AND THE LITTLE PRINCE, WORLD PREMIERES INCLUDING SUZAN-LORI PARKS' GROUNDBREAKING SALLY AND TOM, GUTHRIE-COMMISSIONED NEW WORKS WITH KAREN ZACARIAS' ADAPTATION OF THE CLASSIC WESTERN SHANE AND SONDHEIM'S BELOVED MUSICAL INTO THE WOODS. AS ALWAYS, OUR SEASONAL CLASSIC A CHRISTMAS CAROL DELIGHTED AUDIENCES OLD AND NEW AND OUR SEASON WAS ROUNDED OUT BY PEARL CLEGE'S BOLD CHARACTER DRAMA BLUES FOR AN ALABAMA SKY, LIZ DUFFY ADAMS' QUICK-WITTED BORN WITH TEETH, AND QUI NGUYEN'S LOVE AND WAR COMEDY VIETGONE.THROUGHOUT THE SEASON, THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TEAM CONTINUED TO BUILD VITAL RELATIONSHIPS WITH LOCAL PARTNERS INSPIRED BY THE THEMES OF THE SHOWS ONSTAGE AND BEYOND, WHILE THE NATIVE ADVISORY COUNCIL, A GROUP OF SEVEN MINNESOTA-BASED NATIVE ARTISTS, CONTINUED TO MEET MONTHLY AND ADVISE THE GUTHRIE ON A VARIETY OF PROJECTS AND INITIATIVES AS WE WORK TO BE IN BETTER RELATIONSHIP WITH THE PEOPLE WHOSE LAND WE ARE ALL ON. WE CONTINUED OUR WORK IN DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION AND ACCESSIBILITY (DEIA) THROUGH OUR PUBLIC SPACE INCLUSION PROJECT, COMMUNITY SOCIALS, OUR ANTI-RACISM COMMITMENTS AND WORK PLAN AND THROUGH OUR CODE OF CONDUCT AND OFFERED SIX RELAXED PERFORMANCES ACROSS OUR SEASON TO WELCOME THOSE WITH SENSORY AND VESTIBULAR SENSITIVITIES ALONG WITH MANY OTHERS WHO MIGHT BENEFIT FROM A MORE RELAXED THEATERGOING ENVIRONMENT.

EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL TRAINING: THE GUTHRIE WELCOMED OVER 20,000 STUDENTS TO PERFORMANCES OF VIETGONE, SALLY & TOM, A CHRISTMAS CAROL, THE LITTLE PRINCE, BLUES FOR AN ALABAMA SKY AND HAMLET. EACH MATINEE INCLUDED A PRE-SHOW EXPERIENCE HOSTED BY THE EDUCATION TEAM THAT PULLED BACK THE CURTAIN TO REVEAL THE MAGIC OF THEATER. OUR DIGITAL PLAY GUIDES FOR GUTHRIE PRODUCTIONS WITH STUDENT MATINEES PROVIDED DISCUSSION QUESTIONS AND CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES TO SUPPORT EDUCATORS IN EXPLORING THE THEMES OF OUR PLAYS AND ENGAGING THEIR STUDENTS IN SELF-REFLECTIVE AND COMMUNITY-BUILDING ACTIVITIES. WE FILMED A PERFORMANCE OF OUR 60TH-ANNIVERSARY PRODUCTION OF SHAKESPEARE'S HAMLET ON APRIL 29, 2023, AND SHARED IT WITH MINNESOTA EDUCATORS FOR FREE TO BE USED DURING THE 2024-2025 SCHOOL YEAR. APPROXIMATELY 400 STUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES ATTENDED THE HAMLET SHAKESPEARE CLASSIC ON MAY 20, 2023. WE AUDITIONED AND WELCOMED A COHORT OF 10 M.F.A. ACTORS FROM GRADUATE PROGRAMS ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO PARTICIPATE IN A SEVEN-WEEK TRAINING INTENSIVE WITH INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS AT THE GUTHRIE. THE GEX 2023 PROGRAM CULMINATED IN A WORKSHOP AND READING FOR INVITED AUDIENCES IN THE DOWLING STUDIO. IN MARCH 2023, WE JOINED THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA TO ANNOUNCE THAT WE WOULD NO LONGER BE AN EXCLUSIVE PARTNERSHIP. GOING FORWARD, THE UNIVERSITY WILL OPEN THEIR B.F.A. ACTOR TRAINING PROGRAM TO OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED BY OTHER ARTISTIC ORGANIZATIONS, AND THE GUTHRIE WILL EXTEND ACTOR TRAINING TO OTHER COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES. THIS PROGRAM HAS TRANSITIONED TO GUTHRIE STUDIOS ADVANCED TRAINING FOR ACTORS LED BY INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS THAT IS OFFERED WEEKLY FOR STUDENTS ENROLLED IN THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA B.F.A. ACTOR TRAINING PROGRAM.