Three Stages – Unlimited Possibilities

 

GUTHRIE ANNOUNCES 2007-2008 SEASON

 

Highlights include Robert Bly’s new translation of Peer Gynt,

Royal Shakespeare Company’s King Lear and The Seagull with Sir Ian McKellan,

U.S. and World Premieres

 

 

(Minneapolis/St. Paul) Guthrie Artistic Director Joe Dowling today announced the plays of the 2007-2008 season. The three Guthrie stages will offer 18 full productions of classic work, contemporary plays and world premieres, as well as a host of readings and workshops of works-in-progress. As a special event in October, the Guthrie’s WorldStage Series presents the Royal Shakespeare Company in a repertory engagement of Shakespeare’s King Lear and Chekhov’s The Seagull, both directed by Trevor Nunn and featuring Sir Ian McKellen.

The world premiere of a new translation of Ibsen’s Peer Gynt, by famed American poet Robert Bly, will open on the Wurtele Thrust Stage in January 2008. Robert Bly, calls Peer Gynt, “one of the wittiest plays ever written,” and added, “Ibsen is the greatest Norwegian writer and the Guthrie is the perfect place for his work.”

Minnesota’s Guthrie Theater is one of only three U.S. stops for the Royal Shakespeare Company’s productions of King Lear and The Seagull, which Joe Dowling called “the most widely anticipated theatrical event of 2007.”

“For two glorious weeks in October, the Guthrie will be at the center of world theater, and we’re honored and thrilled that the RSC chose the Guthrie,” Dowling said.

In today’s announcement, Dowling emphasized the broad range of themes, ideas and plays in the season, which reflects the mission of the Guthrie. The 07-08 season also includes several premieres, including the world premiere of Naomi Iizuka’s After a Hundred Years, which was commissioned by the Guthrie; a new adaptation of Jane Eyre by Alan Stanford, whose Pride and Prejudice was an audience favorite at the Guthrie in 2003; an adaptation of The Government Inspector by famed playwright and screenwriter Jeffrey Hatcher and the professional U.S. premiere of Thomas Kilroy’s The Secret Fall of Constance Wilde.

 

TICKET INFORMATION

 

Eight plays of the 2007-2008 season are available as part of subscription series at the Guthrie Theater – Jane Eyre, Peer Gynt, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and The Government Inspector on the Wurtele Thrust Stage and Private Lives, Dancing at Lughnasa, Third and The Secret Fall of Constance Wilde on the McGuire Proscenium Stage. New season subscriptions range in price from $60 to $504 and go on sale May 7, 2007. Single tickets for all shows on the McGuire Proscenium and Wurtele Thrust Stages range from $24 to $69, and go on sale June 20, 2007.

The Dowling Studio season will include Guthrie productions of Happy Days by Samuel Beckett, 9 Parts of Desire by Heather Raffo and After a Hundred Years by Naomi Iizuka. The Guthrie will also present the work of Frank Theatre, the Playwrights’ Center, Emigrant Theater and Flying Foot Forum. Single tickets for productions and presentations in the Dowling Studio range from $18 to $34 and go on sale June 20, 2007.

Tickets to A Christmas Carol go on sale September 4, 2007. Tickets for the Royal Shakespeare Company productions of King Lear and The Seagull range from $30 to $90 and go on sale July 22, 2007.

For more information or to purchase tickets or season subscriptions, call the Guthrie Theater Box Office (612) 377-2224 or toll-free (877) 44 STAGE. Tickets can also be purchased online at www.guthrietheater.org.

 

GUTHRIE THEATER 2007-2008 SEASON

 

 

On the Wurtele Thrust Stage

 

September 8 – November 10, 2007
Jane Eyre

by Charlotte Brontë

adapted for the stage by Alan Stanford

directed by John Miller-Stephany

September 14, Opening Night
 

October 5 – 14, 2007
The Royal Shakespeare Company productions of

King Lear

by William Shakespeare

in repertory with

The Seagull

by Anton Chekhov

Directed by Trevor Nunn

 

November 20 – December 30, 2007
A Christmas Carol

by Charles Dickens

adapted by Barbara Field

directed by Gary Gisselman

 

January 12 – March 2, 2008
Peer Gynt

translated and adapted by Robert Bly

from the original by Henrik Ibsen

directed by Tim Carroll

January 18, Opening Night
 

April 12 – June 22, 2008
A Midsummer Night’s Dream

by William Shakespeare

directed by Joe Dowling

April 18, Opening Night
 

July 5 – August 24, 2008
The Government Inspector

adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher

from the original by Nikolai Gogol

directed by Joe Dowling

July 11, Opening Night
 

 

 

On the McGuire Proscenium Stage

 

July 21 – September 2, 2007
Private Lives

by Noël Coward

directed by Peter Rothstein

July 27, Opening Night
 

September 22 – November 25, 2007
Dancing at Lughnasa

by Brian Friel

directed by Joe Dowling

September 28, Opening Night
 

February 16 – March 30, 2008
Third

by Wendy Wasserstein

directed by Casey Stangl

February 22, Opening Night
 

May 31 – July 13, 2008
The Secret Fall of Constance Wilde

by Thomas Kilroy

directed by Marcela Lorca

June 8, Opening Night
 

 

In the Dowling Studio

 
September 20 – October 14, 2007

Frank Theatre production of

The Pillowman

by Martin McDonagh

directed by Wendy Knox

 

October 19, 2007

Playwrights’ Center & Guthrie Theater reading of

Vengeance Can Wait

by Yukiko Motoya

translated by Kyoko Yoshida and Andy Bragen

 

November 3 – 25, 2007

Happy Days

by Samuel Beckett

directed by Rob Melrose

 

January 17 – 27, 2008

Emigrant Theater production of

Blue Door

by Tanya Barfield

directed by Jessica Finney

 

February, 2008

Warm Beer, Cold Women

produced and directed by Robert Berdahl

 

March 1 – 23, 2008

9 Parts of Desire

by Heather Raffo

directed by Joel Sass

 

May 8 – 17, 2008

Flying Foot Forum production of

A New Work (title TBA)

created by Joe Chvala, Karla Grotting, Mary Ellen Childs, Peter O’Gorman

 

June 7 –29, 2008

After a Hundred Years

by Naomi Iizuka

directed by Lisa Portes

 

 

 

 

 

 

GUTHRIE THEATER 2007-2008 SEASON – PLAY DESCRIPTIONS

On the Wurtele Thrust Stage

September 8 – November 10, 2007
Jane Eyre

By Charlotte Brontë

Adapted for the stage by Alan Stanford

Directed by John Miller-Stephany

Charlotte Brontë’s beloved tale of romance and suspense receives a new adaptation by Alan Stanford, whose adaptation of Pride and Prejudice earned rave reviews by subscribers and critics alike. Jane Eyre accepts a position as a governess to a ward at Thornfield Manor and wins the love of her employer Edward Rochester, a kind, yet mysterious man. But soon, Jane’s love, strength and determination are tested as Rochester’s long-kept secrets are unveiled.

 

October 5 – 14, 2007
The Royal Shakespeare Company productions of

King Lear

By William Shakespeare

In repertory with

The Seagull

By Anton Chekhov

Directed by Trevor Nunn

Sir Ian McKellen heads the cast of the Royal Shakespeare Company in King Lear and The Seagull. Following a U.K. run, the company will embark on an international tour, visiting only three U.S. cities – New York, Los Angeles and Minneapolis.

 

November 20 – December 30, 2007
A Christmas Carol

By Charles Dickens

Adapted by Barbara Field

Directed by Gary Gisselman

This perennial family holiday entertainment, inspired by Charles Dickens’ immortal tale, returns for another year. The endearingly popular favorite will be directed again by Gary Gisselman.

 

January 12 – March 2, 2008
Peer Gynt

Translated and adapted by Robert Bly

From the original by Henrik Ibsen

Directed by Tim Carroll

He is arrogant, manipulative and dishonest, and yet we can’t take our eyes off him. He is Peer Gynt. A timeless and rarely-produced masterpiece, with a newly-commissioned translation by prolific poet and Minnesota native Robert Bly. Bold, raucous and satirically funny, this charming fantasy play captures the misadventures of the charismatic Peer Gynt on a journey to find his place in the world.

 

April 12 – June 22, 2008
A Midsummer Night’s Dream

By William Shakespeare

Directed by Joe Dowling

After more than a decade since its critically acclaimed run on Vineland Place, Joe Dowling’s landmark production of Shakespeare’s beloved comedy makes a triumphant debut in the Guthrie’s new home on the river. Weaving three stories of love, magic and perception in a moonlit forest on a midsummer night, Shakespeare’s fantastical play remains an audience favorite across generations.

 

July 5 – August 24, 2008
The Government Inspector

Adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher

From the original by Nikolai Gogol

Directed by Joe Dowling

When the locals in a small town in Russia learn that an undercover government inspector is coming for a surprise visit, an unfortunate case of mistaken identity sends the town spiraling into a world of panic and greed. Witty, smart and satirical, The Government Inspector exposes the corruption of a provincial town with biting hilarity. Famed playwright and screenwriter Jeffrey Hatcher gives us this world premiere in a timely and spirited new adaptation.

 

 

On the McGuire Proscenium Stage

 
July 21 – September 2, 2007
Private Lives

By Noël Coward

Directed by Peter Rothstein

Noël Coward’s most celebrated comedy sets two newlyweds – who are former lovers – on adjoining terraces during their respective honeymoons in the resort town of Deauville, France.  New love is no match for the fireworks of their past relationship as verbal sparring and comedic dexterity begin to flash and spark. Coward is at his best in this brilliant examination of what is public and what is private and what is past and what is present.

 

September 22 – November 25, 2007
Dancing at Lughnasa

By Brian Friel

Directed by Joe Dowling

Brian Friel’s Tony Award-winning play recalls the story of five unmarried sisters, one with a young son, in a small village in Ireland in 1936. Told through the son’s memory, Dancing at Lughnasa gloriously captures the spirit and strength of a family struggling to make ends meet, but celebrating life nonetheless, through their shared love of dance. Friel’s extraordinary play was hailed by Time Magazine as “the most elegant and rueful memory play since The Glass Menagerie.”

 

February 16 – March 30, 2008
Third

By Wendy Wasserstein

Directed by Casey Stangl

Pulitzer and Tony award-winning playwright Wendy Wasserstein’s final play crackles with the wit, intelligence and wryness that made her one the most prominent women playwrights of the last 20 years. In Third, Wasserstein tells the story of college professor Laurie Jameson, whose seemingly well-ordered life as a wife, mother and daughter is thrown into disarray when she accuses a student of plagiarism. While challenging the student she is forced to question her own beliefs, standards and relationships with her family.

 

May 31 – July 13, 2008
The Secret Fall of Constance Wilde

By Thomas Kilroy

Directed by Marcela Lorca

Playwright Oscar Wilde holds a place in literature as an important voice that was prominent, prolific and controversial. With The Secret Fall of Constance Wilde, Irish playwright Thomas Kilroy exposes the private life between Oscar and his wife Constance. Set in a magical world that shifts in time, place and perspective, this revealing play brings to light the wife few knew existed, bringing humanity to a woman searching for honor, truth and the peace that closure brings.

 

 

In the Dowling Studio

 

September 20 – October 14, 2007

Frank Theatre production of

The Pillowman

By Martin McDonagh

Directed by Wendy Knox

Veering from the macabre to the hysterical, this viciously funny and disturbingly gruesome thriller centers on a writer in a totalitarian state who is brought in for questioning when the plot lines of his stories bear an uncanny similarity to real-life crimes that have been committed in the community. Intertwining family secrets with the irrepressible power of storytelling and imagination, Martin McDonagh’s The Pillowman takes on some of today’s most potent issues – from censorship and the power of the state, to freedom of speech and the rights of the individual.

 

October 19, 2007

Playwrights’ Center & Guthrie Theater reading of

Vengeance Can Wait

By Yukiko Motoya

Translated by Kyoko Yoshida and Andy Bragen

This project is the American reciprocation of a groundbreaking playwright exchange program with the Tokyo International Festival, where American writers’ works were translated and presented as staged readings to Japanese audiences in 2006 and 2007. In this edgy comedy, Hidenori hasn’t laughed for years, and nothing that his childhood friend Nanase says can make him. They live together like brother and sister, bound by the memory of a family tragedy and an intense desire for revenge that threatens both of their lives. Vengeance Can Wait is an exploration of watching – and being watched – by one of Japan’s most intriguing new literary voices.

 

November 3 – 25, 2007

Happy Days

By Samuel Beckett

Directed by Rob Melrose

Winnie is buried halfway up her body in a hill of dirt, and yet she persists with a cheerful outlook on life – part memories, part reverie of her feelings, part reflection on the big themes of life, like change, mortality, relationship and identity.  In Act II, she’s buried up to her neck, but her eyes and mind are sufficient for her happy days.  Her companion Willie exists on the edge of her life, but doesn’t say too much.  There’s a gun, of course, and a mirror.  What’s it all mean is a question that comes up in the course of the play, but Beckett leaves us to answer that.

 

January 17 – 27, 2008

Emigrant Theater production of

Blue Door

By Tanya Barfield

Directed by Jessica Finney

An African American math professor struggles with his most challenging equation. Left alone by his wife after refusing to join the Million Man March, Lewis watches as the ghosts of his ancestors shatter the silence of his insomnia. He is drawn into a spiral of history, a crisis of identity and culture and an exploration of what it means to be black, then and now.

 

February, 2008

Warm Beer, Cold Women

Produced and directed by Robert Berdahl

Warm Beer, Cold Women is a theatrical retrospective look at the song writing of that bard of the bums, Tom Waits. Warm Beer, Cold Women assembles some of the Twin Cities’ finest musicians (led by Dan Chouinard) for a twisted evening of orphaned songs and bruised music. From the rickety pump organ melodies to raucous bullhorn anthems there is something for everyone.

 

 

March 1 – 23, 2008

9 Parts of Desire

By Heather Raffo

Directed by Joel Sass

In this examination of Iraqi female identity in this time of war, one actress plays nine characters, including a doctor who confronts an epidemic of cancer, an artist, a child, an American with relatives in Baghdad, a wife and mother, a political exile in London and an old woman selling anything she can on the street corner.  This is a portrait of life during the Iraq war – not through the rhetoric of politicians or the hyperbole of the press – but through the ground level reality of nine female Iraqis. In a series of monologues, they discuss the terrible difficulties of their lives – both physically and psychologically – and yet we see the spirit of courage and hope that help these women face the pain and tragedy of their lives. 

 

May 8 – 17, 2008

Flying Foot Forum production of

A New Work (title TBA)

Created by Joe Chvala, Karla Grotting, Mary Ellen Childs, Peter O’Gorman

Joe Chvala and the Flying Foot Forum present a foot-stomping, heart-stopping spectacle. Stirring up a whacky percussive dance theater brew inspired by vaudeville, tap dance, cabaret, opera, hambone, clowning and other popular and percussive art forms, director/choreographer Joe Chvala fuses and reconfigures these time-honored theatrical traditions into an artful and poignant hybrid evening comedy and percussive dance.

 

June 7 –29, 2008

After a Hundred Years

By Naomi Iizuka

Directed by Lisa Portes

An American journalist arrives in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.  He has been granted a rare, career-making interview with a Khmer Rouge general accused of war crimes    on the eve of his trial in front of a UN tribunal.  The Khmer Rouge general is determined to defend his actions and rehabilitate his historical legacy.  As the journalist grapples with the lies and truths of his interview subject, he becomes enmeshed in the life of an American woman he meets in Phnom Penh.  She is unhappily married to a prominent American doctor who has devoted his life to working in the Third World, but at the cost of betraying the ethical vows of his profession.  In the shadows of these events moves a mysterious woman with surprising information about everyone’s lives.  As the characters’ quests for truth intersect, they are drawn deeper into Cambodia’s history and their own complicity in crimes past and present.  Set in the present, this haunting drama examines the legacy of guilt while seeking possibilities of forgiveness and redemption.