Pennington's 'Sweet William' at The Guthrie Dec.11-22

The Guthrie announced today that it will present Sweet William, Michael Pennington's highly original one-man show that looks at Shakespeare's life side-by-side with his work. Direct on the heels of its successful U.K. run, the limited Guthrie engagement begins December 11 and plays through December 22 on the McGuire Proscenium Stage. Tickets are priced from $25 to $45 and are on sale through the Guthrie Box Office at 612-377-2224, toll-free 877-44-STAGE and online at www.guthrietheater.org.

"A large-spirited salute to the Bard, Sweet William is part biography, part analysis and part performance. Reflecting on his long international experience as director and leading actor, and having spent some 20,000+ hours onstage performing Shakespeare, Pennington sets out to celebrate the life and work of the theater icon. Great speeches from Hamlet, Antony and Cleopatra and Richard III intertwine with pieces from Timon of Athens, The Winter's Tale and the rarely performed speech by Richard of Gloucester in Henry VI Part III. Weaving together the world of Shakespeare, while giving a rare and personal insight into his own life, he takes audiences on a memorable journey," explain press notes.

A seasoned actor/director, Pennington's career has spanned more than 40 years, during which time he has played leading roles for the Royal Shakespeare Company, The National Theatre and his own award-winning English Shakespeare Company, which he co-founded with Michael Bogdanov in 1986. Perhaps best known to younger audiences as Moff Jerjerrod, commander of the Death Star in Star Wars – Return of the Jedi, he has also published three "User's Guides" to individual Shakespeare plays, and delivered the annual Shakespeare lecture at the prestigious British Academy.

The Guthrie is located at 818 South 2nd Street (at Chicago Avenue), in downtown Minneapolis. To purchase tickets or season subscriptions call the Guthrie Box Office between 10AM-8PM daily at 612-377-2224 or toll-free 877-44-STAGE. For more information, or to purchase tickets online, visit www.guthrietheater.org.