Pre-Lincoln Center DruidSynge Hits St. Paul's Guthrie 6/27

The Guthrie is proud to present the North American premiere of DruidSynge beginning Tuesday, June 27 and continuing through Saturday, July 1 on the McGuire Proscenium Stage. Tony Award-winning director Garry Hynes directs the Druid Theatre Company from Galway, Ireland, in the complete works of John Millington Synge. Tickets for DruidSynge, which are priced from $30 to $80, are on sale through the Guthrie Box Office at (612) 377-2224 or toll-free (877) 44 STAGE. Tickets can also be purchased online at www.guthrietheater.org. The Guthrie's presentation of DruidSynge is sponsored by Target.

Acclaimed as one of the most ambitious undertakings in Irish theater for many years, this collective presentation of all of Synge's work fulfills a long-term artistic commitment by Druid Artistic Director Garry Hynes to re-evaluate and re-engage with one of Ireland's dramatic giants. The plays include: The Shadow of the Glen, The Playboy of the Western World, The Tinker's Wedding, The Well of the Saints, Riders to the Sea and Deirdre of the Sorrows.

"It is indeed a thrill to bring this celebrated work to the Guthrie," Guthrie Artistic Director Joe Dowling said. "I'm quite proud that the Guthrie is offering this stunning work from my native country to America for the first time."

Directed by Garry Hynes, and assisted by regular collaborators Francis O'Connor (design), David Bolger (movement), Kathy Strachan (costumes), Davy Cunningham (lighting), John Leonard (sound) and Sam Jackson (music), the productions draw on a company of 17 of the greatest contemporary Irish actors performing across the repertoire. The cast features Sarah-Jane Drummey, Richard Flood, Simone Kirby, Mick Lally, Marcus Lamb, Nick Lee, Louise Lewis, Eoin Lynch, Hannah McCabe, Charlie McCarthy, Aaron Monaghan, Eamon Morrissey, Marie Mullen, Derry Power, Peg Power, Gemma Reeves and Catherine Walsh.

DruidSynge premiered at Galway Arts Festival in July 2005 and played to capacity audiences in Dublin and Edinburgh (where it was described by the New Statesman as 'one of the greatest moments in the history of the Edinburgh International Festival'). DruidSynge concluded its 2005 run on Inis Meáin, Synge's artistic and spiritual home and featured two, full-day performances of the Synge Cycle at Dún Conchúir Iron Age fort. Following its North American premiere at the Guthrie, DruidSynge will be presented at the Lincoln Center Festival in New York in July.

DruidSynge has attracted critical acclaim from both sides of the Atlantic, and has been described as 'breathtaking' (New York Times); 'spectacular' (Variety); 'astounding' (The Observer); 'an epic triumph' (Irish-Independent); 'a colossal achievement' (Scotsman); 'superb' (Guardian); 'unforgettable' (Irish Examiner); and 'one of the most important events in the history of Irish theatre' (The Irish Times). www.druidsynge.com

The performance schedule for DruidSynge is as follows:

Tuesday, June 27
2:00 p.m. – 10:30 p.m. Preview performance of full cycle (Includes three intermissions and a 90-minute dinner break)

Wednesday, June 28
7:30 p.m. Part 1: Riders to the Sea and Deirdre of the Sorrows

Thursday, June 29
7:30 p.m. Part II: The Tinker's Wedding and The Well of the Saints

Friday, June 30
7:30 p.m. Part III: The Shadow of the Glen and The Playboy of the Western World

Saturday, July 1
2:00-10:30 p.m. Performance of full cycle
(Includes three intermissions and a 90-minute dinner break)

About Druid Theatre Company

Founded in 1975, Druid was the first professional theater company in Ireland outside Dublin and is universally recognized as one of the pioneers of the modern cultural development of Ireland in the last three decades. From its Galway home, it has been to the fore in the development of Irish theater, performing in its home in Chapel Lane, elsewhere in Galway, throughout Ireland and beyond. Druid has toured extensively at home and abroad (including visits in recent years to London, Edinburgh, Sydney, Perth, Washington D.C. and New York), winning a formidable international reputation for both classic work and new work, and making the company one of the most well-known in the English-speaking theater world. The company during its history has had two artistic directors: Garry Hynes from 1975 to 1991 and 1995 to date and Maeliosa Stafford from 1991 to 1994. www.druidtheatre.com

About the Guthrie

The Guthrie Theater, founded in 1963, is an American center for theater performance, production, education and professional training. The Guthrie is dedicated to producing the great works of dramatic literature, developing the work of contemporary playwrights and cultivating the next generation of theater artists. Led by Artistic Director Joe Dowling since 1995, the Guthrie recently moved to their new three-theater home on the banks of the Mississippi River in Minneapolis.

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