BWW Special Feature: 50 Years of the Guthrie Theater with Commentary by Joe Dowling

This article is reposted with permission from Minneapolis.org's Sean Bestor. Minneapolis is celebrating the Guthrie Theater's amazing 50 years this weekend. Read on and go to the blog for more directly from Joe Dowling, Guthrie artistic director, below.

The arts are a big part of Minneapolis. Creativity is born here, and great performances and works manifest from this cradle of art. This is a city that prides itself on not only the quality of offerings, but the quantity.

But, when it comes to quality, there is a mainstay that Minneapolis has turned to time and time again for outstanding contributions to the arts. For 50 years, the Guthrie Theater has provided inspiring and transcendent performances, and this weekend they're giving even more back to the community.

First, they've got a fantastic celebration on the 23rd to commemorate their 50 years of existence. There's outdoor grilling, giveaways, candy stations, free theater classes (tap dancing, physical comedy, stage fighting, storymaking, voiceovers, etc.), special presentations and even a welcome from Mr. Joe Dowling himself! You can find the complete schedule here.

Second, they have provided us with something very rare and special. We present to you the full, un-edited, word-for-word speech Joe Dowling gave in March to a select few people about the history of the Guthrie. This is the first time this speech has been released since March, and the message absolutely personifies why the Guthrie Theater is one of Minneapolis' crowning institutions.

Continue on to read a commentary about the Guthrie's 50 years by Joe Dowling: http://www.minneapolis.org/blog/50-years-guthrie-exclusive-speech-joe-dowling