GOD OF CARNAGE Cast Welcomes Play's Translator Christopher Hampton

Prolific British playwright/screenwriter Christopher Hampton took in the Guthrie Theater's production of God of Carnage last evening in Minneapolis. His translation of Yasmina Reza's 2009 Tony Award-winning play, under the direction of Guthrie Associate Artistic Director John Miller-Stephany, features actors Jennifer Blagen, Chris Carlson, Tracey Maloney and Bill McCallum as two highly-strung couples who duke it out in this 90-minute laugh-out-loud comedy.

The Guthrie announced yesterday that it would kick off its 50th anniversary season in the fall of 2012 with a three-play Christopher Hampton Celebration, including a Guthrie commission of Appomattox, which will premiere alongside two of his other works, the titles of which will be announced at a later date. Appomattox, deals with the final week of the Civil War and the immediate aftermath of the treaty signed in April 1865. But it also considers the fact that 100 years later, the root cause of the Civil War, the suppression of one race by another, had still not been satisfactorily addressed and is still, to this day, a more than contentious issue. The play is developed from a libretto written by Hampton for an opera by Philip Glass, first presented at the San Francisco Opera House in 2007. For more information on the 2012 Christopher Hampton Celebration, visit www.guthrietheater.org/hampton.

God of Carnage began performances on May 28 and continues through August 7, 2011, on the McGuire Proscenium Stage. Single tickets start at $29 and are now on sale through the Guthrie Box Office at 612.377.2224, toll-free 877.44.STAGE, 612.225.6244 (Group Sales) and online at www.guthrietheater.org.

The GUTHRIE THEATER (Joe Dowling, Director) was founded by Sir Tyrone Guthrie in 1963 and is an American center for theater performance, production, education and professional training. The Tony Award-winning Guthrie Theater is dedicated to producing the great works of dramatic literature, developing the work of contemporary playwrights and cultivating the next generation of theater artists. With annual attendance of nearly 500,000 people, the Guthrie Theater presents a mix of classic plays and contemporary work on its three stages. Under the artistic leadership of Joe Dowling since 1995, the Guthrie continues to set a national standard for excellence in theatrical production and performance. In 2006, the Guthrie opened its new home on the banks of the Mississippi River in Minneapolis. Designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Jean Nouvel, the Guthrie Theater houses three state-of-the-art stages, production facilities, classrooms and dramatic public lobbies. www.guthrietheater.org

Photo Credit: Heidi Bohnenkamp
Photo Caption: Bill McCallum, Tracey Maloney, Christopher Hampton, Jennifer Blagen and Chris Carlson

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