Guthrie Releases Photo Retrospective to Celebrate 50th Shakespeare Production

In celebration of Macbeth, the Guthrie Theater's 50th production of a Shakespeare play, the Theater today released a photo retrospective of the past 49 productions, from Tyrone Guthrie's Hamlet in 1963 to the currently running Romeo and Juliet, co-produced with The Acting Company.

The photo retrospective can be viewed at www.guthrietheater.org/whats_happening/shows/2009/macbeth.

For Macbeth, directed by Joe Dowling, Erik Heger (The Great Gatsby) returns to the Guthrie stage to play the tragic Scottish king, while Guthrie favorite Michelle O'Neill (The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide, The Merchant of Venice) plays the ambitious Lady Macbeth. 

Throughout its history, the Guthrie has specialized in dynamic, world-class productions of Shakespeare's work, and Macbeth marks the 50th Shakespeare production at the Guthrie since its founding. Over the years the Guthrie has created memorable performances that audiences still cherish. From the very first production of Hamlet directed by Tyrone Guthrie in 1963, to Liviu Ciulei's stunning 1981 The Tempest, to Garland Wright's ambitious History Plays in 1990, to Joe Dowling's unforgettable productions of A Midsummer Night's Dream in 1997 and 2008, the Guthrie Theater's Shakespeare productions have been and remain not-to-be-missed events in the theatrical season.

The Guthrie's productions of Shakespeare have also featured some of the nation's best actors from the Twin Cities and beyond. From Jessica Tandy and George Grizzard in the Guthrie's first season, to notable names throughout the years such as Len Cariou, Charles Keating, Dianne Wiest, Frank Langella, Tovah Feldshuh, Blair Brown, William H. Macy, Frances Conroy, Val Kilmer, Patti LuPone, David Hyde Pierce, Julianne Moore, T.R. Knight and Santino Fontana - Shakespeare at the Guthrie has offered great actors in great roles.

In Macbeth, a tale of treachery and ambition, a brave soldier and nobleman, Macbeth, encounters three witches who prophesy his path to greatness. When their predictions begin to come true, Macbeth and his ambitious wife decide to do whatever is necessary to ensure their rise to power. They first hatch a plot to kill the king and take his place, and though all goes according to plan, they soon realize a single murder isn't enough to maintain the throne. Obsession and paranoia get the best of them, driving the couple down a path of destruction on a quest for glory, even as the kingdom crumbles between their bloody fingers. Macbeth, Shakespeare's shortest and darkest tragedy, moves with the rapid pace of the murder thriller it is, exposing the politics of power and corruption it breeds.

For this landmark production of Macbeth at the Guthrie, the cast also includes Sam Bardwell (Sergeant/Seyton), Robert O. Berdahl (Macduff), Sun Mee Chomet (Lady Macduff), Raye Birk (Duncan), Bill McCallum (Banquo), J.C. Cutler (Lenox), Bob Davis (Rosse), Tyson Forbes (Cathness/Murderer), Peter Christian Hansen (Menteth/Murderer), James Noah (Angus), Kris L. Nelson (Porter), Benjamin Rosenbaum (Donalbain/Servant), John Skelley (Malcolm), Barbara Bryne (Weird Sister), Isabell Monk O'Connor (Weird Sister/Doctor) and Suzanne Warmanen (Weird Sister/Gentlewoman). Young actors playing the children of Macduff and Banquo include Noah Coon, Charlie Lincoln, Elizabeth McCormick, Nina Moschkau, Nicholas Saxton and Graham Zima.

The Macbeth artistic team includes Monica Frawley (Set and Costume Designer), Frances Aronson (Lighting Designer), Adam Wernick (Composer), Scott W. Edwards (Sound Designer), John Stead (Fight Direction), Andrew Wade (Voice and Language Consultant), Marcela Lorca (Movement), Carla Steen (Dramaturg), Russell W. Johnson (Production Stage Manager), Chris A. Code and Michele Harms (Assistant Stage Managers) and Annelise Christ (Assistant Director).

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 Director Joe Dowling since 1995, the Guthrie opened its new three-theater home on the banks of the Mississippi River in Minneapolis in June 2006.

Macbeth begins previews at the Guthrie on January 30, opens February 5 and continues through April 3, 2010. Single tickets start at $24 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 is located at 818 South 2nd Street (at Chicago Avenue), in downtown Minneapolis. To purchase tickets or season subscriptions call the Guthrie Box Office at 612.377.2224 or toll-free 877.44.STAGE. For more information, or to purchase tickets online, visit www.guthrietheater.org.

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