Guthrie's NICE FISH Plays Final Performances This Weekend

Saturday, May 18, marks the closing of the daring and original world premiere play Nice Fish-written by Mark Rylance and Louis Jenkins, dedicated to Nataasha van Kampen and James Hillman.

This humorous and mythic story based on Jenkins' prose poetry, taking place on the frozen waters of the Upper Midwest on the last day of ice fishing season, has been called an "unforgettable and altogether unique theater experience" by Minnesota Monthly, with AisleSay.com offering that "Nice Fish is nothing less than the Waiting for Godot of ice fishing, punctuating life's long (and sometimes apparently senseless) wait with moments of reflection, physical comedy, absurdity, profound sadness, and startling delight."

The production is directed by Rylance and Claire van Kampen (who also contributes original music) and features Rylance as Ron as well as actors Jim Lichtscheidl (Guthrie: Arms and the Man, The 39 Steps) as Erik, Emily Swallow (Guthrie: Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, A Midsummer Night's Dream) as Flo and Chris Carlson (Guthrie: Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, God of Carnage) as Wayne. Nice Fish also featuresBob Davis (Guthrie: Tales from Hollywood, Arsenic and Old Lace) as DNR Officer and Tyson Forbes (Guthrie: Peer Gynt, 1776) as Wainwright.

Rylance first appeared at the Guthrie a decade ago as Olivia in the Guthrie WorldStage Series presentation of an original practices production of Twelfth Night by Shakespeare's Globe. His distinctive and immediate performance left an indelible impression on Twin Cities theatergoers. Rylance returned to the Guthrie two years after Twelfth Night for Measure for Measure, and these pair of Globe performances sparked discussions between Rylance and the Guthrie's Joe Dowling that first led to Rylance's stark and powerful performance in the title role of 2008's Peer Gynt, and subsequently to Nice Fish. One of the most visceral and inventive actors of his generation, Rylance has won two Tony Awards for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play (Boeing Boeing in 2008 and Jerusalemin 2011) as well as an Olivier Award and a Critics' Circle Theatre Award. He was the first artistic director of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, where he served from 1995 to 2005.

Louis Jenkins is an evocative and frequently surrealist wordsmith whose work has been heard on "A Prairie Home Companion." Jenkins' work has been promoted in the public eye and ear by Rylance, who accepted both of his Tony Awards by reciting poems by Jenkins (including a discourse on the pastime of walking through walls). The play tells the story of Erik and Ron, who are ice fishing on the verge of the last blizzard of the Midwestern winter when they encounter mythic individuals who, as Rylance told The New York Times, "provide a little bit of a challenge."

The artistic team includes Todd Rosenthal (Scenic Designer), Ilona Somogyi (Costume Designer), Mimi Jordan Sherin (Lighting Designer), Scott W. Edwards (Sound Designer), Michael Lupu (Dramaturgy), Lucinda Holshue (Voice and Dialect), Marcela Lorca(Movement), Tree O'Halloran (Stage Manager), Jason Clusman (Assistant Stage Manager) and Jon Ferguson (Assistant Director).

Nice Fish continues through May 18, 2013 on the McGuire Proscenium Stage at the Guthrie Theater. 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

Pictured: Mark Rylance as Ron. Photo Credit: Richard Termine.

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