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| Guthrie Theater Foundation | |
|---|---|
| Name | Guthrie Theater Foundation |
| Formation | 1963 |
| Founder | Sir Tyrone Guthrie |
| Type | Nonprofit theatre foundation |
| Headquarters | Minneapolis, Minnesota |
| Location | Minneapolis |
| Executive director | Diane Paulus |
| Artistic director | Joseph Haj |
Guthrie Theater Foundation is a nonprofit theatrical institution established in 1963 to advance professional theater in Minneapolis and the Upper Midwest. Founded through the vision of Sir Tyrone Guthrie and supported by civic leaders from Minnesota, the organization has developed into a regional center producing classical and contemporary plays, commissioning new works, and sustaining actor training, design, and dramaturgy programs. It occupies a landmark complex on the Mississippi Riverfront and maintains national and international partnerships with companies such as Royal Shakespeare Company, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club, and Lincoln Center Theater.
The foundation was conceived amid the postwar American regional theater movement alongside institutions like Arena Stage, American Conservatory Theater, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, and Shakespeare Theatre Company. Early patrons included Chancellor John S. Pillsbury-era businessmen, members of the Guthrie family, and civic organizations such as the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board and Greater Minneapolis Council of Churches. The first production season featured works by William Shakespeare, Eugene O'Neill, Anton Chekhov, Bertolt Brecht, and Tennessee Williams and attracted visiting directors from Royal National Theatre and designers from Metropolitan Opera. Throughout the late 20th century the foundation weathered artistic shifts associated with leaders like Artistic Director Tyrone Guthrie, Michael Langham, Sir Peter Hall, Joe Dowling, and periods of partnership with companies including Goodman Theatre and Seattle Repertory Theatre. The move to a purpose-built riverfront complex coincided with civic redevelopment initiatives tied to Minneapolis Riverfront renewal and collaborations with the Walker Art Center and Minnesota Orchestra.
The foundation’s signature venue was designed by Rafael Viñoly and later renovations involved architects such as Jean Nouvel and firms like HGA Architects and Engineers. Facilities include a thrust-stage auditorium inspired by the Guthrie’s original thrust configuration, a proscenium house, a flexible black box space, scene shops, costume shops, rehearsal halls, and public lobbies overlooking the Mississippi River. The complex sits near landmarks such as the Stone Arch Bridge, Mill City Museum, Guthrie Theater-adjacent parkland, and transit nodes like Target Field Station and U.S. Bank Stadium. Technical systems reflect standards adopted by venues including Carnegie Hall, Royal Opera House, and Guthrie-peer houses, with fly systems comparable to those at Lyric Opera of Chicago and acoustics informed by consultants who have worked on Walt Disney Concert Hall and Sydney Opera House projects.
Season programming spans canonical playwrights—William Shakespeare, Arthur Miller, Henrik Ibsen, Sophocles, Samuel Beckett—and contemporary dramatists such as Tony Kushner, August Wilson, Suzan-Lori Parks, Lynn Nottage, and David Mamet. The foundation has mounted premieres and commissions by writers including A. R. Gurney, Sarah Ruhl, Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, and Stewart/Colbert collaborators. Guest directors and choreographers have included Julie Taymor, Anne Bogart, Garry Hynes, Zack Snyder (stage-to-screen collaborators), and dance partnerships with companies like Ballet Austin and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Co-productions have partnered with Public Theater, Roundabout Theatre Company, National Theatre, and touring circuits such as Broadway and Off-Broadway presenters. The foundation supports residency programs for design labs, dramaturgy workshops, and playwright incubators modeled on initiatives at Sundance Institute and New Dramatists.
Educational offerings include actor training, playwriting workshops, internships, and apprenticeships akin to conservatory curricula at Juilliard School, Yale School of Drama, and Curtis Institute of Music collaborations. Community outreach programs engage K–12 schools through partnerships with Minneapolis Public Schools, after-school organizations like Boys & Girls Clubs of America, and regional Native arts groups including First Avenue-area cultural partners. Initiatives extend to accessible performances for veterans via Wounded Warrior Project-style outreach, collaborations with Minnesota Historical Society on civic programming, and multilingual engagement inspired by practices at Kennedy Center education departments. The foundation’s literary office administers fellowships modeled on MacArthur Fellows Program-style awards and connects playwrights to national commissioning networks including NEA-supported projects.
Governance operates through a board drawn from leaders in finance, philanthropy, law, and arts management including executives from U.S. Bancorp, Target Corporation, Best Buy, and university partners such as University of Minnesota. Funding streams include ticket revenue, philanthropic contributions from foundations like Gannett Foundation, McKnight Foundation, corporate sponsorships, and government arts grants from National Endowment for the Arts and state arts agencies such as the Minnesota State Arts Board. Capital campaigns and endowment management have been advised by firms similar to Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley, while fundraising events have mirrored galas organized by Lincoln Center and Metropolitan Museum of Art benefit committees.
Key figures associated with the foundation include founders and leaders: Sir Tyrone Guthrie; artistic directors Tyrone Guthrie (founding), Michael Langham, Sir Peter Hall, Joe Dowling, Joseph Haj; actors who have appeared include Denzel Washington, Glenda Jackson, Ethan Hawke, Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, John Larroquette, and Audra McDonald. Designers and collaborators have included Sandy Powell, Julie Taymor, Es Devlin, and conductors linked to the institution have come from ensembles like the Minnesota Orchestra and guest artists from Metropolitan Opera.
The foundation and its productions have received accolades including regional Tony Awards transfers, Obie Awards for off-Broadway collaborations, Helen Hayes Awards for touring productions, and recognition from the American Theatre Wing and the National Endowment for the Arts. Individual artists involved with the foundation have won Pulitzer Prize for Drama, Tony Award, Emmy Award, Grammy Award, and MacArthur Fellowship distinctions. Civic awards include honors from the Minneapolis Downtown Council and cultural heritage recognitions from the Minnesota Historical Society.
Category:Theatres in Minnesota Category:Non-profit organizations based in Minnesota