Guthrie Announcement

I just get more giddy every time I open my email to see countless theatre season announcements. This week I’m excited to talk about the lineup for the iconic Guthrie Theater. They are presenting a slightly smaller but jam-packed season with some shows that I’m extremely excited to see. With the exception of the first two shows of the season, most of the tickets will be available for purchase starting Sept. 21, 2021.

Billed as their return season, the Guthrie is offering an eclectic mix of classic and contemporary work with new and modern twists. I truly am smiling as I write this because I can’t wait to be back in a seat with a glass of wine and enjoying some world-class theater in the Twin Cities. 

“My hope is that this season will celebrate all that the theater is meant to be while extending hope and healing to everyone in our community,” says Joseph Haj, Artistic Director for the Guthrie. 

For more information, visit: https://www.guthrietheater.org/shows-and-tickets/2021-2022-season/

What the Constitution Means to Me
By Heidi Schreck
Sept. 30 – Oct. 24, 2021
McGuire Proscenium Stage

Fifteen-year-old?Heidi earned her college tuition by winning Constitutional debate competitions across the U.S. In this hilarious, hopeful and achingly human new play, she resurrects her teenage self in order to trace the profound relationship between four generations of women and the founding document that shaped their lives. Nominated for two Tony Awards and a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, Schreck’s boundary-breaking show breathes new life into our Constitution and imagines how it will shape the next generation of Americans. The Guthrie is proud to be a stop on the national tour of this timely and galvanizing work.

A Christmas Carol
By Charles Dickens
November 6 – December 27, 2021
Wurtele Thrust Stage

A miserly and miserable man, Ebenezer Scrooge greets each Christmas with “Bah! Humbug!” until he is visited one Christmas Eve by the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come. In Charles Dickens’ beloved classic, the three spirits show Scrooge happy memories from his past, difficult realities from the present and a grim future should he continue his closed-hearted ways. This world-premiere adaptation stays faithful to the text and invites audiences to experience the wonder of the holiday season through all-new scenery, costumes, props, lighting and sound.

A Raisin in the Sun
By Lorraine Hansberry
January 8 – February 12, 2022
McGuire Proscenium Stage

“What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?” In 1951, poet Langston Hughes posed these questions, and Lorraine Hansberry answered with a theatrical masterpiece that broke down racial barriers both on and off the stage. The play follows the three-generation Younger family as they grapple with different definitions of the American dream and how to achieve it. When the matriarch, Lena, buys a home in an all-white neighborhood, the Youngers are greeted by thinly veiled racism and financial pitfalls that threaten to pull the family apart and push their dreams out of reach

The Tempest
By William SHakespeare
Feb. 26 – April 16, 2022

Prospera, the former Duchess of Milan, has spent many embittered years stranded on an island after being usurped by her ruthless brother, Antonio. Her only comforts are her daughter, Miranda, and her own magical powers, which Prospera uses to conjure a storm that brings several shipwreck survivors ashore, Antonio included. But when her intricate revenge plot puts Miranda’s future at risk, Prospera is caught between her desire to reclaim her rightful rule and her unwavering love for her daughter. Former Artistic Director Joe Dowling returns to the Guthrie to direct one of Shakespeare’s final and most heartfelt plays.

Destiny of Desire
By Karen Zacarias
April 30 – June 5, 2022 
McGuire Proscenium Stage

The joys, tribulations and plot twists of epic love are bursting onstage in Karen Zacarías’ brilliantly funny homage to the telenovela. On a stormy night in Bellarica, Mexico, two babies are born—one into a life of outlandish wealth, and one into a life of poverty. When the newborns are swapped by a ruthless ex-beauty queen, the stage is set for two outrageous misfortunes to grow into an extraordinary destiny. Directed with wit and verve by Tony Award-winner Ruben Santiago-Hudson and filled with vibrant choreography and live music, this exuberant production explores the emotional rollercoaster and social commentary that make the telenovela one of the most popular form of storytelling on the planet.

Emma
By Kate Hamill
Based on the novel by Jane Austen
June 18 – August 21, 2022 

Emma Woodhouse prides herself on being a matchmaker with an impeccable track record, much to the chagrin of her dear friend Mr. Knightley. Her latest scheme revolves around the sweet Harriet Smith, whom Emma advises to reject a perfectly good marriage proposal in favor of another eligible bachelor. However, her best-laid plans are turned upside down by unpredictable displays of affection, unexpected rivals and Emma’s sudden realization that true love may have been under her nose all along. With screwball comedy and surprises aplenty, this fresh, fast-paced adaptation interprets the Jane Austen classic with delightfully unconventional flair.

Sweat
By Lynn Nottage
July 16 – August 21, 2022

Reading, Pennsylvania, is a blue-collar town with generations of hardworking folks, many of whom work at Olstead’s factory and down cold beers together after hours. But the post-Y2K economy is changing, NAFTA is a new reality and rumors fly about layoffs. Promotions and pride inevitably collide, forming cracks in decades-old friendships that crumble when the factory breaks with the union. From the politically charged opening scene to its electrifying conclusion, Sweat boldly confronts issues of race, immigration, deindustrialization and the ever-slipping grip on middle-class life—all with Nottage’s signature humor and heart.