Guthrie Theater

818 S 2nd St, Minneapolis, MN 55415, USA

Address:	818 S 2nd St, Minneapolis, MN 55415, USA
Phone:	+1 612-377-2224
Site:	guthrietheater.org
Rating:	4.7

Location

Photos 100

Reviews 5

Quinn Enestvedt

The performances are wonderful, the thespians are well-trained and skillful, the sets are creatively formed around the performance style- lots of walking? Less furniture. In the round? Patterned spotlights in place of rear wall backdrop. The Guthrie interprets classics in a way that makes it their own while still remaining true to the playwright. My personal favorites of theirs include the Guthries whimsical and acrobatic performance of "H.M.S. Pinafore", their magical and ethereal performance of "A Midsummer Nights Dream", and their lighthearted-turned-heart-rending performance of "South Pacific" showing us how deeply societys expectations can affect us. In the showing that I attended of their most recent King Lear, Goneril severely over-pronounced in one of- if not /the/ - main monologue that she had. I understand that it was likely in an attempt to make her words clearer, however, she far overcompensated in her enthusiasm. Other than that and a vague feeling that she didnt quite step all the way into her character, she was great. Reagan felt a bit stiff and forced at parts, but she nonetheless did a wonderful job. Kim Wong as Cordelia was beautifully done, you really felt that she became her character. I only wish that shed had the opportunity to be on stage more. Brazzle as Edmund is truly wonderful, and he really immersed himself into the role. Even if you didnt understand a word of the dialogue, or even of English, his tone, body language, and facial expressions would let you know what is going on, what hes thinking and feeling. Whalen as Albany is also wonderfully done. You can feel Albanys anguish at the betrayal and his staunch determination to do what his moral compass bids him do. Rojas as Edgar was a joy to behold. His emotions shine through throughout, and he /became/ Edgar. His loyalty to and love for his father was an undertone throughout his performance. Armin Shimerman as the Fool was utter artistry. He brought out different sides to his character, making it his own. His performance had layers upon layers to it. Beginning with a display of blatant insubordination, but later revealing his loyalty to Lear is clearly incongruous, however Shimerman made it seem natural for the character to have both sides as a companion who pushes the King when he needs it, and supports him when he needs it, too. Stephen Yoakams portrayal of King Lears descent into madness was utterly exquisite, and makes the play worth attending if only for that alone. The final scene brings you to tears, and while at first you feel some level of scorn for Lear, Yoakam coaxes you into empathizing with him, and grabs ahold of your heartstrings, playing them like a harp. Masterfully done.

A Man

Oh, the Guthrie. I want to be happy with you. I want to like your atmosphere, your plays, your facilities, but I dont. A while back I saw H.M.S. Pinafore at the Guthrie. No real complaints on the show or the set, but it also wasnt a great show. Maybe 3/5. Its really a shame that with all of the force behind the shows they cant produce something a little more daring, innovative, or impactful. Most recently I saw Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play. I hated it. I have seen many performances in the past ten year, mostly around the Twin Cities area, from high end mainstream productions (e.g. Guthrie, Orpheum) to low budget independent productions (e.g. Fringe Festival). Mr. Burns may have been the worst show I have ever seen in any venue. I say this as an experienced theater-goer and Simpsons lover. Given the number of [sometimes overwhelmingly] positive reviews, I can understand that the Guthrie decided to host this show. But I wanted to give feedback about it. And it is from this desire to review Mr. Burns that my gripe with the Guthrie grew -- there is no place on their website to offer a review of the show, or even contact them with my thoughts about the show. They have, on each show page, a "multimedia" tab where they post the positive reviews of the various shows from any of a variety of mainstream media outlets. You will not find negative reviews or dissenting opinions on their website. They are 100% biased. In a world of Web 2.0 (already 10 years old!), where social interaction, collaboration, feedback, etc is the norm, I am flabbergasted by the world of misinformation and bias presented by the Guthrie. I hated Mr. Burns, and though I will continue to love theater, I will not continue to give my patronage to the Guthrie until they can at least pretend to care about what the patrons think of their shows, and that those reviews, positive or negative, are appreciated by their potential customers.

A Private User

Utter Orwellian hell. A misanthropes cynical exercise in crowd manipulation. Its half-clever boxy homage to its venerable Mill District neighbors notwithstanding, the Guthries purported respect for its surroundings is belied by its preposterously blue exterior, resembling a grim-faced, pixelated robot with a probe ominously extended. The interior public spaces are cold and insultingly contrived--a cross between an airport terminal and a tube-and-ladder hamster cage. Towering ghosts of dead heroes, like fading Soviet billboards, occupy bleak surfaces. The lighting is harsh and isolating, invasively illuminating the scalps of thin-haired patrons in the least flattering way. While the allowed views are picturesque, looking through the sparse and awkwardly-arranged neck-level strips of windows in the cantilevered bridge, one gets the feeling one is being jerked around. You can almost feel the contempt of the totalitarian urban planner in the sky as he watches you "doing it wrong." The final zoological insult, as the crowd exits the theater and files somberly onto the claustrophobicly long and narrow meat conveyer down to ground level, is the overwhelmingly uncomfortable, ghostly reflection of the crowd that confronts patrons, force-feeding them the dehumanizing vision of themselves as mere heaving stock animals. Other than that? Performances? Parking? Actually, not bad.

Lena Song

Sometimes, you just need to look at purely English men, being English and doing their Duty to Queen and Country. When my heart fills love for the theater, and a equal love of Pasties and Fog, I reach for my Gilbert and Sullivan. H.M.S. Pinafore is an amazing piece, and like all great theater works, even if youve never seen it, you might know snatches of music and the story. It just gets into your blood through some cultural mitosis. But this version, the latest Guthrie version, isnt exactly Pinafore. At some point, the Queen of England shows up? The Guthrie has had a habit lately of rewriting the classics and Im not sure why. There feels a level of hubris here. If you like great singing and updated jokes, if you like your productions a little bit different from the normal, if youve had just so much G&S that you long for something that is almost parody (of a satire) then go to the Guthries run of H.M.S. Pinafore. If you like your G&S like I do, straight up, find another theater. With that said, I am very much a fan of the Guthrie for its scope of shows, its fantastic location (with ample parking), and its beautiful architecture (breath taking views, and hello Amber Box!).

Caroline Anaya

This review is for the Guthrie Theater as a landmark. I havent been to a show at the theater, but the Guthrie is one of my favorite spots in Minneapolis for sight seeing. The building is open to the public during regular business hours for you to explore the building and check out areas that give you a great view of the downtown area. The Endless Bridge is my favorite lookout point that overlooks the Mississippi River, Stone Arch Bridge, and the Gold Medal Factory that are all cultural landmarks of the city. You can enjoy the sights for photos, or simply sit and read on the steps of the Endless Bridge. A second favorite is the 9th floor area that has tinted yellow glass windows and sweeping panoramas of the city. From here you can see the same view of the Endless Bridge, but also views of the Mill City district and downtown Minneapolis. This room is a photographers dream with the amazing colors coming in from the tinted glass and amazing architecture. This was my go to spot when I have visitors traveling from out of town. You cant beat the views, and as a bonus, access is completely free!