The Guthrie Theater announced its 61st season with a list of ten classic, new, and fan-favorite productions heading to the nationally acclaimed Minneapolis theater. The full three-part History Cycle of William Shakespeare’s Richard II, Henry IV, and Henry V, the world premiere of For The People, an ode to Minneapolis’s roots in Ojibwe and Dakota culture, and the devilishly fun cult favorite, Little Shop of Horrors, will be just a few of the productions to grace the Guthrie’s stages this season.
“I continue to believe in the power of theater to entertain, challenge and inspire us, and I look forward to stepping into the vibrant worlds of these plays with our audiences,” the Guthrie’s Artistic Director, Joseph Haj, said in the new season’s press release. “Our thrilling new lineup offers something for everyone, from feel-good comedies to cleverly crafted thrillers to sweeping historical sagas.”
The new season opens with the stage adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s Victorian era comedy The Importance of Being Earnest, directed by David Ivers (Running Sept. 9–Oct. 15, 2023), followed by the Guthrie-commissioned premiere of For The People (Oct. 7–Nov. 12). The new show follows April Dakota, a 20-something Minneapolitan on her journey to serve the local Native community through competitive grant funding and a Franklin Avenue wellness center. Created by Ty Defoe and Larissa FastHorse, For The People navigates the winding road of what makes contemporary Native life in the Twin Cities.
To rein in the winter months, the theater’s annual holiday tradition of A Christmas Carol (Nov. 11–Dec. 23) will be returning for its 49th year, followed by a translated version of Yasmina Reza’s Tony Award-winning dark comedy, Art (Dec. 16–Jan. 28, 2024) fully produced by the Guthrie. The BBC TV show-turned Alfred Hitchcock film turned stage production, Dial M For Murder (Jan. 20–Feb. 25) will be up next on the Wurtele Thrust Stage, in all of its murder mystery twisting and turning glory. Next door on the McGuire Proscenium Stage, the Irish Repertory Theatre production of On Beckett (Feb. 17–March 24) will be directed and performed by Tony Award-winning actor and master clown, Bill Irwin, as his first appearance at the Guthrie.
In a rare and epic theater event, the Guthrie will be producing William Shakespeare’s History Cycle (March 23–May 25) – Richard II, Henry IV (Parts I and II as one play), and Henry V – in a rotating repertory. Shakespeare’s three historical dramas follow the lives of three key players in the English’s power-seeking monarchy from 1398 to 1420, and decipher how the power that greedy men seek can be what destroys them in the end.
During the second half of the Guthrie’s 2023–2024 season, Dominique Morisseau’s acclaimed 2008 recession-set Skeleton Crew (May 4–June 9) and fan-favorite Little Shop of Horrors (June 22–August 18) will come to life on stage. The theatrical season will close with Sanaz Toossi’s English, (July 13 – August 18) a comedy that explores the everyday realities of the language-learning process and how words create and redefine parts of our identities.
Season subscriptions go on sale on May 9.
