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March 1959
Sir Tyrone Guthrie begins a series of conversations with his colleagues Oliver Rea and Peter Zeisler about starting a resident theater that would draw exceptional artists to perform the classics for audiences outside of New York City.
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September 1959
They introduce their idea in a small paragraph on the drama page of The New York Times that invites cities across the country to make their case for being the location of the new theater.
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May 1960
After visiting seven interested cities, Rea announces that Minneapolis/St. Paul has been chosen.
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May 7, 1963
The theater opens as the Minnesota Theatre Company at the Tyrone Guthrie Theatre with a production of Hamlet, directed by founder Sir Tyrone Guthrie.
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March 18, 1971
While announcing the 1971‒1972 Season in the Minneapolis Tribune, newly appointed Artistic Director Michael Langham also declares a name change and new American spelling for the theater: “We are now the Guthrie Theater Company in the Guthrie Theater directed by the Guthrie Theater Foundation.”
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1975
The Guthrie begins its annual tradition of presenting Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol during the holidays.
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1982
The Guthrie receives a Tony Award for its outstanding contribution to the American theater.
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1988
Former Artistic Director Garland Wright creates the Guthrie Lab in the Minneapolis Warehouse District to provide a space for developing new work.
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March 28, 1999
The Guthrie hosts its first Shakespeare Classic with a production of Julius Caesar. A passion project of then-employee Sheila Livingston, this special event introduces young people to the poetry and power of Shakespeare at reduced ticket prices.
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September 2003
Construction begins on our current facility, which was designed by award-winning French architect Jean Nouvel.
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May 7, 2006
The original Guthrie on Vineland Place closes with a production of Hamlet directed by former Artistic Director Joe Dowling.
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June 25, 2006
The new Guthrie opens to the public.
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June 2013
The Guthrie turns 50 and celebrates its anniversary with a weekend of special events.
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November 2018
The Guthrie reports its highest ticket revenue in any given season bolstered by the blockbuster summer musical West Side Story, which played to 100% capacity.
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July 27, 2019
Floyd’s, a Guthrie commission by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Lynn Nottage, makes its world premiere at the Guthrie and extends performances for one week due to popular demand. On November 23, 2021, Floyd’s (now titled Clyde’s) opened on Broadway to critical acclaim and continues to be produced at theaters across the country.
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March 3, 2020
The Guthrie receives two major funding awards from the Minnesota State Arts Board and The Joyce Foundation to advance ongoing collaboration and art-making with the local Native community and to commission a new work by Indigenous Direction that centers Twin Cities Native stories.
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December 19, 2020
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic that shuttered theaters worldwide, the Guthrie partners with Freestyle Films to create Dickens’ Holiday Classic, a virtual telling of A Christmas Carol that is watched by nearly 15,000 households and an estimated 150,000 K–12 students.
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September 30, 2021
The Guthrie resumes onstage performances after more than a year of dark stages due to the COVID-19 pandemic with a national tour presentation of What the Constitution Means to Me.
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May 7, 2023
The Guthrie turns 60 and celebrates its anniversary with an open house for the community.
Our Story
From Broadway to the mighty Mississippi
The Guthrie Theater opened on May 7, 1963, with a production of Hamlet directed by Sir Tyrone Guthrie, the theater’s founder. The idea for a different kind of theater sparked in 1959 during a series of conversations among Guthrie, an acclaimed theater director, and his two colleagues, Oliver Rea and Peter Zeisler, who were all disenchanted with Broadway. They envisioned a resident theater that would draw world-class artists to perform the classics with the highest professional standards.
What began as a summer season of four productions supported by a minimal staff is now a complex organization that serves the community and region year-round.

Miracle in Minnesota
LIFE magazine called the Guthrie “a miracle.” Newsweek said it was “conceivably the most important theater opening of a generation.” The New York Times declared the theater “a cause for celebration.” Step back in time with this series of historical footage from 1963.
Photos
Key moments in Guthrie history
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Classes & Workshops for Adults
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Explore Productions Past
From Shakespeare to summer musicals, see our history of classic and contemporary plays