GUTHRIE THEATER

The Guthrie Theater by French architect Jean Nouvel was built in 2006, but was originally founded in 1963. This theater was originally located next to the Walker Art Center; it was destroyed and rebuilt next to the Mississippi River, but traces of the old building can still be found. It is indeed populated by the ghosts of the old theater. You will find them on the façade and inside the building in the form of projected images that now line the walls. The color of the exterior façade, chosen by Jean Nouvel, is "blue like the sky at dusk. The yellow ribbon visible from the outside refers to the color of the sun, a source of inspiration, and the color of wheat. Jean Nouvel has emphasized the new location of the theater, influenced by the history of the neighborhood: with the opening of the windows, the architect points to specific places, signs and landscapes. The theater is composed of three performance spaces. The Dowling Studio is like a black box, with no decorative elements, leaving the actors' imagination free. The McGuire Proscenium Stage. The Wurtele Thrust Stage, the centerpiece, resembles the old theater. You'll notice that the seats are different colors, a trick that allows the actors to believe that the room is full at each performance. This theater is open to the public outside of performance hours and you can come and admire the interior architecture.