Guthrie Theater

(Minneapolis/St. Paul) — The Guthrie Theater (Joseph Haj, Artistic Director) today announced the cast and creative team for The Little Prince, adapted by Rick Cummins and John Scoullar and based on the book by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. Under the direction of Dominique Serrand, The Little Prince will play December 10, 2022 – February 5, 2023, on the McGuire Proscenium Stage. Single tickets start at $20 for preview performances (December 10–15). All other performances range from $31 to $80. The Little Prince is recommended for ages 8 and up; children under 5 are not admitted. Single and group tickets are on sale now through the Box Office at 612.377.2224 (single), 1.877.447.8243 (toll-free), 612.225.6244 (group) or online at guthrietheater.org. Accessibility services (ASL-interpreted, audio-described, open-captioned and relaxed performances) are available on select dates. For up-to-date information about the theater’s health and safety policies, visit www.guthrietheater.org/health.

“The Little Prince is a beautifully moving novella that I came to as an adult, and while it takes the shape of a children’s tale, its poignant lessons and universal themes of friendship, love, creativity and growing up will resonate with theatergoers of all ages,” said Artistic Director Joseph Haj. “I’m thrilled by the extraordinary group of artists we’ve collected to make this play and excited for Guthrie audiences to enjoy this endearing story with friends and family this holiday season.”

Full of whimsy and wonder, this imaginative fairy tale for the whole family studies the contrast between the innocence of youth and the inevitable realities of adulthood. After his plane crashes in the Sahara, a pilot is plotting his survival strategy when a little prince with a gleeful spirit appears. Over the course of a week, the prince tells the pilot tales of his intergalactic travels to various planets, Earth included. Each story sheds new light on their philosophical questions until the two unlikely companions find the answers — and their lives — hanging in the balance.

The cast of The Little Prince features Steven Epp (Guthrie: Metamorphoses, Refugia, Indecent) as Aviator, Nathan Keepers (Guthrie: Noises Off, Refugia, King Lear) as King/Snake/Fox, Reed Northrup (Guthrie: debut) as Little Prince, Wariboko Semenitari (Guthrie: debut) as Conceited Man/Lamplighter/Puppeteer and Catherine Young (Guthrie: debut) as Rose/Businessman/Geographer/Puppeteer.

The creative team for The Little Prince includes Dominique Serrand (Director), Rachel Hauck (Scenic Designer), Olivera Gajic (Costume and Puppet Designer), Yi Zhao (Lighting Designer), Sinan Refik Zafar (Sound Designer), Carla Steen (Resident Dramaturg), Mira Kehoe (Vocal Coach), Kimberly Richardson (Movement Director), Jennifer Liestman (Resident Casting Director), Lori Lundquist (Stage Manager), Laura Topham (Assistant Stage Manager), Cara Phipps (Assistant Director) and McCorkle Casting, Ltd. (NYC Casting Consultant).

A French aviator, poet and author, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (Author) became enamored with aviation while still a boy in France and learned to fly as an air force officer, later transitioning to commercial flights in 1926. Aviation is a theme through much of Saint-Exupéry’s work, including Southern Mail (1929), Night Flight (1931), Wind, Sand and Stars (1939) and Flight to Arras (1942). After France was invaded by Germany in World War II, Saint-Exupéry left Europe for the U.S. where he wrote and illustrated The Little Prince as a philosophical fable for children in 1943. He returned to his squadron in North Africa and disappeared while on a reconnaissance flight over southern France in 1944, likely shot down by a German fighter.

Composer Rick Cummins and playwright/lyricist John Scoullar (Adapters) have adapted The Little Prince into four versions: two musicals and two plays (the Guthrie is producing one of the plays). Cummins’ work includes That’s Life!, Pets!, Tiny Tim’s Christmas Carol and Sherlock Holmes and the Red-Headed League. Scoullar’s work includes The Legend of Finn McCool; Hello, Dears; Old Fashion Bargain Days; and Canticle. Scoullar, who was also an actor, passed away in 2011. The Little Prince is Cummins and Scoullar’s only collaboration.

Paris native Dominique Serrand (Director) is the former Co-Artistic Director and Co-Founder of the celebrated Theatre de la Jeune Lune in Minneapolis, where he acted, conceived, directed and designed for most of the theater’s productions from 1978 to 2008. Under Serrand’s leadership, Theatre de la Jeune Lune received the 2005 Regional Theatre Tony Award. He has directed at countless theaters throughout his career, including Berkeley Rep, La Jolla Playhouse, Yale Repertory Theatre, A.R.T., Actors Theatre of Louisville, Children’s Theatre Company and the Alley Theatre, among others. He studied at the École Jacques Lecoq in Paris and was knighted by the French government with the Order of Arts and Letters. Serrand returns to the Guthrie after previously directing The Triumph of Love (1993), The Comedy of Errors (2002) and Refugia (2017).

Relaxed Performance – Sunday, January 22 at 1 p.m.
A relaxed performance is intended to be sensitive to and accepting of any audience member who may benefit from a more relaxed environment. It is intentionally modified to accommodate patrons with sensory and vestibular sensitivities, anxiety, dementia, autism spectrum disorders, learning differences and/or other challenges attending the theater. Single tickets to the relaxed performance of The Little Prince are $29 for adults and $15 for children. Tickets may be purchased by calling the Box Office at 612.377.2224. For more information, visit www.guthrietheater.org/relaxed.

Health and Safety
Masks are currently encouraged but not required for all Tuesday – Saturday performances. Masks are required for all Sunday performances and must securely cover the nose and mouth (no bandanas, neck gaiters or face shields) when entering and inside the McGuire Proscenium Stage. A complete list of Guthrie requirements is available at www.guthrietheater.org/health.

Land Acknowledgment
The Guthrie Theater would like to acknowledge that it resides on the traditional land of the Dakota People and honors with gratitude the land itself and the people who have stewarded it throughout the generations, including the Ojibwe and other Indigenous nations.

The GUTHRIE THEATER (Joseph Haj, Artistic Director) is an American center for theater performance in Minneapolis, Minnesota, celebrating 60 years of artistic excellence during its 2022–2023 Season. Under Haj’s leadership, the Guthrie has continued its dedication to producing a mix of classic and contemporary plays and cultivating the next generation of theater artists. Since its founding in 1963, the theater has set a national standard for excellence in the field and served the people of Minnesota as a vital cultural resource. The Guthrie houses three state-of-the-art stages, production facilities, classrooms, restaurants and dramatic public spaces. guthrietheater.org.