GUTHRIE THEATER KICKS OFF 2025–2026 SEASON WITH AMY HERZOG’S TONY AWARD-NOMINATED ADAPTATION OF A DOLL’S HOUSE, DIRECTED BY TRACY BRIGDEN

This riveting adaptation uses modern language to bring an exhilarating feel to Henrik Ibsen’s classic drama

Previews begin Saturday, September 13; Opening on Thursday, September 18 Playing through Sunday, October 12 on the Wurtele Thrust Stage

(Minneapolis/St. Paul) — The Guthrie Theater (Joseph Haj, Artistic Director) today announced the cast and creative team for A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen, with a new version by Pulitzer finalist and Tony nominee Amy Herzog, directed by Tracy Brigden. The show begins previews on Saturday, September 13, opens on Thursday, September 18 and will play through Sunday, October 12 on the Wurtele Thrust Stage. Single and group tickets are now on sale exclusively through the Box Office or online at guthrietheater.org. Accessibility services (ASL-interpreted, audio-described and open-captioned performances) are also available on select dates.

Artistic Director Joseph Haj said, “I’m excited to begin our 2025–2026 Season with A Doll’s House, a landmark drama that continues the Guthrie’s tradition of presenting classic works that resonate with audiences today.” Haj continued, “This smart adaptation by playwright Amy Herzog offers a streamlined, contemporary take on the play while staying true to the story and enduring themes in Ibsen’s original work. I’m thrilled that my colleague Tracy Brigden will be directing our first show of the season and leading this talented company of artists as they bring this thrilling drama to life for another generation of theatergoers.”

The cast of A Doll’s House includes Catherine Eaton (Guthrie: A Christmas Carol, Julius Caesar, The Importance of Being Earnest) as Kristine Linde, Ricardo Chavira (Guthrie: Shane, An Enemy of the People, A Streetcar Named Desire) as Nils Krogstad, George Keller (Guthrie: Dollhouse) as Anne-Marie, David Andrew Macdonald (Guthrie: Richard II, Dial M for Murder) as Torvald Helmer, Andrew May (Guthrie: The Mousetrap, Murder on the Orient Express) as Dr. Rank and Amelia Pedlow (Guthrie: Emma, Frankenstein – Playing With Fire) as Nora Helmer.

The creative team includes Tracy Brigden (Director), Luciana Stecconi (Scenic Designer), Trevor Bowen (Costume Designer), Rob Wierzel (Lighting Designer), Jane Shaw (Sound Designer/Composer), Carla Steen (Resident Dramaturg), Keely Wolter (Resident Vocal Coach), Regina Peluso (Choreographer), Annie Enneking (Intimacy/Fight), Jennifer Liestman (Resident Casting Director), Karl Alphonso (Stage Manager), Kathryn Sam Houkom (Assistant Stage Manager), Jordan Muschler (Assistant Director) and McCorkle Casting, Ltd. (NYC Casting Consultant).

A Doll’s House follows housewife and mother Nora Helmer, who lives a delicately constructed — and seemingly perfect — life focused on keeping up appearances and meeting expectations. When a long-held secret comes to light on Christmas Eve, the foundation of Nora’s world begins to crumble. The blackmail and lingering resentments that emerge force her to come to terms with the fragile facade of her doll-like existence. Torn between playing the part that’s been built for her or leaving behind everything she’s ever known, Nora is faced with an impossible choice. Ibsen’s seminal drama returns to the Guthrie in this thrilling adaptation by Pulitzer finalist and Tony nominee Amy Herzog.

Originally written in Norwegian, A Doll’s House premiered at the Royal Danish Theatre in Copenhagen, Denmark, on December 21, 1879. The play was met with acclaim that spread across continental Europe and beyond. In 2020, Amy Herzog was commissioned to adapt A Doll’s House for a potential West End production directed by Jamie Lloyd and featuring actor Jessica Chastain as Nora. The play opened on Broadway on March 9, 2023, at the Hudson Theatre and was nominated for six Tony Awards, including Best Revival of a Play. The play also won three Drama Desk Awards, including Outstanding Adaptation.

Biographies

Henrik Ibsen (Playwright) became a director and resident playwright of Den Nationale Scene (The National Stage) in Bergen, Norway, at age 23. He directed the Kristiania Norwegian Theatre from 1857 to 1863 before setting off on extended travels in Europe, beginning a self-imposed exile that would last until 1891. In Italy, he wrote the plays Brand (1866) and Peer Gynt (1867). After the satire The Pillars of Society (1877), Ibsen found his voice and an international audience with powerful studies of middle-class morality in A Doll’s House (1879), Ghosts (1881), An Enemy of the People (1882), The Wild Duck (1884) and Rosmersholm (1886). His more symbolic plays, most written after his return to Norway in 1891, include Hedda Gabler (1890), The Master Builder (1892), Little Eyolf (1894) and When We Dead Awaken (1899). Ibsen greatly influenced European theater and is regarded as the founder of modern prose drama.

Amy Herzog (Adapter) is an acclaimed American playwright whose work includes After the Revolution (Williamstown Theatre Festival; Playwrights Horizons; Lilly Award), 4000 Miles (Lincoln Center Theater; Obie Award for Best New American Play; Pulitzer Prize finalist), The Great God Pan (Playwrights Horizons) and Belleville (Yale Repertory Theatre; NYTW; Susan Smith Blackburn Prize finalist; Drama Desk Award nomination). Herzog is a recipient of the Whiting Award, Benjamin H. Danks Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, Helen Merrill Award, Joan and Joseph Cullman Award for Extraordinary Creativity, and The New York Times Outstanding Playwright Award. She is a Usual Suspect at NYTW and an alumnus of Youngblood at Ensemble Studio Theatre, Play Group at Ars Nova and the Writer Director Lab at Soho Rep. She has taught playwriting at Bryn Mawr College and Yale University. Herzog received an M.F.A. from the David Geffen School of Drama at Yale University.

Tracy Brigden (Director) is the Guthrie Theater’s Senior Artistic Producer. Before coming to the Guthrie, she served as Artistic Director at City Theatre in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, for 16 years, leading the organization to its prominent and respected place as a major incubator and producer of new plays and musicals. Under her leadership, City Theatre produced nearly 200 plays and launched an extensive play development program. Prior to City Theatre, she served on the artistic staffs of Manhattan Theatre Club and Hartford Stage. Freelance directing includes Atlantic Theater Company in New York City, Hartford Stage, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Westport Country Playhouse, New York Stage and Film, Barrington Stage Company, TheaterWorks Hartford, Pittsburgh Public Theater and many others. Brigden holds a B.S. in Theatre from Northwestern University and an M.F.A. in Dramatic Writing from Point Park University.

Related Events

2025–2026 Season Kickoff Party – Thursday, September 18, Post-show to 11 p.m.
After the Opening Night performance of A Doll’s House, enjoy complimentary bites, a cash bar and beats by DJ Tricky Miki as you mingle with fellow theatergoers, actors and Guthrie staff. To join the festivities and raise a glass to the thrilling season ahead, purchase tickets to the Opening Night performance of A Doll’s House at 7:30 p.m. at guthrietheater.org/dollshouse.

Play Club: Classic Adaptations – Wednesdays, September 17 – October 8, 2–3:30 p.m. Classic plays continue to inspire modern playwrights, often leading to innovative adaptations that breathe new life into age-old stories. In this four-week play club sponsored by Ameriprise Financial, you’ll read scripts from four notable adaptations (including A Doll’s House by Amy Herzog) and participate in lively group discussions led by a member of the Artistic Team. Attend all four weeks for $40 or individual weeks for $10 each (handling fees included). Online registration will be available soon at guthrietheater.org/dollshouse, and scripts may be purchased in the Guthrie Store or online at guthriestore.com.

• September 17: A Doll’s House by Amy Herzog, adapted from the Henrik Ibsen original
• September 24: A Doll’s House, Part 2 by Lucas Hnath, inspired by the Henrik Ibsen original
• October 1: Everybody by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, inspired by the 15th-century morality play Everyman
• October 8: Clybourne Park by Bruce Norris, a response to A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry

Post-Play Discussions
Patrons are invited to stay in the theater following select performances for a 20-minute conversation about the production facilitated by Guthrie staff. Cast members may join the discussion as they are able.

Wednesday, September 24 at 1 p.m.
Sunday, September 28 at 1 p.m.
Tuesday, September 30 at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, October 5 at 1 p.m.
Saturday, October 11 at 1 p.m. (ASL interpretation available)

Accessible Performances

ASL-Interpreted Performances
American Sign Language interpreters sign the performance as it plays out onstage.

Friday, October 10 at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, October 11 at 1 p.m.

Audio-Described Performances
Audio describers provide live verbal descriptions of the action, costumes and scenery for people who are blind or have low vision.

Friday, October 3 at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, October 11 at 1 p.m.

Open-Captioned Performances
LED screens display text simultaneously with the performance onstage.

Wednesday, October 1 at 1 p.m.
Friday, October 3 at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, October 4 at 1 p.m.
Wednesday, October 8 at 1 p.m.
Sunday, October 12 at 1 p.m.

Sensory Tour
Sensory tours allow patrons who are blind or have low vision to explore the stage, costumes and props before the matinee. Reservations are not required.

Saturday, October 11 at 10:30 a.m.

The Guthrie also provides accessible services upon request. Requests must be received at least two weeks in advance and can be directed to 612.225.6390 or accessibility@guthrietheater.org.

Ticket Information

Single tickets range from $35 to $94 (handling fees included). Purchase single and group tickets (minimum requirement of 15 per group) through the Box Office at 612.377.2224 (single), 1.877.477.8243 (toll-free), 612.225.6244 (group) or online at guthrietheater.org.

Land Acknowledgment

The Guthrie would like to acknowledge that we gather on the traditional land of the Dakota People and honor 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, dedicated to producing a mix of classic and contemporary plays and cultivating the next generation of theater artists. Under Haj’s leadership, the Guthrie is guided by four core values: Artistic Excellence; Community; Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility; and Fiscal Responsibility. Since its founding in 1963, the theater has continued to set a national standard for excellence in the field and serve the people of Minnesota as a vital cultural resource. The Guthrie houses three state-of-the-art stages, production facilities, classrooms and dramatic publicspaces. guthrietheater.org