Hello Friend,

We wish to further address the disruptive incident that delayed the Opening Night performance of A Christmas Carol and resulted in a hostile environment last Friday evening at the Guthrie Theater. As a member of our audience, you were regrettably subjected to verbal abuses that caused harm to some of our audience members who had entrusted the Guthrie to provide a safe space to gather together as a community.

In response to a Twitter video that went viral, we issued a statement. In crafting that statement, we failed to condemn the racist remarks hurled by the disruptive audience member. More importantly, we failed to apologize to audience, company members and staff who were harmed in our theater, particularly those who identify as Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC).

We utterly condemn the racist statements of the individual and offer our deepest apologies to all who were negatively impacted.

We stand by our decision to wait for the police rather than forcibly remove the individual from the theater and wish to give assurance to all who enter our building that your safety and well-being is of utmost importance to us. To that end, we are currently reviewing all safety and security protocols and are planning enhanced training for all staff.

Thank you for joining us for A Christmas Carol. Please know we will continue to strive to make the Guthrie a safe, welcoming and inclusive space for all.

Sincerely,