GUTHRIE THEATER PRESENTS WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE’S MACBETH, DIRECTED BY JOE DOWLING
Former Guthrie Artistic Director Joe Dowling returns for this chilling tale, featuring Daniel José Molina and Meghan Kreidler as Macbeth and Lady Macbeth
Previews begin Saturday, January 31; Opening on Thursday, February 5
Playing through Sunday, March 22 on the Wurtele Thrust Stage
(Minneapolis/St. Paul) — The Guthrie Theater (Joseph Haj, Artistic Director) today announced the cast and creative team for Macbeth, written by William Shakespeare and directed by Joe Dowling. This thrilling tale features Daniel José Molina (Guthrie: The History Plays) and Meghan Kreidler (Guthrie: As You Like It), lead singer of local band Kiss the Tiger. The show begins previews on Saturday, January 31, opens on Thursday, February 5 and will play through Sunday, March 22 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.
“Macbeth is Shakespeare’s shortest tragedy, yet it reveals his depth as a storyteller,” said Artistic Director Joseph Haj. “As Macbeth’s thirst for power rises in tandem with his insecurities and paranoias, we’re drawn into the heart-pounding frenzy of a man consumed by his ambition.” Haj continued, “I’m pleased and honored to welcome Joe Dowling back to the Guthrie stage to revisit this riveting tale of treachery and ambition, which has contemporary resonances for any time, including our own.”
The Guthrie has produced Macbeth three previous times, with Joe Dowling directing the most recent production in the 2009–2010 Season. Dowling describes Macbeth as “one of the most accessible and thrilling of the Bard’s plays. What he sacrifices in length, he amply makes up for in dramatic tension throughout, along with rich, poetic language.”
When three witches utter a surprising incantation — “All hail Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter” — a soldier and nobleman’s course is forever altered. Macbeth and his ambitious wife seek to kill King Duncan and usurp the throne. The pair is successful, but their satisfaction is fleeting, and the two embark on a perilous path of destruction. Macbeth is soon haunted by the bloodstained ghost of a former enemy, and the crown grows heavy with the weight of his insecurity and paranoia. Shakespeare’s thrilling story of treachery and ambition explores the relationship between power and corruption, revealing the villainy that can emerge when power is sought.
The cast of Macbeth includes Pierce Brown (Guthrie: debut) as Donalbain/Fleance/Apparition, John Catron (Guthrie: A Christmas Carol, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The History Plays) as Weïrd Sister/Macduff/Murderer, Sun Mee Chomet (Guthrie: Sally & Tom, Emma, Twelfth Night) as Weïrd Sister/Lady Macduff/Gentlewoman, Charles Foster (Guthrie: debut) as Little Macduff (alternate performances), Peter Christian Hansen (Guthrie: The Mousetrap, Dial M for Murder, Murder on the Orient Express) as Banquo, Kaden Hesser (Guthrie: debut) as Little Macduff (alternate performances), Meghan Kreidler (Guthrie: Dickens’ Holiday Classic, As You Like It, A Christmas Carol) as Lady Macbeth, Bill McCallum (Guthrie: The History Plays, Shane, The Tempest) as Duncan/Siward/Murderer, David Michaeli (Guthrie: debut) as Sergeant/Seyton/Murderer, Daniel José Molina (Guthrie: The History Plays) as Macbeth, Michelle O’Neill (Guthrie: The Importance of Being Earnest, The Tempest, The Royal Family) as Ross/Apparition, Daniel Petzold (Guthrie: A Christmas Carol, The Importance of Being Earnest, Hamlet) as Malcolm/Apparition, James A. Williams (Guthrie: Floyd’s, Romeo and Juliet, King Lear) as Lennox and Regina Marie Williams (Guthrie: A Christmas Carol, The Nacirema Society, A Midsummer Night’s Dream) as Weïrd Sister/Doctor.
The creative team includes Joe Dowling (Director), Riccardo Hernández (Scenic Designer), Judith Dolan (Costume Designer), Philip Rosenberg (Lighting Designer), Peter Morrow (Sound Designer), Keith Thomas (Composer), Carla Steen (Resident Dramaturg), Keely Wolter (Resident Vocal Coach), Joe Chvala (Movement Director), Annie Enneking (Fight Director/Intimacy), Jennifer Liestman, C.S.A. (Resident Casting Director), Karl Alphonso (Stage Manager), Kathryn Sam Houkom (Assistant Stage Manager), Laura Topham (Assistant Stage Manager), Amanda Fuller (Assistant Director) and McCorkle Casting, Ltd. (NYC Casting Consultant).
Biography
Joe Dowling (Director) began his career as an actor at Abbey Theatre, Ireland’s national theater, eventually becoming the youngest Artistic Director of the Abbey in 1978. He also founded and directed the Gaiety School of Acting, Ireland’s first theater school. In 1995, he became Artistic Director at the Guthrie Theater where he served for 20 years and oversaw the building of its current three-stage complex on the banks of the Mississippi River. Dowling has directed extensively in his native Ireland, on Broadway, in London’s West End and at many theaters in the U.S. and Canada, including Gate Theatre, Theatre Royal Haymarket, Roundabout Theatre Company, New York Shakespeare Festival, The Acting Company, Shakespeare Theatre Company, Geffen Playhouse, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Stratford Festival and Centaur Theatre (Montreal). He holds honorary degrees from several universities, including National University of Ireland, University of Minnesota, Gonzaga University and University of St. Thomas.
The Guthrie gratefully acknowledges Boulay Wealth for their support of Macbeth.
Related Events
Play Club: Shakespeare Adaptations
Tuesdays, February 3–24, 1:30–2:30 p.m.
Level Five
From Ovid to Boccaccio to Holinshed’s Chronicles, Shakespeare loved borrowing a good story — so it is fitting that many of his plays have been adapted into new forms throughout the centuries. In this four-week play club, you’ll read scripts from four Bard-inspired adaptations and engage in lively group discussions led by a member of the Guthrie’s Artistic Team. Participants may attend all four weeks or drop in for individual weeks. Each play club session is free, but registration is required through the Box Office.
MACbeth Lip Bar
February 12, 13 and 14
Level Four
Make your entrance as bold as Shakespeare’s most thrilling tragedy. On select performance dates, visit the MAC Lip Bar on Level Four one hour before showtime for a complimentary lipstick application inspired by the fearless style of Lady Macbeth.
Beer, Brats and the Bard
Tuesday, February 24 and Friday, March 6, 5:30–7 p.m.
Level Five
During the run of Macbeth, join us on select dates as we celebrate Shakespeare in a festive tailgating atmosphere. Enjoy a cold beer, bratwurst, delicious side salad and chips on Level Five alongside Bard-related trivia. Then, keep the festivities going with a performance of Macbeth at 7:30 p.m. Tickets will be available online, by phone or in person at the Box Office.
Shakespeare Classic
Sunday, March 1 at 1 p.m.
Wurtele Thrust Stage
The Shakespeare Classic is a popular Guthrie event designed to introduce theater-loving youth to the enduring works of Shakespeare. All tickets for this performance are $10 and include a post-show reception with educational activities. Every order must have at least one but no more than two adults per young person between the ages of 10 and 17. Tickets may be purchased by phone or in person at the Box Office (not available online).
How’d They Do That? Workshop: Macbeth
Saturday, March 21, 10:30 a.m. – noon
Dowling Studio
Enter the chilling world of Macbeth and learn how Guthrie artists brought Shakespeare’s shortest and darkest play to life onstage. Moderated by a member of the Guthrie’s Artistic Team, this behind-the-scenes discussion will explore the rehearsal process, set design, costume inspiration, lighting, sound and more. This event is free and open to the public, but registration is required through the Box Office. Sponsored by Fredrikson.
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.
Sunday, February 8 at 1 p.m.
Tuesday, February 10 at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, February 15 at 1 p.m.
Wednesday, February 18 at 1 p.m.
Saturday, March 7 at 1 p.m.
Accessible Performances
ASL-Interpreted Performances
American Sign Language interpreters sign the performance as it plays out onstage.
Friday, February 27 at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 7 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, February 20 at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 7 at 1 p.m.
Open-Captioned Performances
LED screens display text simultaneously with the performance onstage.
Friday, February 20 at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, February 21 at 1 p.m.
Sunday, February 22 at 1 p.m.
Wednesday, February 25 at 1 p.m.
Wednesday, March 4 at 1 p.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), 1.877.447.8243 (toll-free), 612.225.6244 (group) or online at guthrietheater.org. The Guthrie Theater Box Office is the only official and most secure source for Guthrie tickets. We cannot guarantee the validity of tickets purchased through any other vendor or third-party seller.
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 public spaces. guthrietheater.org
