The Guthrie Theatre Celebrates 50th Anniversary with Community Celebration Day Today

Today, June 23, will be the Guthrie's Free Community Celebration Day, an all-ages day of events designed for the theater to mark its 50th anniversary by welcoming the community that has fostered and supported it throughout its half-century history.

The Guthrie will open its doors to the public with a wide range of free offerings from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for longtime theater lovers, first-time visitors, children and their parents. Guthrie Director Joe Dowling will be joined at 11 a.m. on the Wurtele Thrust Stage by Senator Amy Klobuchar, Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak and Guthrie Board of Directors Chair Wendy Nelson to offer a Welcome to the Community with brief remarks to commemorate the Guthrie's unique and historic relationship to the Twin Cities.

The day's activities will begin at 8:30 a.m. with the Guthrie 50 5K, a fun run/walk across the Stone Arch Bridge and through the surrounding Mississippi Riverfront neighborhood. Online registration for the event is available through June 21 at: http://beta.active.com/minneapolis-mn/running/races/the-guthrie-50-5k-2013. Registration in person the day of the event is also available.

Activities will represent the scope of community involvement available to the public throughout the year, including:

· Sampler classes for kids on topics including physical comedy, stage combat, tap dance, singing and storytelling

· Sampler classes for grown-ups on subjects including voiceover, playwriting and presentation skills

· A behind-the-scenes backstage walking tour

· Mask making, face painting and fun hair for kids

· Guthrie Camp games for kids 7+

· Outdoor grilling and food samples by Sea Change

· Drawings and ticket give-aways

· A stage combat presentation

· Family-friendly performances of Milly and Tillie by Minneapolis' Open Eye Figure Theatre in the Dowling Studio

· Talks on Guthrie history and the all-day video presentation "Guthrie: 50 Years Retrospective" film in the McGuire Proscenium

· A costume exhibit featuring historical pieces from the Guthrie Costume Shop and a Costume Photo Booth

· The Mill City Farmers Market

The Guthrie Free Community Day will take place rain or shine. All events are first-come, first-served, no tickets are necessary.

For information and a schedule of events visit: http://www.guthrietheater.org/50

The GUTHRIE THEATER (Joe Dowling, Director) was founded by Sir Tyrone Guthrie in 1963 and is an American center for theater performance, production, education and professional training. The Tony Award-winning Guthrie Theater is dedicated to producing the great works of dramatic literature, developing the work of contemporary playwrights and cultivating the next generation of theater artists. With annual attendance of nearly 500,000 people, the Guthrie Theater presents a mix of classic plays and contemporary work on its three stages. Under the artistic leadership of Joe Dowling since 1995, the Guthrie continues to set a national standard for excellence in theatrical production and performance. In 2006, the Guthrie opened its new home on the banks of the Mississippi River in Minneapolis. Designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Jean Nouvel, the Guthrie Theater houses three state-of-the-art stages, production facilities, classrooms and dramatic public lobbies.www.guthrietheater.org