Feature: WAITING FOR GODOT at Guthrie Theater

It has been over 50 years since the Guthrie Theater has presented one of the crown jewels of the American theater, Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot, and what better way to kick off the 2026-2027 theatrical season?

Perhaps one of the most recognizable tragicomedies ever written for the stage, Waiting for Godot is a story that has asked audiences for decades to constantly ask the five W’s and 1 H : Who? What? Where? When? Why? and How?

Set beneath a lonely tree on a country road, two companions wait for the mysterious Godot. As time moves along, Vladimir and Estragon fill their day circling the largest of questions using wit and dialogue to create an existential world that is both humorous and heartbreaking.

Perhaps the show is so widely known because it speaks to every person and has extremely relatable moments within. Showing moments of elation and moments of deep despair, Beckett encompasses the entire range of the human experience.

This is certainly why the team at the Guthrie lead by Artistic Director, Joseph Haj, has brought together a team of artists who posses a shared vision for this piece that promises to be thought provoking, enlightening, and shown to audiences through the absurdist lens, just as Beckett intended.

The production is also features an esteemed cast of actors, including John Carroll Lynch who is returning to the Guthrie stage as Estragon, Academy Award nominee/Emmy Award Winner David Strathairn making his Guthrie debut as Vladimir, as well as a team of remarkable supporting actors including favorites Will Sturdivant, Jim Lichscheidl, and J. Antonio Teodoro.

Waiting for Godot is certain to be an incredible piece of art that will not only entertain but challenge it’s audiences to keep asking questions and to stay curious about the world around us while remembering that we are all in this boat called “life” together.

Waiting For Godot by Samuel Beckett

September 12 - October 11, 2026

Cast:

• John Carroll Lynch: Estragon
• David Strathairn: Vladimir
• William Sturdivant: Pozzo
• Jim Lichscheidl: Lucky
• J. Antonio Teodoro: A Boy

Creative Team::

• Director: Joseph Haj
• Scenic Designer: Marion Williams
• Costume Designer: Trevor Bowen
• Lighting Designer: Christopher Akerlind
• Sound Designer: Darron L West
• Resident Dramaturg: Carla Steen
• Movement Director: Carl Flink
• Vocal Coach: Sara Becker
• Fight Director: Annie Enneking
• Resident Casting Director: Jennifer Liestman, C.S.A.
• Stage Manager: Karl Alphonso
• Assistant Stage Manager: Jason Clusman