Robert Robinson Joins Guthrie's THE BURIAL AT THEBES 9/24-11/6

The Guthrie Theater today announced complete casting for its upcoming production of The Burial at Thebes, Nobel Laureate Seamus Heaney's adaptation of Sophocles' Antigone, playing September 24 - November 6, 2011, on the McGuire Proscenium Stage.

As previously announced, Sun Mee Chomet will play the fiery and heroic Antigone in the production directed by Marcela Lorca, whose critically-acclaimed production of Caroline, or Change captivated Guthrie audiences in 2009. A powerhouse collective of the Twin Cities' finest dramatic actors and richest voices has been assembled to deliver the timeless tale, set against a backdrop of stirring music from composer J.D. Steele (The Gospel of Colonus) of legendary Steele family fame.

Heralded Minnesota master male vocalist RoBert Robinson (Vocalist) joins the commanding company of actors, which will feature Lee Mark Nelson (Chorus), Richard Ooms (Chorus), T. Mychael Rambo (Chorus), Brian Sostek (Guard), Prentiss Standridge (Ismene) and Joe Nathan Thomas (Chorus), alongside the previously announced Greta Oglesby (Tiresias), Regina Marie Williams (Eurydice), Stephen Yoakam (Creon), Ansa Akyea (the Messenger) and Ernest Bentley (Haemon). Morgan Guinta and Ryan McCormick also join the company, sharing the role of Tiresias' Boy.

"Seamus brings a direct and poetic language to The Burial at Thebes that invites us to embrace both the ancient and the modern," said Lorca. "Our casting centers on the strength of our diverse culture and creates an experience that feels immediate to contemporary audiences."

Heaney's exquisite adaptation of Sophocles' Antigone revives the Greek tale of love and self-sacrifice for today's theatergoer and, as with the original, focuses on the never resolved conflict between a person's individual rights and the demands of the state. The timeless struggle for honor is called into question in the face of challenging authority: to whom does loyalty belong - to one's family and cultural practices or to the law decreed by the state?

The artistic team includes Monica Frawley (Set Designer), Elizabeth Caitlin Ward (Costume Designer), Christopher Akerlind (Lighting Designer), J.D. Steele (Composer), Scott W. Edwards (Sound Designer), Lucinda Holshue (Voice and Language Consultant), Jo Holcomb (Dramaturg), Martha Kulig (Stage Manager), Michele Harms (Assistant Stage Manager) and Dario Tangelson (Assistant Director).

The Burial at Thebes begins preview performances on September 24, opens October 1 and continues through November 6, 2011, on the McGuire Proscenium Stage at the Guthrie Theater. Single tickets start at $24 and are now on sale through the Guthrie Box Office at 612.377.2224, toll-free 877.44.STAGE, 612.225.6244 (Group Sales) and online at www.guthrietheater.org.

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

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