Guthrie Q&A
Q. How many theaters are in the new Guthrie?
A. Three. The Wurtele Thrust Stage is essentially a recreation of the old Guthrie at Vineland Place and seats about 1,100. The McGuire Proscenium Stage is configured more like a conventional theater and seats 700. The Dowling Studio, an experimental theater at the top of the building, seats as many as 200.
Q. It looks quite a bit bigger than the old place …
A. It is. The Vineland place facility was about 87,000 square feet. The new Guthrie is 285,000 square feet — more than three times the size.
Q. What takes up all the room?
A. There are two more theaters, of course, as well as more room for rehearsal, a state-of-the-art sound studio and more classrooms. There's also space for building sets and administration. Before the move, the Guthrie development department and scene shops were off-site.
Q. How much did it cost, and is it paid for?
A. The complex cost $125 million. The Guthrie received $25 million in bonding money from the state, planned to raise $85 million and intended to borrow the remaining $15 million. Guthrie officials will announce progress on the fund-raising campaign on opening weekend.
Q. Will tickets to plays be more expensive?
A. By a couple of bucks. Tickets to most productions on the two main stages will be $52 to $22. For "1776," "A Christmas Carol" and "The Great Gatsby," single tickets will be $57-$27. Last season, the top ticket for most shows was $50; "Christmas Carol" was $55.
Q. What about parking?
A. There's a 1,000-space parking ramp just across the street. It'll cost $8 to park in the city-owned ramp for Guthrie shows. (The light rail Metrodome stop is five blocks to the south if you want to pass on the parking.)
Q. It's cool that there's a skyway between the ramp and the theater.
A. Um … that's not a skyway. It's a link to the scene shop, which is built into the ramp, and it's not public. You'll have to go outside to get from your car to the ramp, but the link should be wide enough overhead to shield you from all but the most ferocious blizzards.
Q. And bathrooms? The bathrooms at the old Guthrie were terrible.
A. There were 15 public "fixtures" for men and 29 for women at the old Guthrie. In the new place, there are 33 men's fixtures, 59 for women and two "family" restrooms.
Q. Can I get something to eat?
A. Cue is a full-service, white-tablecloth restaurant on the street level, and there's a cafeteria on level 5, both headed by renowned local chef Lenny Russo.
Q. What about a drink?
A. No problem. There are 11 full-service bar stations in the building. Hiccup!
Q. What can you tell me about that funny appendage sticking out of the building toward the river?
A. Architect Jean Nouvel calls it "the endless bridge." It's 178 feet long (about the height of a 14-story office building), it uses enough steel to construct two Eiffel Towers and it offers some pretty spectacular views of the Mississippi River and the Stone Arch Bridge. It's enclosed except for the very tip, which is open to the elements.
Q. I get woozy looking at it.
A. Don't worry: The bridge — which can accommodate as many as 1,600 people — can support a weight of some 2,000 tons. But if you want a real vertigo experience, go up to level 9, where that big amber box hangs off the top of the building. There's a large transparent panel on the floor that looks alllll the way down to the roof of level 5. Brrrr!
— Dominic P. Papatola, Theater Critic
A. Three. The Wurtele Thrust Stage is essentially a recreation of the old Guthrie at Vineland Place and seats about 1,100. The McGuire Proscenium Stage is configured more like a conventional theater and seats 700. The Dowling Studio, an experimental theater at the top of the building, seats as many as 200.
Q. It looks quite a bit bigger than the old place …
A. It is. The Vineland place facility was about 87,000 square feet. The new Guthrie is 285,000 square feet — more than three times the size.
Q. What takes up all the room?
A. There are two more theaters, of course, as well as more room for rehearsal, a state-of-the-art sound studio and more classrooms. There's also space for building sets and administration. Before the move, the Guthrie development department and scene shops were off-site.
Q. How much did it cost, and is it paid for?
A. The complex cost $125 million. The Guthrie received $25 million in bonding money from the state, planned to raise $85 million and intended to borrow the remaining $15 million. Guthrie officials will announce progress on the fund-raising campaign on opening weekend.
Q. Will tickets to plays be more expensive?
A. By a couple of bucks. Tickets to most productions on the two main stages will be $52 to $22. For "1776," "A Christmas Carol" and "The Great Gatsby," single tickets will be $57-$27. Last season, the top ticket for most shows was $50; "Christmas Carol" was $55.
Q. What about parking?
A. There's a 1,000-space parking ramp just across the street. It'll cost $8 to park in the city-owned ramp for Guthrie shows. (The light rail Metrodome stop is five blocks to the south if you want to pass on the parking.)
Q. It's cool that there's a skyway between the ramp and the theater.
A. Um … that's not a skyway. It's a link to the scene shop, which is built into the ramp, and it's not public. You'll have to go outside to get from your car to the ramp, but the link should be wide enough overhead to shield you from all but the most ferocious blizzards.
Q. And bathrooms? The bathrooms at the old Guthrie were terrible.
A. There were 15 public "fixtures" for men and 29 for women at the old Guthrie. In the new place, there are 33 men's fixtures, 59 for women and two "family" restrooms.
Q. Can I get something to eat?
A. Cue is a full-service, white-tablecloth restaurant on the street level, and there's a cafeteria on level 5, both headed by renowned local chef Lenny Russo.
Q. What about a drink?
A. No problem. There are 11 full-service bar stations in the building. Hiccup!
Q. What can you tell me about that funny appendage sticking out of the building toward the river?
A. Architect Jean Nouvel calls it "the endless bridge." It's 178 feet long (about the height of a 14-story office building), it uses enough steel to construct two Eiffel Towers and it offers some pretty spectacular views of the Mississippi River and the Stone Arch Bridge. It's enclosed except for the very tip, which is open to the elements.
Q. I get woozy looking at it.
A. Don't worry: The bridge — which can accommodate as many as 1,600 people — can support a weight of some 2,000 tons. But if you want a real vertigo experience, go up to level 9, where that big amber box hangs off the top of the building. There's a large transparent panel on the floor that looks alllll the way down to the roof of level 5. Brrrr!
— Dominic P. Papatola, Theater Critic
posted by Redboy at 11:56 AM
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