Director Peter Flynn to Helm Guthrie's 50th Season Gala Performance BEHOLD, 6/22

The Guthrie today announced that BEHOLD, its 50th-anniversary one-time gala performance, will be directed by New York-based Peter Flynn, whose extensive credits include directorial work on Broadway, Off-Broadway and in regional theaters. BEHOLD, part of the Guthrie's anniversary weekend celebration, will combine classical text, music, original work, video and dance performed by artists to be announced in the months to come. The event will take place on Saturday, June 22, 2013. Details and information are available through the Guthrie's anniversary line at 612.225.6350 or by visiting www.guthrietheater.org/50.

Flynn recently stepped down as Artistic Director of the Hangar Theatre in Ithaca, New York, where he directed Dee Hoty in Full Gallop and Michael McCormick and Emily Skinner in Lend Me a Tenor, along with productions including the world premiere of Tim Pickney's Ever So Humble. Flynn's credits on Broadway include Actors' Fund concerts, Chess starring Josh Groban and Funny Girl with 16 Fanny Brices including Whoopi Goldberg, Bebe Neuwirth and Jane Krakowski. Flynn has created gala events for Ford's Theater, Lincoln Center and the Drama Desk Awards.

"We're absolutely delighted to have a director of Peter's caliber come on board for BEHOLD," said Guthrie Director Joe Dowling. "His work on major New York stages and his breadth of knowledge of American theater are perfect complements to a night in which we are going to celebrate the Guthrie's first 50 years with theatricality, originality and a spirit of fun and surprise."

Off-Broadway credits for Flynn include Skippyjon Jones and Junie B. Jones (nominated for two Lucille Lortel Awards, including Best Musical). His regional credits include directing productions at the Kennedy Center, St. Louis Muny and Chicago Shakespeare Theater. As a writer, Flynn is the author of Lily, a musical adaptation of Edith Wharton's The House of Mirth along with composer/lyricist Brooks Ashmanskas; the pair is also under commission at the Huntington Theatre to write a musical adaptation of For Love of the Game. Flynn is on the faculty at New York University and the Stella Adler Studio of Acting.

BEHOLD will be part of a roster of events taking place June 22-23, 2013, commemorating the Guthrie's 50th season with options ranging from dinner and dance parties to a Community Celebration Day in which the theater will open its doors for free all-ages activities, classes and behind-the-scenes access to the theater's inner workings. Details and tickets for 50th Anniversary Celebration events can be found at www.guthrietheater.org/50 or by calling 612.225.6350.

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.

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