Guthrie Theater's Kushner Celebration Featured In The Associated Press & Variety

On April 18th, 2009, nearly 1,000 attendees took part on the Guthrie Theater's Kick Off to Kushner, a community wide event, which featured 70 singers from the Twin Cities Gay Men's Chorus premiering "I Want More Life," a new choral commission with text from Kushner's Angels in America and music by Michael Shaieb.

Caroline, or Change, the first of the three productions in the Kushner Celebration, continues through June 21 on the Wurtele Thrust Stage under the direction of Marcela Lorca. In May, the world premiere Guthrie-commissioned play The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures under the direction of Tony and Drama Desk nominated director Michael Greif (Broadway: Next to Normal, Rent, Grey Gardens) and featuring Kushner regulars Kathleen Chalfant, Linda Emond and Stephen Spinella along side a cast of Guthrie favorites Sun Mee Chomet, ChariTy Jones, Ron Menzel and Michelle O'Neill, opens on the McGuire Proscenium Stage, followed by Tiny Kushner, an evening of Kushner's short plays directed by Berkeley Rep Artistic Director Tony Taccone in the Dowling Studio.

The Associated Press spoke with Kusher about the event, discussing "The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide to Capitalism and Socialism With a Key to the Scriptures.": 

"When Tony Kushner agreed to premiere a new play at the Guthrie Theater, the artistic director at the Minneapolis theater wanted to know what it would be called.

Kushner, who hadn't yet decided what to write about, responded with a mouthful of a title that had been knocking around in his head for more than a decade: "The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide to Capitalism and Socialism With a Key to the Scriptures."

"Joe Dowling needed a title, and I figured well, I can make this play about absolutely anything and somehow or another, that title will carry it," Kushner said sipping a late afternoon cappuccino during a break from a hectic rehearsal schedule for the new play."

For full article click here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/14/AR2009051403401.html

Variety also spoke with the writer, who tells the magazine that "I've never presented a play in a full production that's this early in its naissance."

For the full article click here: http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118003781.html?categoryid=15&cs=1&nid=2562

Tickets for all productions and celebration events are available through the Box Office at 612.377.2224, toll-free 877.44.STAGE or online at www.guthrietheater.org. The Guthrie is located at 818 South 2nd Street (at Chicago Avenue), in downtown Minneapolis.

Full details on the Kushner Celebration, including complete schedule and travel information, are available online at www.CelebrateKushner.com.