The Guthrie Announces Casting for Propeller's TWELFTH NIGHT and THE TAMING OF THE SHREW

The Guthrie Theater continues its 2012-13 season with the British company Propeller's all-male, modern and physical productions of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night and The Taming of the Shrew, directed by Propeller artistic director Edward Hall. The two plays, performed in repertory (audiences can choose either show, or both on two different nights), come to the Guthrie as part of Propeller's international tour running through August 2013.

Twelfth Night and The Taming of the Shrew begin performances at the Guthrie on February 27, and continue through April 6, 2013. Single tickets start at $29 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.

In these repertory productions, each member of The Propeller Company will play two roles. The cast will be (Twelfth Night role listed first, The Taming of the Shrew role listed second): Vince Leigh (Sir Toby Belch, Christopher Sly/Petruchio), Finn Hanlon (Antonio, Lucentio), Gary Shelford (Maria, Hortensio), Chris Myles (Malvolio, Baptista), John Dougall (Sir Andrew Aguecheek, Gremio/Vicentio), Ben Allen (Olivia, Biondello), Liam O'Brien (Feste, Tranio), Arthur Wilson (Curio/Priest, Bianca), Joseph Chance (Viola, Curtis), Dan Wheeler (Sebastian, Katherine), Christopher Heyward (Orsino, Tailor/Widow), Benjamin O'Mahony (Sea Captain/Grumio/Pedant), Lewis Hart (First Officer/Servant) and Darrell Brockis (Second Officer/Vincentio).

Propeller uses a modern and original, physical and energetic approach to Shakespeare that has established it as one of the U.K.'s most vital and compelling companies. The pairing of Twelfth Night and The Taming of the Shrew takes the gender confusion and fluid roles of each Shakespeare play and bends them in unexpected and creative ways: in each play, characters dress as opposite genders to pursue strategies that result in confusion, and with all-male casts each play is re-imagined with provocative, often playful and fascinating results.

These Propeller productions have been critically lauded wherever they have traveled on their current tour, and have been regarded as can't-miss theatrical events. The U.K.'s The Daily Telegraph offered, "Propeller has become one of the finest and most distinctive acting ensembles in the country," and the Daily Express wrote, "Visceral, intelligent and ironclad theatre, this isn't just Shakespeare-this is rock and roll."

The creative team for the Propeller productions includes Michael Pavelka (Scenic Designer), Ben Omerod (Lighting Designer), David Gregory (Sound Designer) and Simon Harvey (Assistant Director), with Text Adaptation by Edward Hall and Roger Warren.

About Propeller
Propeller is an all-male Shakespeare company which seeks to find a more engaging way of expressing Shakespeare and to more completely explore the relationship between text and performance. Mixing a rigorous approach to the text with a modern physical aesthetic, they have been influenced by mask work, animation and classic and modern film and music from all ages. Productions are directed by Edward Hall, designed by Michael Pavelka with Lighting designed by Ben Ormerod.

Propeller has toured internationally to Australia, China, Spain, Mexico, The Philippines, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Cyprus, Ireland, Japan, Indonesia, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Malta, Hong Kong,New Zealand, Poland, Turkey and the U.S.A. Its artistic director is Edward Hall.

About the Guthrie
The Guthrie Theater, founded in 1963, is an American center for theater performance, production, education and professional training. The Guthrie is dedicated to producing the great works of dramatic literature, developing the work of contemporary playwrights and cultivating the next generation of theater artists. Led by Director Joe Dowling since 1995, the Guthrie opened its new three-theater home on the banks of the Mississippi River in Minneapolis in June 2006.

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