McGuire Proscenium Stage

Venue Type: Main Stage
Seating Capacity: 700
Stage Type: Proscenium

"With the addition of a proscenium stage, the Guthrie is able to present the full range of the extraordinary American repertoire." ~ Joe Dowling

Although a thrust stage works brilliantly for Shakespeare and other large-scale plays, more contemporary plays focusing on the subtleties of characters' psychological development require a smaller proscenium stage. A proscenium features a "picture frame" rectangular opening, allowing the entire audience to experience the play from the same vantage point - straight on, a perspective not possible on a thrust stage.

The majority of late 19th-century and virtually all of 20th-century drama is best suited to a proscenium stage. In order to continue to engage contemporary audiences, the Guthrie needed a second space, a stage on which classics of the future could find a home. The proscenium stage fulfills this need. The addition of a proscenium stage also allows the Guthrie to work in partnership with other theaters in the region and across the country (who, for the most part, have only proscenium stages) and to host international companies as well.

Audiences will enjoy a house draped in deep, passionate red facing a rectangular opening that's adjustable from a small aperture to a panoramic full-stage view, depending on the dramatic elements of each individual play. As the Guthrie expands its relationship with living playwrights, its audience will continue to be at the forefront of American drama.

The McGuire Proscenium Stage is named in tribute to the generous support of the William W. and Nadine M. McGuire Family Foundation.