Read by the author Christopher Fitz-Simon
on the Francis J. Greenburger Mainstage
Tuesday, April 24 at 7pm
PURCHASE
Celebrated theatrical director Tyrone Guthrie (1900-1971) made a lasting impact on contemporary international theater. For one night only, Irish scholar and former theatrical director Christopher Fitz-Simon will read from his book Rise Above: The Letters of Tyrone Guthrie. This selection of private letters illustrates Guthrie’s extraordinary life and vision, while offering glimpses into the lives and thoughts of his celebrated colleagues – among them the Oliviers, Alec Guinness, Benjamin Britten, Thornton Wilder, Leonard Bernstein, Ruth Gordon, and more.
Although continually engaged by starry Broadway managements, his dissatisfaction with the system led to two of the most most productive and satisfying projects of his career: the Stratford Festival in Canada and The Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, Minnesota, both of which allowed him to develop his belief in the supremacy of a resident acting company and in bringing the classics of western drama closer to the audience via the open stage.
Get to know the thoughts, history, and relationships of this fascinating and influential man through his own correspondence.
BUY TICKETS
“Perhaps because these letters were never intended for publication, they are often deliciously indiscreet and always blisteringly honest.” – The Stage
“Guthrie’s delightfully lively letters have been brought into print by one of Ireland’s great publishers, Lilliput, in a splendid edition by Christopher Fitz-Simon.” – The Irish Times
