Tyrone Guthrie

Sir William Tyrone Guthrie (July 2, 1900 - May 15, 1971) was a British theatrical director instrumental in the founding of the Stratford Festival of Canada and the Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

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Sir - July 2 - 1900 - May 15 - 1971 - British - Stratford Festival of Canada - Guthrie Theatre - Minneapolis, Minnesota

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Guthrie was born in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England, the son of Dr. Thomas Guthrie (a grandson of the Scottish preacher, Thomas Guthrie) and Norah Power (granddaughter of the Irish actor, Tyrone Power).

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Tunbridge Wells - Kent - England - Scottish - Thomas Guthrie - Irish - Tyrone Power

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He received a degree in history at Oxford University, where he was active in student theatre, and worked for a season at the newly-established Oxford Playhouse. In 1924 Guthrie joined the British Broadcasting Corporation as a broadcaster and began to produce plays for radio. This led to a year directing for the stage with the Scottish National Players, before returning to the BBC to become one of the first writers to create plays designed for radio performance. During the period 1929-1933 he directed at various theatres, including Pirandello's Six Characters in Search of an Author, in 1932. During 1933-1934 and 1936-1945 he was director of the Shakespeare Repertory Company.

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Oxford University - Oxford Playhouse - 1924 - British Broadcasting Corporation - Plays for radio - Scottish National Players - BBC - 1929 - 1933 - Pirandello - 1932 - 1934 - 1936 - 1945 - Shakespeare Repertory Company

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In the forties Guthrie began to direct operas, to critical acclaim, including a realistic Carmen at Sadler's_Wells and the Metropolitan Opera in New York. In 1953 he was invited to direct the first season of the Stratford_Festival of Canada, and continued to do so for four years, becoming a strong influence in the development of Canadian theatre. In 1963 he founded the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, Minnesota, which was modelled after the Stratford Theatre.

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Forties - Operas - Carmen - Sadler's_Wells - Metropolitan Opera - 1953 - Stratford_Festival - Canada - Canadian theatre - 1963 - Guthrie Theater - Minneapolis, Minnesota - Stratford

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In the prologue to his biography James Forsyth wrote: "Anti-Broadway, anti-West End, anti everything implied in the term 'Legitimate Theatre', he ended up with a legitimate claim to the title of 'most important, British-born theatre director of his time". Peter Hall wrote "Among the great originators in British Theatre...Guthrie was a towering figure in every sense. He blazed a trail for the subsidised theatre of the sixties. He showed how to run a company and administer a theatre. And he was a brilliant and at times great director..."

Related Topics:
James Forsyth - Broadway - West End - Peter Hall

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Guthrie wrote two major books about the creation of effective drama: Theatre Prospect (1932) and A Life in the Theatre (1959). Guthrie was married to Judith Bretherton, who survived him by only a year. He was knighted in 1961 and died either in Dublin, Ireland or at home in Newbliss in County Monaghan, Ireland; in either case he died at the age of 70 from undisclosed causes.

Related Topics:
1932 - 1959 - Knighted - 1961 - Dublin, Ireland - County Monaghan, Ireland

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