The 3 things Joe Dowling will be best remembered for

May 28, 2015 at 10:30PM
Photo copyright Michal DANIEL, 2006. Santino Fontana as Hamlet in the Guthrie Theater production of ShakespeareÌs Hamlet, directed by Joe Dowling. Set design by Richard Hoover, costume design by Paul Tazewell, lighting design by Matthew Reinert. March 4 through May 7, 2006.
Santino Fontana, a graduate of the BFA program, in “Hamlet” in 2006. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

1. The Guthrie on the Mississippi

Dowling reinvented the Guthrie's physical plant and changed the architectural profile of Minneapolis. The $125 million deep-blue 2006 building has three stages and ample public spaces, including the "endless bridge" jutting toward the river. Dowling worked assiduously to raise funds, talking to every Rotary Club or Chamber of Commerce breakfast that would have him. He also fought with Gov. Jesse Ventura, who twice vetoed state funding, but his lobbying was rewarded when Gov. Tim Pawlenty approved the Guthrie's bonding request.

2. The BFA program

Working with the late director and educator Ken Washington, the Guthrie and the University of Minnesota created a conservatory training program in 2000 whose alumni include Namir Smallwood, Ali Rose Dachis and Broadway and "Frozen" star Santino Fontana. The Guthrie also created a summer program to bring top-notch graduates from the nation's acting schools to the Twin Cities.

3. Tony Kushner Festival

The Guthrie celebrated Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Tony Kushner ("Angels in America") with a three-play festival in 2009. Director Marcela Lorca staged a landmark production of "Caroline, or Change," which starred Greta Oglesby. Kushner also wrote — and kept revising — "The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide to Capitalism and Socialism With a Key to the Scriptures." The third piece was "Tiny Kushner," a collection of short one-acts.

Rohan Preston

GENERAL INFORMATION: French architect Jean Nouvel IN THIS PHOTO: Minneapolis, MN;2/7/2002:Left to right---Guthrie artistic director/CEO Joe Dowling and French architect Jean Nouvel check out a model of Nouvel's design of the new Guthrie being shown to Guthrie staffers at a reception at the Milwaukee Depot.
Joe Dowling and French architect Jean Nouvel inspected a model of the new theater in February 2002. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
BRUCE BISPING ï bbisping@startribune.com Minneapolis, MN., Friday, 5/22/2009] (left to right) Guthrie Artistic Director Joe Dowling and Tony Kushner talked moments before the world premier of Kushner's new play, "An Intelligent Homosexuals Guide to Capitalism."
Dowling and Tony Kushner before the world premiere of “The Intelligent Homosexual’s Guide” in 2009. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
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