The Guthrie Theater

The Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, MN.

View from the Endless Bridge at the Guthrie. The tallest building to the left is Aunt Dixie and Uncle Boyd's building.

On Tuesday night Aunt Dixie took me to the Guthrie Theater to see the musical "Caroline, or Change." The theater is within walking distance from her condo. What a neat experience! The building is amazing and I enjoyed looking around. Although the Guthrie Theater has been around for years, this new theater opened in June 2006. It is located on the banks of the Mississippi River. The Guthrie holds 3 stages, restaurants and lounges. Prior to the show we ate a delicious dinner at the Level Five Cafe. While Aunt Dixie stood in line for rush tickets to the show, I explored the building. My favorite part was the Endless Bridge. I got lost and couldn't find Aunt Dixie, but luckily we were reunited seconds before the show began. At the time I was panicked, but now it is funny to say that I lost my aunt in the Guthrie!

One of the signature features of the new Guthrie, the cantilevered lobby known as the "Endless Bridge" is an observatory for the Mississippi River falls and landscape. Jean Nouvel's primary goal was to create an exciting and inspiring place for people to gather at the river. The windows on the bridge walls are all set on predetermined sightlines. Framed and "forced perspective" views highlight and give focus to many nearby historical landmarks. Stretching more than half a block (178 feet) from the building face, the 30-foot-wide Endless Bridge towers over West River Parkway. One of the longest occupied cantilevers in the world, the Guthrie's Endless Bridge is quite an engineering feat.