Guthrie Theater
Minneapolis, Minnesota
When you go backstage at a theater and see how it’s all done, some technical aspects of theater may lose a bit of their magic. But there is something about being backstage and seeing that the space and work that goes into creating a theatrical production is so much bigger than the show itself that has its own kind of magic.
Depending on what areas of the theater are in use at the time, groups can not only get backstage on one or both of the Guthrie’s signature stages, but also get a full picture of how the award-winning company takes a show from idea to stage in the rehearsal rooms, set construction area and costume shop.
The tours run 45 minutes to an hour, and the last tour must end two hours before the evening’s performance begins, but that is also perfect timing for groups to fit in a meal at Guthrie’s Sea Change restaurant, which serves sustainable seafood curated by a James Beard Award-winning chef.
Groups with more time or that want something more hands-on than a tour can take a class with Guthrie’s staff or company before the evening’s performance. “You can do classes preshow that do not include actors involved in a performance,” said Guthrie tour coordinator and group sales manager Lana Aylesworth. “’Acting Games for Beginners’ is the most popular and works for multiple age groups, but ‘The History of the Guthrie,’ ‘Stage Presence’ and ‘Stage Combat’ also work well.”
Lincoln Ghost Walks
Springfield, Illinois
As the city of Springfield commemorates the 150th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s passing, this year may seem a more apropos time than most to explore some of the inexplicable stories surrounding Lincoln’s death and burial. But with Springfield Walks’ Lincoln’s Ghost Walk: Legends & Lore walk, you can do it any time.
Based on the similarly named book by Springfield Walks’ proprietor, Garret Moffet, the Lincoln ghost walks focus not on Lincoln’s well-known passing but on what transpired after. Moffet himself, who has led walking tours in Springfield for 10 years, leads the tour in the role of Lincoln’s frequent bodyguard, Ward Hill Lamon, who was away the evening of Lincoln’s passing and, appropriately for this tour, lived the rest of his life haunted by those events.
From stories of the coffin’s long route to Springfield and who it encountered along the way to an attempted grave robbery and ransom to alleged encounters with Lincoln’s ghost by Springfield residents throughout the last 150 years, Moffet recounts the lesser known part of Lincoln’s story on his 90-minute Lincoln ghost walk.
Groups can also take a ghost walk focused on Mary Todd Lincoln and her final years or on the Oak Ridge cemetery where Lincoln was interred; and a haunted Springfield history tour encompasses the cemetery, the old theater and prominent seance locations.
