Dowling to remain at Guthrie for 5 more years
Joe Dowling, the artistic director of the Minneapolis-based Guthrie Theater, will remain in that position for another five years.
Jodee Kozlak, the board's president, announced at Monday's annual meeting that board extended the 62-year-old Dowling's contract until 2015.
"His extraordinary leadership is unparalleled," said Kozlak in a written statement. "His realization of our world-class facility, relentless pursuit of artistic excellence and unwavering commitment to this community and Guthrie audiences have established our institution as a heralded national center."
Dowling is already the longest-serving director in Guthrie history. He has been on the job since December 1995. He calls the extension his "final term" with the theater.
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The board also reviewed the Guthrie's finances for the 2009-2010 fiscal year. Attendance dropped slightly, but the theater company finished the year with a slight surplus.
The Guthrie filled almost 436,000 seats during the fiscal year, a drop of about 27,500 over the previous year. When all concerts, training and other events are included, it did mount more productions -- 45 compared to 41 the year before.
The Guthrie ended up with a surplus of $134,000 on a $23.5 million budget. But Dowling noted the surplus came after a series of budget cuts including layoffs, fewer roles for actors, wage freezes and furloughs for theater staff.
(The Associated Press contributed to this report)
