Here comes that Rainn again

Rainn Wilson was fresh out of NYU's acting program when he was discovered in the early '90s. Director Joe Dowling, smitten with the young performer's comic energy, cast him in a New York production of "A Midsummer's Night Dream" and continued to call on him after becoming artistic director at the Guthrie Theater.

Wilson, best known these days for playing paranoid Dwight Schrute on "The Office," returns the favor this weekend by sitting down with his mentor on the Guthrie's main stage for a wide-ranging matinee discussion.

"My Minneapolis experience was really an important part of my creative journey as an artist," said Wilson, 45, whose Guthrie credits include "The Importance of Being Earnest" and "The Venetian Twins." "Joe started off as an actor, so he very much respects the performance. A lot of directors want to know early on what you're going to do so they can paint a pretty picture around it, but Joe is all about playing and excavating."

Wilson said that's easier to do when you have several weeks of rehearsal, but he's still been able to apply the lessons he learned from Dowling to his sitcom and movie work, which has included "Juno," "Super" and "The Rocker." "You can take that attitude and be really demanding in exacting your exploration," he said recently from Los Angeles.

Wilson has particularly strong memories of playing Private Gar in "Philadelphia, Here I Come!," which Dowling directed during his 1996 inaugural season. A review in the show-biz trade magazine Variety called Wilson the undeniable star of the show.

"For three hours [he] holds court with a hilariously irreverent torrent of sarcastic asides, Patton-like pep talks, anguished antics, antagonistic tirades and soul-cleansing confessions," wrote reviewer Tad Simons. "Wilson's emotional range is astonishing, and his comic timing is impeccable."

Wilson himself ranks "Philadelphia" in his top three acting experiences.

"The role, the director and the cast just lined up," he said. "We worked our butts off, but we knew we were all doing something truly spectacular."

After Guthrie vets become TV stars -- Joan Van Ark ("Knots Landing"), Michael Moriarty ("Law & Order"), TR Knight ("Grey's Anatomy") -- it seems almost impossible to get them back on the Minneapolis stage. Was there enough magic to lure Wilson back for an encore?

He says he loves the idea, but the summer hiatus from "The Office" is too short, especially after a emotionally draining season like this last one, which saw the departure of Steve Carell.

"It was a very funny and very touching season, but the transition was odd," Wilson said. "It was very hard to try and be funny, because we were sad at the same time. We loved the guy, a real sweetheart, and we're going to miss him like crazy."

Despite the scheduling conflicts, Dowling isn't about to give up. At one point, he tried talking Wilson into doing an updated version of "The Inspector General."

"We'll keep talking," Dowling said. "And he'll keep saying no."