'The Bluest Eye' opens at the Guthrie

April 21, 2017 at 5:16AM
Brittany Bellizeare (Pecola), Carla Duren (Claudia), Regina Marie Williams (Mama) and Deonna Bouye (Frieda) in the Guthrie Theaterís production of Toni Morrisonís "The Bluest Eye." Playing April 15 - May 21, 2017 on the Wurtele Thrust Stage at the Guthrie Theater. Photo by Dan Norman.
Brittany Bellizeare, right, stars as Pecola Breedlove in the Guthrie’s production of “The Bluest Eye.” (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

The Bluest Eye

Opens Friday: The 1970 publication of Toni Morrison's novel "The Bluest Eye" was an announcement, not just of the future Nobel laureate's prodigious literary prowess, but also of her heart and care. Morrison composed a compelling coming-of-a-age tale about 11-year-old Pecola Breedlove, a foster child who hates her dark skin and longs for the love and happiness she associates with blue eyes. Playwright Lydia Diamond ("Stick Fly") adapted Morrison's breakout work in 2005 for a premiere at Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre. Hotshot New York-based director Lileana Blain-Cruz stages the poignant and poetic drama with a cast that includes local actors Shawn Hamilton and Regina Marie Williams and New Yorker Brittany Bellizeare in the lead role. (7:30 p.m. Fri.-Sat.; 1 & 7 p.m. Sun., 7:30 p.m. Tue.-Thu. Ends May 21. Guthrie Theater, 818 S. 2nd St., Mpls. $15-$77. 612-377-2224.)

Rohan Preston

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