'The Bluest Eye' opens at the Guthrie

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.)