GUTHRIE ANNOUNCES CASTING OF

ASHLEY ROSE MONTONDO

AS ELIZABETH BENNET IN SUMMER PrODUCTION OF

PRIDE AND PREJUDICE

Last-minute casting change leads to first major featured role for U of M/Guthrie BFA grad,

beginning a remarkable journey across from leading man Vincent Kartheiser

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(Minneapolis/St. Paul) The Guthrie Theater today announced that Ashley Rose Montondo has joined the cast of its summer production of Pride and Prejudice. She assumes the featured role of Elizabeth Bennet after the sudden departure of Erin Krakow. Montondo steps into her first major role on the national stage, opposite leading man Vincent Kartheiser (televisions Mad Men) in the role of Mister Darcy. The production is the Simon Reade adaptation of the classic Jane Austen novel in the two-hundred-year anniversary of its publication, helmed by Guthrie director Joe Dowling.

I couldnt be more thrilled to have Ashley Rose Montondo joining the cast of Pride and Prejudice, says Dowling. She is an accomplished young actor and a testament to the vitality of our BFA program and partnership with the University of Minnesota. It will be a delight for all of us to witness her performance in the beloved role of Elizabeth Bennetthis is the beginning of a remarkable journey for Ashley and one that no one will want to miss!

Montondo, a 2011 graduate of the University of Minnesota/Guthrie Theater BFA Actor Training Program, previously appeared at the Guthrie in 2011as Amy Spettigue in Charleys Aunt and has understudied The Primrose Path and Long Days Journey into Night.

Jane Austens witty comedy of mannersone of the most beloved novels of all timetells the story of the five Bennet daughters who are in need of suitable husbands. The arrival of the wealthy Mr. Bingley and his best friend Mr. Darcy stirs romantic thoughts among the sisters and the matrimonial matchmaking begins. Tensions mount between the young, spitfire Elizabeth Bennet and the arrogant Mr. Darcy, though he cannot escape a growing attraction to her rebellious behavior. A tangle of mistaken impressions and unexpected revelations keeps Austens famous young couple apart until a major social error ironically allows Darcy to swallow his pride and Elizabeth to rethink her prejudice.

Pride and Prejudice begins preview performances on July 6, opens July 12 and continues through August 31, 2013 on the Wurtele Thrust Stage at the Guthrie Theater. Single tickets start at $30 and are now on sale through the Guthrie Box Office at 612.377.2224, toll-free 877.44.STAGE, 612.225.6244 (Group Sales) and online at www.guthrietheater.org.

The GUTHRIE THEATER (Joe Dowling, Director) was founded by Sir Tyrone Guthrie in 1963 and is an American center for theater performance, production, education and professional training. The Tony Award-winning Guthrie Theater is dedicated to producing the great works of dramatic literature, developing the work of contemporary playwrights and cultivating the next generation of theater artists. With annual attendance of nearly 500,000 people, the Guthrie Theater presents a mix of classic plays and contemporary work on its three stages. Under the artistic leadership of Joe Dowling since 1995, the Guthrie continues to set a national standard for excellence in theatrical production and performance. In 2006, the Guthrie opened its new home on the banks of the Mississippi River in Minneapolis. Designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Jean Nouvel, the Guthrie Theater houses three state-of-the-art stages, production facilities, classrooms and dramatic public lobbies. www.guthrietheater.org

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