Who should replace Joe Dowling at the Guthrie?

When Guthrie Theater Director Joe Dowling steps down next June, he will leave some rather large shoes to fill.

Not just anyone can run a nationally known theater company with simultaneous productions on three stages in an iconic public building that also serves as a community hangout and tourist destination.

Some have already speculated about the lead candidates to replace him, including such names as Mark Rylance, Emily Mann and Oskar Eustis.

The job posting says the two most important responsibilities of the new director will be to assure the artistic quality of the work on stage while also growing the size and diversity of the Guthrie's audiences.

So who has the best skills to lead the Guthrie into the future? Could a local theater director handle the job? If so, who?

Submit your nomination in the comments section. We'll look at the results in a future post.

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