The "theatre piece with dance" will premiere at Minneapolis' Guthrie Lab May 11-23 prior to a limited tour throughout the country. Written and directed by director-puppeteer Rezo Gabriadze, the work concerns a mentally ill man who thinks he is an automobile. Forbidden Christmas or The Doctor and the Patient will feature five actors as well as a puppet and is described as "a latenight sojourn by a doctor and his mentally ill patient into a magical theatrical event of snowstorms, talking cars and flying objects. It incorporates text and movement with Shostakovich, tango music and Georgian folk songs."

After its Guthrie run, Forbidden Christmas or The Doctor and the Patient will play various engagements, including the Spoleto Festival, Lincoln Center and the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

Best known for his work as a dancer, Mikhail Baryshnikov's Broadway credits include Awakening, Push Comes to Shove and Metamorphosis. He was nominated for a 1989 Tony Award for his work in the latter.

The Guthrie Lab is located at 700 North First Street in Minneapolis, MN. Tickets will be available March 1 by calling (612) 377-2224 or by visiting www.guthrietheater.org.