Alt. Theater 101

The Minneapolis theater community is more than the Guthrie and traveling New York Broadway plays. The rich collection of local, turtle-necked dramaturgs is ripe for your enjoyment this spring, but where to start? Aside from the obvious powerhouses (The Guthrie , Pantages , Orpheum , etc), we’ve put together a list of more accessible, affordable Minneapolis theaters for student enjoyment.

The Southern Theater
1420 Washington Ave. S.
southerntheater.org

West Bank’s Southern Theater devotes its large arena stage to artistic synergy; often splicing together companies that seem dissimilar.
The Southern is inhabited by an ever-revolving door of local and international dance companies, from the postmodern one-gay-man shows about penises imported from New York to TU Dance, a local modern dance company directed by University of Minnesota Dance Professor Toni Pierce-Sands.

Bedlam Theatre
1501 6th St. S.
bedlamtheatre.org

This non-profit organization’s goal is to produce cutting-edge theater that borders on obtuse. The Bedlam produces eccentric twists on old classics and innovative concept theater. The Bedlam’s upcoming schedule features Idris Goodwin, a renowned slam poet, and “rough metal” Philadelphia band, Motorcycle Maus.

Mixed Blood Theatre
1501 4th St. S.
mixedblood.com

Based on MLK’s “Dream” and founded in 1976, the Mixed Blood Theatre focuses on breaking down barriers to theatre, which is usually seen as a bourgeois pastime. The Theatre hosts performances in its historic fire station location as well as schools and juvenile detention centers.
Not limiting itself to any specialty, Mixed Blood prides itself on a wide selection of short productions, from awe-inspiring musicals to dramatic black-box affairs.

Zenon Dance
528 Hennepin Ave
zenondance.org

Zenon Dance is part modern dance school, part jazz dance company and part community outreach organization. Zenon has received nods from the New York Times and esteemed Dance Magazine for its work with underprivileged communities.
The dance company has paired with a myriad of community centers and schools. One of their missions is to team up with public and private institutions to teach group communication skills and trust-building.

Bryant Lake Bowl
810 W. Lake St.
bryantlakebowl.com

Bryant Lake Bowl’s strength lies in its accessibility and diversity. The quaint theater hosts everything from dramatic GLBT productions to stand-up comedy nights and improv workshops for children.
The bowling alley/theater/bar hosts a weekly Monday date night. For $28, a couple can nab a bottle of house wine, two entrees and a round of bowling, the perfect date precursor to a night of local theatre.

RedEye Collaboration
15 14th St. W.
redeyetheater.org

As the Red Eye’s slogan proclaims, “Life’s better with a little theater.” This small crew set has devoted its 35 years to implementing small productions and fostering the avant-garde of the Minneapolis theater community. Next up at the Red Eye is the dark comedy “Maria/Stuart,” featuring deadly tongue-lashing and an apparently literal skeleton in the closet.

Lab Theater
700 1st St. N.
thelabtheater.org

Opened as the Guthrie’s experimental theater house in the North Loop, the Lab was the brainchild of the Guthrie’s former artistic director, Garland Wright.
The Lab just closed out its locally-casted production of “Rent.” Up next at the experimental theater is “Open Eyes,” a lineup of everything from a women’s dance septet to a solo toy pianist.

Music Box Theatre
1407 Nicollet Ave.
musicboxtheatre.org

The historic Music Box Theatre was constructed in the 1920s as a silent theater and a vaudeville house. Since then, the Music Box has been out of business twice and hosted a Pentecostal church congregation.
In 1997, the Theatre began running “Triple Espresso,” a three-man comedy act that used to travel the nation until they sank into middle-age. Along with that, the theater is still strong in its Christian roots, providing a home for “Spirit Garage,” a Lutheran parish.

Minneapolis Theatre Garage
711 Franklin Ave. W.

The Minneapolis Theatre Garage was born in the early ’80s from one theater fan’s desire to house the plethora of indie production companies at low-cost. As the title suggests, the space is a giant garage which enables companies to switch from proscenium to thrust stages or theatre in the round with relative ease. Keep your Cadillac out of here; the space is frequented by several local not-for-profit theatre companies, vying to give budding actors a chance on the stage.