Frank Theatre

Support Frank Theatre's 35th season!

When we first staged our premiere production of FARMYARD in 1989, who knew we’d still be around 35 years later? But here we are. We had hoped to kick off our 35th season this fall with an oh, so timely production of Brecht’s THE RESISTIBLE RISE OF ARTURO UI (which we first staged in 2001 in a former ammunition factory in St Paul), but this time, the site-specific venue we had chosen (a former plastic fabrication factory in south Minneapolis that had been damaged during the uprising) did not meet the approval of the Actors’ Equity union and we had to cancel three days before rehearsals were to begin. That brought a terrible heartbreak to the 20+ artists who were all set to begin work, and to many of our audience members who were so eagerly anticipating the production. We did manage to present a staged reading of the script, with the intended cast, on Nov. 2, to a capacity audience at St Thomas. The response was fabulous and so gratifying! The play’s resonance with today’s world was creepy and thrilling, and the script SO needed a contemporary staging right now.

We’ve picked ourselves up, dusted ourselves off, and now we’re in the early stages of pulling together our next adventure, Martyna Majok’s SANCTUARY CITY, which we’ll be staging at Open Eye Theatre Jan 31 through Feb 23, 2025. Majok, who penned last season’s IRONBOUND that we staged at Gremlin, is a phenomenal writer and we’re thrilled to tackle another work of hers. This time, she creates a world of two DREAMers shortly after 9/11. Both characters were brought to America as children, and are now in their late teens, wrestling with a world where they don’t quite have a place and they are trying to figure out their futures. Her writing is stunning, and the story continues her exploration of what it is to be an immigrant in America.

As the celebration of philanthropy that is Give to the Max Day bubbles along this year, please consider Frank Theatre on your list of worthy causes. Live theatre is struggling at all levels, and we’d be ever so grateful for your support! And mark your calendars for the performance dates for SANCTUARY CITY! We’d be so happy to see you at Open Eye!

Thanks so much for considering support of our adventures!

"Leave it to Wendy Knox to discover a new-to-#TCTheater playwright who has written (at least one) gorgeous, funny, devastating, and very human play about immigrants, poverty, classism, sexism, and so much more...IRONBOUND is..the first of Polish-born Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Martina Majok's work to be produced in the Twin Cities and it's a stunner. As usually it received top notch treatment in Frank Theatre's production, with beautifully raw and real performances from the four person cast and an understated but effective design...I', confident this will be one of the best plays of 2024....It's a joy to have Frank Theatre back..." --Cherry and Spoon 

I have overwhelming gratitude for those who kept us afloat during these past three years. To the funders who supported us, to the individual donors who kept the contributions coming, to those supporters who sent notes of encouragement, to the Board members who kept meeting regularly during these three long years (some who had never even seen a Frank show!) – that has meant the world. And the great cheers of excitement when we announced we were finally doing a show was oh, so gratifying. Thank you for your generous support!

– Wendy Knox, Artistic Director

Your contribution helps us continue to create ambitious productions of challenging works in our feisty spirit that expand audiences' perceptions of our world and demand dialogue about social, political, and cultural issues. Please make a tax-deductible donation today.

ABOUT FRANK THEATRE

Frank Theatre is a professional theatre company committed to producing unique work that stretches the skills of the artists who create the work while simultaneously challenging the everyday perceptions of the audience through the exploration of ideas and issues of social, political and/or cultural concern. Frank Theatre was founded with the desire to produce work that provides opportunities for artists to grow, to stretch, to work outside of and beyond the typical opportunities provided by theatres with a greater commercial interest. The theatre has successfully pursued this goal through the consistent staging of works that require the actors, designers, and director to challenge themselves and each other. The theatre is a Twin Cities’-based company, founded in 1989 by Artistic Director Wendy Knox. Now in its 34th season, the theatre has staged over 70 productions and is committed to producing work that reflects the world in which we live.

Heads up: Look for Frank Jan. 31-Feb. 23, 2025 at OPEN EYE THEATRE with Martina Majok's SANCTUARY CITY!