On Stage: 2024/25 Theater Outreach

On Stage (fiscally sponsored through Springboard for the Arts) is designed to make local theater relevant to younger and non-traditional audiences and to lay the groundwork for building future theater attendance.

On Stage brings actors to classrooms and community settings. Actors and students read scenes from a play in current local production followed by a lively discussion of the themes tying in current events, personal values and narratives, and stimulating critical thinking. Subsequently attending the full play is encouraged. The purpose of the program is to enhance in-class learning, make local theater relevant to younger and non-traditional audiences, and to lay the groundwork for building future theater attendances. Discussions cover relevant social, political and cultural topics that come up in Twin Cities plays including gender and racial violence and inequity, LGBTQ+ discrimination, cultural diaspora and alienation and aging. 

Since On Stage launched in the fall of 2016, On Stage has partnered with fifteen theater companies in the Twin Cities, covering thirty-two plays. Of these plays that On Stage has promoted/discussed in classrooms, over 8,500 students have been exposed to new theater and new theater venues, and over 28% of these students paid to see the show that we were promoting/discussing. On Stage continues to focus on partnering with more small/mid-sized theaters that don’t have the resources for their own outreach efforts.

Following two years of OnStage/OnLine as the result of covid, On Stage returned to in-person class discussions in the fall of 2021! We facilitated discussions with college students about Animate (Mixed Blood Theatre), Man of God (@ Theater Mu), Passing Strange (@ Yellow Tree Theatre), Twelve Angry Men (@ Theater Latte Da), Freeing Assata & A Love Story in 8 Scenes (Produced by Exposed Brick Theatre; @ Open Eye Theatre), the bull jean stories (@ Pillsbury House Theatre), Mlima's Tale (@ Ten Thousand Things), Diesel Heart (@ History Theatre), and The Courtroom (@ Jungle Theatre). 

In October and September 2023, On Stage facilitated twenty-eight discussions with students about TWO PLAYS: Open Eye Theatre's play, The Chinese Lady; and Pillsbury House Theatre and Exposed Brick Theatre’s play, Passage. Discussions were held in-person at University of Minnesota, Augsburg University, Saint Paul College, Century College, Inver Hills Community College, Metro State University, Normandale Community College, Macalester College, Minneapolis College, Hennepin Technical College and University of St. Thomas. Local theater educators facilitated the discussions, and because of the outreach, 450+ students were exposed to a play and a theater venue they most had never heard of before, and over 100 students went to see the play on their own.

Of the students we visited, 78% had seen a play before, but only 2% had ever seen an Open Eye Theatre, Pillsbury House Theatre or Exposed Brick Theatre play.

97% of students said that the discussion added to their fuller understanding to what they have been discussing in class.

84% of students said that they were more inclined to see the play after participating in the discussion.

78% of students said that they were more inclined to see OTHER PLAYS plays after participating in the discussion.

On Stage just wrapped up discussions for the fall 2024 semester. In September, October and November 2024, On Stage facilitated fourty-one in-class discussions with students about TWO PLAYS: History Theatre's play, Behind the Sun and Yellow Tree Theatre's play, Steel Magnolias. Discussions were held in-person and online at University of Minnesota, Augsburg University, Saint Paul College, Century College, Inver Hills Community College, Metro State University, Normandale Community College, Macalester College, Minneapolis College, Hennepin Technical College, North Hennepin Community College, Summit Academy and University of St. Thomas. Local theater educators facilitated the discussions, and because of the outreach, 750+ students were exposed to a play and a theater venue they most had never heard of before, and over 130 students went to see the plays on their own.

For more information, go to: onstagemn.org

Your support is greatly appreciated during this time as On Stage continues to schedule as many engaging discussions in Twin Cites classrooms as possible.

Thank you for your support!

Lucas Erickson

Project Manager

lucas.erickson1@gmail.com