“The value of theatre lies in the concept of ‘play’. It is the principle of ‘play’ which is common to all theatre, from a main-house production of the ‘play’ King Lear, through site-specific performance art, to one of the most fundamental of improvisations,” says The Social Impact Research of UK Theater by Dr. Costs McDonnell, Teacher Dominic Shellard of the University of Sheffield. They marches on to state, “It is this versatility which permits us to utilize theatre to assist attend to social problems, promote cross-cultural understanding or commemorate community life.” Twin Cities performing artists in particular have a history of making use of theater’s extreme flexibility to transfer people to worlds apart as a device for accomplishing neighborhood equity and social change.

In this episode, TTT’s Andy Driscoll and Michelle Alimoradi go over how Twin Cities artists are making use of efficiency art to develop community.

Visitors:

PATRICK SCULLY- Patrick Scully, openly gay HIV+ performance artist, creator, Patrick’s Cabaret

ESTER OURAY- Independent teaching and performing artist, associate artist with In the Heart of the Monster Theatre

KAREN WIESE-THOMPSON- long-time Twin Cities starlet, Puck in 10,000 Things’ A Midsummer Night’s Dream

JACK REULER- Artistic Director, Creator, Mixed Blood Theater