caption: 'night, Mother actresses Miriam Monasch and Muriel Bonertz, Director Richard Jackson and Stage Manager Jason Schaal (L-R, in foreground) were among those honored at an opening night reception for Workhouse Theatre's 100. Photo by Duane Atter.
"And the award for overall excellence in theatre goes to...Workhouse Theatre for their production of ‘night, Mother."
Those were the words spoken on September 22, at the Historic State Theatre, moments before Workhouse Theatre Company members stepped onto the stage to accept the Twin Cities' most prestigious award for live theatre. The award was accepted, and an impromptu speech delivered by company founder (and Camden resident) Jeff Redman, before 2,000 local theatre artists including representatives from the likes of the Guthrie Theatre, Ordway Center for the Performing Arts and 70 other local theatre companies. What made the event particularly significant is that it occurred a mere four years after Workhouse Theatre Company's (WTC) inception as the only resident theatre company operating on the Northside of Minneapolis.
May 2008's ‘night, Mother dealt with the gut-wrenching topic of suicide, and WTC's intimate staging of Marsha Norman's Pulitzer Prize-winning play sent audiences through an emotional wringer. The award-winning show featured Camden's Miriam Monasch in a starring role alongside Muriel Bonertz, and was directed by Richard Jackson. Other Camden artists who contributed to the production were scenic designer Sarah J. Leigh, lighting designer Mark Webb, costume designer Bruce Stripe, and graphic designer Travis Olson.
More recently, WTC kicked off their 2008-2009 season with the area premiere of 100, for three weekends in October. The show brought multiple sold-out houses into The Warren, as well as well as crowds of hungry patrons into local eateries, as Camden theatre goers had the opportunity to enjoy the proverbial "dinner and the show" right in their own neighborhood.
In November WTC continues their workshop series, with two intriguing opportunities never before offered on the Northside. Saturday, November 8, from 10 a.m. to noon, WTC offers a class on the intriguing subject of "Theatre of the Oppressed." Based on the Brazilian system of social action theater, this workshop offers improvisational techniques that help participants tackle complex issues. WTC bills it as, "fun and effective tools for team building and conflict resolution," and no previous experience required.
Those with previous improvisational experience, including those who attended the previous weekend's workshop, are welcome on Saturday, November 15 for "Advanced Long Form Improv," also from 10 a.m. to noon. In this workshop, participants can "find characters that work, create scenes that have ‘bite,' and explore exercises and techniques to help regain focus in scenes where things are just not happening."
For info on these and other workshops in the series, or to register, visit http://www.workhousetheatre.org/site/classes.php. Workhouse Theatre's 2008-2009 season is made possible, in part, by season sponsorships from Papa's Pizza and Pasta, Steamworks Coffee and Tea Company, and Camden Pet Hospital.