Causes:
Arts & Culture,
Theater
Mission: Ten Thousand Things (TTT) brings lively, intelligent theater to people with little access to the wealth of the arts -- who in turn help us to reimagine theater. Performing at homeless shelters, prisons, schools and housing projects, using the region's finest actors, this bare-bones, award-winning company invigorates ancient tales, classic stories and contemporary plays through its search for honest, open interactions between actors and audiences. In such humble settings, the skills and imaginations of great artists confront the honesty and insight of people who have lived hard lives. Through this dynamic exchange, we create urgent, electrifying work -- a reminder that theater is essential to all.
Results: Over the past twenty-five years, TTT has toured sixty highly successful productions of award-winning plays to low-income audiences.
Because of the extraordinary caliber of talent we use – and, more importantly, because of the honesty, depth, liveliness and urgency our audiences demand of us! -- we regularly receive critical acclaim. We won an Ivey for Romeo & Juliet in 2015. Minnesota Monthly named us the Best Theater Experience in 2013. MPR featured us as an "Art Hero" in 2012. Star Tribune named Michelle Hensley Best Theater Artistic Director in 2012. Pioneer Press named us Top Theater of 2012. We also won an Ivey in 2011 for Doubt and in 2010 for Othello. In 2010 we were also awarded the Sally Ordway Vision Award and City Pages named us Best Small Theater and named Michelle Hensley Best Director and Artist of the Year. For many years, Star Tribune has chosen a TTT show for its annual lists of Outstanding Theater Productions: Henry IV, Part I (2015) The Music Man (2014); A Streetcar Named Desire (2013); Measure for Measure (2012); Man of La Mancha (2011); Doubt (2011); Once On This Island (2008); Richard III (2007); Merchant of Venice (2006), Iphigenia and Ragtime (2005) and Cyrano (2004). The Pioneer Press regularly places our shows on its annual Top 10 Theater Production lists, as well, including: Man of La Mancha (2011); My Fair Lady (2010); Raskol (2009); Once on This Island and Twelfth Night (2008) Little Shop of Horrors (2007): In a Garden (2006); Antigone (2005); and Cyrano (2004).
Target demographics: Low-income non-traditional theatergoers and traditional theatergoers
Geographic areas served: Twin Cities and greater Minnesota
Programs: Touring three exceptional productions each year to prisons, homeless shelters, low-income senior residences, housing projects, adult education centers and traditional theatergoers at Open Book, Bedlam Lowertown and MN Opera Center.
