Directed by Adam Arnold Choreographed by Bailey Anderson Music Directed by Eli Newell Technical Direction by Laura Greenberg
The winner of 8 Tony Awards including Best Musical - told by Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater through "the most gorgeous Broadway score this decade" (Entertainment Weekly) - Spring Awakening explores the journey from adolescence to adulthood with poignancy and passion you will never forget.
And for the first time in Minnesota, Spring Awakening at blank slate theatre will showcase an all-youth cast.
Join this group of 21st century students (embodying 19th century students) on their passage as they navigate teenage self-discovery and coming of age anxiety in a powerful celebration of youth and rebellion in this daring, remarkable Spring Awakening.
Spring Awakening at blank slate theatre will be the final mainstage production in the history of blank slate theatre. Come be a part of this bon voyage production!
Tickets Spring Awakening is $19 for adults, $17 for students and seniors, and $15 for blank slate theatre alumni. Purchase your tickets today at Brown Paper Tickets! http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/254546
*** Due to sexual content and explicit language, Spring Awakening is most appropriate for persons ages 12 and up
Performances • Thursday, November 8th | 7:30pm • Friday, November 9th | 7:30pm • Saturday, November 10th | 7:30pm • Thursday, November 15th | 7:30pm • Friday, November 16th | 7:30pm • Saturday, November 17th | 2pm • Saturday, November 17th | 7:30pm Location Spring Awakening performs at blank slate theatre (in the basement of First Baptist Church), 499 Wacouta Street in Saint Paul. Free parking in church lot. Spring Awakening performs in promenade-style, giving the audience an intensely close view of the action. There is no formal stage, and both the audience and the actors are placed in the space. Audience members stand and travel around the theatre space in accordance with the action. Chairs are provided around the periphery of the theatre in the instance of an audience member's fatigue - but you likely won't need them.
Production History
THE WORLD PREMIERE.
Analyzing The Bully
written by Members of blank slate theatre directed by Adam Arnold
Just what is going on in the brain of a bully? Join Dr. Harrison, Dr. Bruntsworth, and Dr. Lincoln as they present their assessment, findings, and treatment plan for a real-life, actual, flesh and blood bully (gasp!). Further scientific recommendations for eliminating all bullies from planet earth will be given in this one-act presentation.
Based on the beloved tale by Hans Christian Andersen, The Snow Queen takes its audience into regions of myth and dream where the mysterious Snow Queen holds talking animals, wooden soldiers, witches, and lost children under her spell. This immortal story about innocence and loss belongs to the ages, and this world premiere adaptation is a perfect fit for every member of your family.
"I can't give enough praise to The Snow Queen at blank slate theatre. Everything about it is amazing: the set design, the acting, the music; it's one of the best things I've seen all year. It gets in your head and stays there."
A therapist's office. A dance studio. And John Lennon. A story of hope amidst suffering, healing amidst trauma, and forgiveness amidst anger. Walk with young Teagan Murphy as she stumbles (gracefully) through recovery from abuse within her family, and finds salvation in a compassionate therapist, newfound friendships, and the artistic medium of dance. A blank slate theatre original.
"Just wonderful. Uplifting, serious, and deeply moving. I'm not ashamed to say I mopped my face a bit. I am consistently impressed by the excellence of these kids. They are so in touch with their material. See it."
Nothing can prepare a parent for a child's diagnosis with a disability. In Autistic License, playwright Stacey Dinner-Levin chronicles her family's journey to raise a son with autism, from the impact the disability has had on her marriage and family to the best and the worst behavior of people who encounter her son in the outside world. As the story unfolds, Dinner-Levin's character gains an understanding and appreciation of her son's uniqueness, as well as greater depth as a woman and mother.
"Absolutely fantastic!! This production was phenomenal for many reasons. One of which is the realism of it, truly tangible and it felt like I wasn't watching a performance, I was watching the hardships of people's lives. The actors of this production did an extraordinary job in making this intensive production genuine. I must also applaud Stacey Dinner-Levin for creating an inspiring, emotional, and heartfelt play. Truly an amazing job to everyone involved in Autistic License. Truly outstanding!!"
music collaboratively created by Ian Boswell, Alberta Mirais and Heidi Arneson
Teenage Zombies, Budding Lesbians, Pillow Fights, Peeping Toms, the Total Woman and Tween Angst converge at a 1972 suburban jammy party. Party games turn deadly, the dead play Truth or Dare, Bloody Mary is conjured, and centuries of female shame transform into wild pride in this world premiere musical.
"When people think of the Twin Cities as being a great place for young people's theater, they're typically thinking of the classy, safe entertainments at the Children's Theatre Company - but it's the likes of blank slate theatre that are showing what young performers can really do. This thorny and intimate musical about a 1970s sleepover party was positively hair-raising; writer Heidi Arneson and director Adam Arnold opted not to protect their teen cast with the sheen of safe crowd-pleasers, but rather gave us a production that shows how theater can allow both performers and audiences to be vulnerable together... The [bloodymerryjammyparty] performers themselves bring intense focus and energy to the show... they're not so much 'acting' in the sense of what you see people doing at the big Hennepin Avenue theaters as they are embodying, or channeling. It sounds mystical, but it's something you have to see for yourself - and you should. This is the kind of show I get most excited about as a reviewer, because it's the kind of show that does what only theater can do... This is really a high wire act - and a thrilling one, at that. It's the most distinctive theatrical experience I've had in a long time."
~ Jay Gabler, Twin Cities Daily Planet
bloodymerryjammyparty awarded "Outstanding Achievement in Theater for Youth" ~ Lavender Magazine
bloodymerryjammyparty named "Top 10 Plays of the Year" ~ Twin Cities Daily Planet
Pinocchio is the story of a wooden puppet that longs to be a real boy. A horrifying and delightful journey through carnivals, puppet houses, and the sea leads our hero to the notion that moral choices will give him what he most desires, his humanity.
"... this brilliantly staged and beautifully performed [Pinocchio]... is a breathtaking achievement."
~ Sarah Rattanavong-Wash, Twin Cities Daily Planet
Nothing can prepare a parent for a child's diagnosis with a disability. In Autistic License, playwright Stacey Dinner-Levin chronicles her family's journey to raise a son with autism, from the impact the disability has had on her marriage and family to the best and the worst behavior of people who encounter her son in the outside world. As the story unfolds, Dinner-Levin's character gains an understanding and appreciation of her son's uniqueness, as well as greater depth as a woman and mother.
"I was very impressed with AUTISTIC LICENSE and the talent of the students... hard to believe they were 13-20 year old actors, very mature. Loved the fact the script was 'real', and loved the intensity of the actors, the use of limited sets, and many of the actors playing multiple roles. Please keep me on your email list for other shows."
~ Jack K., Audience Member
August 2010
On The Slate
An evening of student written, student directed one-act plays
by Student Members of blank slate theatre
A new tradition at blank slate theatre. An evening of five freshly penned plays - written by students, directed by students. Promising the same artistic and social edge implicit in all blank slate theatre productions.
Featuring the work of Chesa Greene, Mitchell Paddock, Rose Shaffer, Linsey Williams, and Aron Wolde.
"The five On the Slate plays were terrific. Each had their own uniqueness. It was a thoroughly enjoyable evening."
Since its overwhelming success on Broadway forty years ago, Hair has inspired generations with its messages of love and liberation - messages that are still relevant today. This definitive and entertaining musical, with such hits as "Aquarius" and "Let the Sunshine In", originally put rock music and the culture that went with it on the stage.
"From the very first song through the musical climax, the enthusiastic cast visibly enjoy their performance and their enthusiasm is contagious... The teens [in the cast of Hair] capture the spirit of the decade in some ways more effectively than any adult cast could."~ Rachel Reiva, Twin Cities Daily Planet
April 2010
Alyeska
by Jenna Zark
After celebrating his graduation from high school, a young man is hit by a train. In the three days after his death, when the soul is said to be leaving the body, he meets a young suicide, and the two try to apprehend what might be next. A ghost story in two acts.
November 2009
Alice in Wonderland
by Lewis Carroll
This
classic is a staple of our culture. Alice drops down the rabbit hole
and ends up in Wonderland. Keep your head firmly on your shoulders and
stay on the good side of the Queen of Hearts. Attend a tea party that
would make Martha Stewart go mad. And get ready for one of the world's
great adventures! A unique, chaotic, blank slate theatre take on this
epic tale where curiosity and creativity are ends in themselves.
"Alice in Wonderland at blank slate theatre was wonderful and ethereal - as Alice should be."~ Stacey Dinner-Levin, Playwright
August 2009
Disordered [thy name is teenager]
Written by Members of blank slate theatre
ADHD. OCD. ODD. Eating disordered. Addicted. Anxious. Depressed. Alcoholic. Suicidal. For teenagers, these may be helpful diagnoses, or harmful labels. Can they be both? Just what is going on inside the teenage brain? In alternatively heart-rending and hilarious ways, a trio of blank slate theatre actors portrays what it's like to live with these labels in Disordered [thy name is teenager].
Disordered [thy name is teenager] awarded "Outstanding Achievement - Queer Youth Issues in Theatre." ~ Lavender Magazine
August 2009
The Karen Project
by Members of blank slate theatre
Based on the real accounts of refugees from Burma, The Karen Project is a collaboration with the Karen youth of First Baptist Church of St. Paul and blank slate theatre. The Karen Project tells of the Karen youths' struggles of discovering new identities, and new worlds.
The Karen Project is now available on DVD! Contact us (adam@blankslatetheatre.com) to order yours today!
"The Karen Project is an excellent, informative, and thought-provoking production."~ Jean Bender, Parent of blank slate theatre Teen
July 2009
The Little Prince
by Antoine de Saint-Exupery
A downed pilot in the desert, frantically tries to repair his
wrecked plane. His efforts are interrupted one day by a little, well, prince,
who asks him to draw a sheep. “In the face of an overpowering mystery, you
don’t dare disobey,” the pilot tells his audience. “Absurd as it seemed, I took
a scrap of paper and a pen out of my pocket.” And so begins their dialogue,
which stretches the pilot’s imagination – as well as ours – in all sorts of
surprising, childlike directions.
"The Little Prince at blank slate theatre was done so well. Ms. Rosen ["The Little Prince"] is so talented. My daughters and I enjoyed it very much."~ Sheryl Sue Friedman Warren, Audience Member
March 2009
Spring’s Awakening
by Frank Wedekind
The original play version of the Tony Award-winning musical, Spring’s Awakening is set against the backdrop of a repressive and provincial late 19th century Germany, and tells the timeless story of teenage self-discovery and budding sexuality as seen through the eyes of teenagers. Haunting and provocative, Spring’s Awakening celebrates the unforgettable journey into adulthood with a poignancy and a passion you will never forget.
"Spring's Awakening at blank slate theatre was one of the best plays I saw in the Twin Cities this year. It was brave, dark, and ambitious, and showed enormous skill in both acting and direction. It made me want to learn all I could about this company."
~ Jenna Zark, Playwright
December 2008
Songs for a New World
by Jason Robert Brown
Celebrated writer of such musical theatre hits as Parade and The Last Five Years, Jason Robert Brown says of Songs for a New World, “It's about one moment. It's about hitting the wall and having to make a choice, or take a stand, or turn around and go back." Brown transports his audience from moment to moment in the lives of an array of characters from a variety of eras, all looking and hoping for the realization of a “new world”.
"There were many moments during Songs for a New World when I was so moved I literally couldn't breathe."
A therapist's office. A dance studio. And John Lennon. A story of hope amidst suffering, healing amidst trauma, and forgiveness amidst anger. Walk with young Teagan Murphy as she stumbles (gracefully) through recovery from abuse within her family, and finds salvation in a compassionate therapist, newfound friendships, and the artistic medium of dance. A blank slate theatre original.
"I
was blown away by the way the group of young people involved with Generations tackled such challenging
subjects with empathy and grace. It wasn’t sugar-coated and in the time
you had to present the topic - it was very well done. I especially appreciated
how blank slate theatre portrayed everyone involved as emotionally vulnerable
human beings, not monsters or saints. I know many people in the audience were
really affected by what they saw and it will not soon leave them." ~ Ellen Rosen, Parent of blank slate theatre Teen
June 2008
Good ‘n’ Plenty
by Jeffrey Hatcher
Wintersville High School, 1976. Richard Miller is the hip new Social Studies instructor at his crumbling old alma matter, and decides to teach his students about the U.S. criminal justice system by staging a "drug game," where the students play pushers, buyers, narcs, cops, and lawyers, using Good ‘n’ Plenty candies as the contraband of choice. Bad idea. Good ‘n’ Plenty is a brilliant twist on high school madness, and a compelling meditation on democracy, as well.
"Dude. I went. I saw... It was awesome. Good 'n' Plenty at blank slate theatre was very entertaining and interesting to watch. It made me think."~ Jane Yackley, Teen Audience Member
August 2007
A Night To Be...
Written
by Members of blank slate theatre
A
modern-day retelling of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, American
teenagers stumble through prom dates, issues of sexual orientation, parental
conflict, and existentialist philosophy. A bold, honest comedy, A Night To
Be... celebrates the life stage we call "the teenage years," and has
a character who thinks she's a fairy.
"Wow."
~ Nancy Crotti, Parent of blank slate theatre Teens
April 2007
The Laramie Project
Written by Moises Kaufman and Members of the Techtonic
Theatre Project
In
October 1998, 21-year old Matthew Shepard was kidnapped, severely beaten and
left to die, tied to a fence on the outskirts of Laramie, Wyoming. Five
weeks later, Moisés Kaufman and fellow members of the Tectonic Theater Project
went to Laramie, and over the course of the next year, conducted more than 200
interviews with people of the town. From these interviews they wrote the
play The Laramie Project, a chronicle of the life of the town of Laramie in the
year after the murder.
"The
Laramie Project was maybe the greatest thing I've ever done."~
Ashley, 17, blank slate theatre Actor
