In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre

Last updated
In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre
In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre.jpg
Theatre entrance and marquee
Address Minneapolis, Minnesota
United States
Type Regional theater
Opened1973
Website
hobt.org

In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre (also known as Heart of the Beast or HOBT) is an American puppet company and nonprofit organization based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. [1] The theatre serves audiences through puppetry performance and education. The company has written and performed scores of full-length puppet plays, performed throughout the United States, Canada, Korea, and Haiti and toured the Mississippi River from end to end. The theatre historically sponsored the annual May Day Parade and Ceremony that was seen by as many as 50,000 people each year. [2] [3]

Contents

History

HOBT began in 1973 as Powderhorn Puppet Theatre, named for Powderhorn Park in Minneapolis. [4] In 1975, the theatre organized their first May Day procession and event. [5] :50–51 [6] About 50-60 people and a few puppets marched, raised a maypole in the park, and had some speeches. In the next years, the event grew and evolved into a way to celebrate community builders. [5] :51

In 1979, the theatre changed its name [7] based on a suggestion by poet and theatre member Steven Lisner. [5] :45 In 1987, they moved into the rented Avalon Theatre, a former cinema originally built in 1909 as the Royal Theatre. [8] HOBT then purchased the Avalon Theatre in 1990 for the building and staging of productions.

In 1999, the Weisman Art Museum at the University of Minnesota exhibited Theatre of Wonder: Twenty-five Years In the Heart of the Beast, celebrating the works and productions by the theatre. [5] :1

In 2017, the theatre received $275,000 from the will of Sarah Bowman, a performer and longtime supporter of the theatre. The funds were used in upgrading the theatre building. [9] In 2018, the organization was awarded a grant by The Jerome Foundation. [10] This ongoing effort also supports renovation of East Lake Street properties impacted by civil unrest during the George Floyd protests in Minneapolis–Saint Paul. [11]

In April 2023, HOBT launched a free puppet & mask lending library, which includes free programming, such as puppet story time and make and take crafts. [12] [13]

Productions

Over the years, productions have used various styles of puppet and mask performances, including bunraku and larger-than-life puppets. [5] :11–12 These include: [5] :102–131 [14]

May Day Parade and Tree of Life Ceremony

Larger-than-life puppet held up by numerous volunteers at the 2018 Tree of Life Ceremony. Minneapolis May Day Tree of Life Ceremony 2018.jpg
Larger-than-life puppet held up by numerous volunteers at the 2018 Tree of Life Ceremony.
HOBT May Day Tree of Life Ceremony in Powderhorn Park. Sky and Prairie-Powderhorn-Minneapolis-2006-05-07.jpg
HOBT May Day Tree of Life Ceremony in Powderhorn Park.

The annual parade hosted by In the Heart of the Beast Theatre drew large crowds and showcased large puppets and floats and entertainment by performers. [20] Each year's parade/festival had a theme, ranging from Spring and environmental topics to social topics like peace and racial justice. [21] The event also featured a festival in Powderhorn Park and a Tree of Life Ceremony involving more than 300 performers. [2]

In 2019, HOBT announced the 2019 May Day would be the last May Day they would organize, and that they would be taking time off from producing May Day to reimagine ways this celebration could be more decentralized, inclusive, accessible, and sustainable. [22]

In March 2019, a short documentary entitled "Children of Spring" premiered. The documentary focuses on the children involved in the May Day parade and festival. [23] [24] The film premiere helped raise $15,000 for May Day. [25] In February 2023, the Board of HOBT decided to release May Day Celebrations to the community. Following that announcement, future May Day events or actions were independently produced by community groups, and not part of official HOBT programming. [26]

See also

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References

  1. "In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre". Propel Nonprofits. Archived from the original on July 12, 2018. Retrieved July 15, 2018.
  2. 1 2 "44th MayDay Parade, Ceremony & Festival set by Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre". Asian American Press. April 13, 2018. Archived from the original on July 12, 2018. Retrieved July 12, 2018.
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  6. Marsh, Steve (October 13, 2020). "Curtain Call: A Brief History of Theater in Minnesota - Here's how the drama we currently miss so terribly came to be such an essential part of our community". Mpls. St. Paul Magazine. MSP Communications. Archived from the original on April 17, 2021. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
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  10. Basil Considine (June 15, 2018). "NEWS: Jerome Foundation Announces Inaugural Organization Grant Recipients". Twin Cities Arts Reader. Archived from the original on July 15, 2018. Retrieved July 15, 2018.
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  15. Sheila Regan (June 14, 2022). "In 'The Impact Theory of Mass Extinction,' Junauda Petrus-Nasah explores a Black penchant for dinosaurs". MinnPost. Retrieved April 23, 2024.
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  19. "Queen". In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre. 2016. Archived from the original on August 10, 2022. Retrieved June 29, 2020.
  20. Xavier Wang (May 9, 2017). "In the Heart of the Beast Theatre's MayDay Parade". Star Tribune . Archived from the original on July 12, 2018. Retrieved July 12, 2018.
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  25. "We love MayDay. We are so touched by how..." Facebook. MindTwist Studio. March 30, 2019. Archived from the original on March 31, 2019. Retrieved March 31, 2019. We love MayDay. We are so touched by how many people chose to come and watch our film 'Children of Spring' last night, and even more by all the heartfelt feedback wereceived after the screening. A big shout out to The Changeups for the music; and Liz Howls and Steve Ackerman for the wonderful whimsical Puppet Shows that closed the evening off. We are so glad that our film was able to help raise $15,000 for MayDay Parade and Festival last night.
  26. "MayDay Released". In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre. 2023. Retrieved 19 April 2024.

Further reading

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