Offstage Voices ― Life in Twin Cities Theater

In 1969, the Village Voice described Minneapolis as “America’s second theater city after New York.” In the forty-plus years since, the theatrical offerings of Minneapolis and St. Paul have only grown—everything from world-renowned venues to independent stages and innovative festivals—and the Twin Cities hold a prominent place in the national theater scene today. In Offstage Voices, author Peg Guilfoyle provides an in-depth look at this vibrant world and offers fascinating insights into what it takes to put on a production, from first script to closing night, and what it takes to make a living in Twin Cities theater.

Firsthand stories from practitioners of the art take you behind the scenes at a wide range of theaters, including the Guthrie, the Playwrights’ Center, Ten Thousand Things, Mixed Blood, Penumbra, Theater Latte Da, Mu Performing Arts, the Minnesota Fringe Festival, and many more. Extensive interviews with actors, artistic directors, designers, and playwrights reveal rich perspectives on the at times turbulent, always passionate world of the theater. Guilfoyle brings together these myriad experiences to explore why and how the Twin Cities have established such a strong and well-regarded theatrical community over the last four decades.

Peg Guilfoyle has worked in Twin Cities theater for more than forty years and is deeply involved with the theater community and its people. She is the author of The Guthrie Theater: Images, History, and Inside Stories. Sally Wingert has been a leading performer in Twin Cities theater since the 1980s, gracing the stages of the Guthrie Theater, Mixed Blood Theatre, Ten Thousand Things, and many other local institutions. She was named the 2013 Star Tribune Artist of the Year.