Newsletter Archives

  • April 2024

    Experience cutting-edge puppetry as our talented PUPPET LAB residency artists showcase experimental new work! Apply to host a Driveway Tour show in your neighborhood, indulge in cinematic soundscapes, delve into the hilarious investigation of Rasputin's death, sign up for FULL MOON PUPPET SHOW workshops, meet our new Patron Services Manager Andy Whitman, learn about this summer’s Open Eye Ball, and more. There's something for everyone at Open Eye Theatre!

  • March 2024

    We're thrilled by the overwhelming success of Madeleine Rowe's HONEY, I’M HOME in our Guest Artist Series. Up next, the series continues with THE DOCTOR WEE-WOO SHOW, followed by the much-anticipated return of our PUPPET LAB FESTIVAL in April, showcasing innovative puppetry. Don't miss two nights of live music featuring the reunion of LITTLE LIZARD later in April, sign up to a host a DRIVEWAY TOUR show in your neighborhood, and mark your calendar for the OPEN EYE BALL on June 13! As we continue to enrich our community through the arts, there are numerous ways to get involved. Thank you for being a vital part of the Open Eye community!

  • February 2024

    Get ready for a hilarious solo show, a clowning workshop, and a quirky show based on a children’s TV program coming soon! In addition to our MainStage productions, Open Eye is deeply committed to curating and presenting a dynamic Guest Artist Series that highlights emerging local artists and innovative performing ensembles who tell stories in ways that are fresh, fun, and experimental. Find out what Open Eye artists are up to around town and get recommendations for productions you don’t want to miss. Join the fun, support unique voices, and be part of the Open Eye family!

  • January 2024

    New year, new thrills! Hot on the heels of a jam-packed fall season and sold-out holiday spectacular, we’re taking January to plan Open Eye's Winter-Spring line-up! Expect eclectic guest artists, whimsical puppetry (Puppet Lab Festival, anyone?), and the family-favorite Driveway Tour's triumphant return. Plus, a star-studded gala glitters in a secret new space. Ditch the resolutions, this season promises artistic adventure!

  • December 2023

    The holidays are upon us, and the spirit is already in the air thanks to an enthusiastic opening of SCROOGE IN ROUGE last weekend! Check out our upcoming PUPPET LAB artist cohort, wish a fond farewell to Lee Petre, and get festive with performances by Open Eye artists around town!

  • November 2023

    Our fall show with Girl Friday Productions has just been extended, we’re announcing a new holiday production, we’re welcoming FUSEBOX alum Gaia Mencagli back to the theatre this month, and we’re remembering the life of our dear friend Tommy Uldrich. Learn about what Open Eye artists are up to and more this month.

  • October 2023

    Following the resounding success of THE CHINESE LADY, we're gearing up for the debut of LIFE SUCKS, a thrilling collaboration with Girl Friday Productions, opening next week! We’re also inviting emerging puppet and mask artists to submit their applications for our prestigious PUPPET LAB program. Learn about what Open Eye artists are up to in the community and more this month!

  • September 2023

    We’re looking forward to seeing many familiar audience members back in our theatre, as well as new faces to Open Eye on our stage and behind the scenes, during opening weekend of THE CHINESE LADY. And next month we’re excited to bring in more new collaborators with the regional premiere of LIFE SUCKS, in partnership with Girl Friday Productions. Help us launch our fall season!

  • August 2023

    Thanks to everyone who joined us for LOCH MESS and the Open Eye Ball at The Bakken Museum and INVISIBLE FENCES in our theatre. It was a joy to share so much uplifting new work with you! You can still catch our Driveway Tour performances all over town this summer as we gear up for two captivating main stage productions in the theatre!

  • July 2023

    Our third outdoor musical at The Bakken Museum kicked off at the end of June to the delight of audiences and critics, the Driveway Tour is in full swing with shows all throughout the Twin Cities, we howled at the moon during our favorite rowdy puppet slam in town, we’re getting ready for the best party of the year next week…not to mention a dynamic new musical fable by two local superstars! Are you with us?

  • June 2023

    Our third outdoor musical at The Bakken Museum, the return of FULL MOON PUPPET SHOW under the stars, a captivating gala experience, the Driveway Tour performing two shows all around the Twin Cities, and a brand-new show by Kevin Kling and Gaelynn Lea…so much is happening in the next couple of months, and we can’t wait to share it all with you!

  • May 2023

    We just wrapped up a two-week run of experimental new puppetry work by our PUPPET LAB residency artists, and are now gearing up for a weekend with guest artists POPULUXE, the return of an outdoor FULL MOON PUPPET SHOW, a new musical by Josef Evans at The Bakken Museum, and more coming soon!

  • April 2023

    Join us this month for edgy new work by this season’s PUPPET LAB residency artists! We’re also launching online viewing of Allison Broeren’s FIRE IN MY VEINS, a funny and emotional storytelling show that touched audiences last month. Find out what else is coming soon at Open Eye!

  • March 2023

    This week we’re opening host opportunities for our annual Driveway Tour season with two shows that will tour the Twin Cities all summer long. In two weeks, join us for a very special show by award-winning storyteller Allison Broeren, followed by PUPPET LAB in April, and more exciting opportunities to connect with Open Eye and artists!

  • February 2023

    Next week the theatre will be full of activity again with the launch of a new show by our co-founder Michael Sommers. From there we have an abundance of new work and excitement upon us, including storytelling, music, mainstage productions, workshops, and more. Stay tuned for updates about the Driveway Tour, Puppet Lab, and more next month!

  • January 2023

    Happy New Year! We hope your 2023 is off to a wonderful (and snowy!) start. Behind the scenes at Open Eye, we’re planning a busy year, with new work, storytelling, puppetry workshops, our return to The Bakken Museum this summer, and more!

  • December 2022

    As the year comes to a close, we’re busy planning for next year, offering up a dynamic new series of FULL MOON PUPPET SHOW Workshops, launching our next PUPPET LAB artist residency, completing a stage renovation project, and more!

  • November 2022

    Thank you for being a part of our community! As we launch our Give to the Max Day campaign, we’re excited to be supported by a growing collective of audience members, artists, and collaborators engaging in our work. Find out how you can contribute to our future projects, see upcoming shows, participate in workshops, apply to create new work with us, and more!

  • October 2022

    October is chock full of dynamic programming, events to delight and fright in the theatre and outdoors, opportunities for artists and audiences to develop new work, be a part of the show, support the future of Open Eye, and more. Find out how you can connect and engage with us this month!

  • September 2022

    Thanks to our incredible community, we’ve had a bustling summer full of performances and events all around the Twin Cities and in our theatre. Find out about the culmination of our summer activities, our upcoming fall/winter season, and ways you can get involved and support the future of Open Eye!

  • August 2022

    After six months of intensive work, we’re proud to present four new shows by our PUPPET LAB residency artists for two weekends this month! If you haven’t had a chance yet this summer, be sure to catch a performance of our Driveway Tour show TUCKER’S ROBOT, join us in September for two new plays and workshops by Exposed Brick Theatre, and more!

  • July 2022

    We hope your summer is off to a beautiful start! Our Driveway Tour is in full swing, bringing family-friendly outdoor puppet shows to neighborhoods throughout the Twin Cities! Join us later this month for our annual Ice Cream Social, look forward to next month’s PUPPET LAB performances, and more. See you in our community or at the theatre soon!

  • June 2022

    Our newest musical by Josef Evans opens tomorrow night on The Bakken Museum’s beautiful green roof! And next week we’ll be gathering with our community, celebrating another year of Open Eye surviving and thriving during our annual Spring for Summer gala. We look forward to connecting with you!

  • May 2022

    The grass is getting green, the days are warming up, and it’s almost time for our next show on the roof of The Bakken Museum, our celebratory outdoor gala Spring for Summer, and of course, the Driveway Tour! After a busy few weeks filled with auditions, we have a full roster of artists for our summer programming, and are beginning rehearsals. We look forward to seeing you in June!

  • April 2022

    Happy Spring! Last month, we were happy to see so many faces back in the theatre for a nearly sold out run of ONCE UPON A WINTER’S NIGHT! Since the run closed, we are welcoming the change of season – we just announced the artist cohort for PUPPET LAB, the Twin Cities’ celebrated incubator program for emerging puppet and mask artists, and we’re gearing up for our next show on the roof of The Bakken Museum, Spring for Summer, the Driveway Tour, and so much more!

  • March 2022

    This week, we’ll be enthusiastically welcoming audiences back into the theatre for the opening of an original new production created by Open Eye co-founder Michael Sommers! Join us for the show, save the date for our annual Spring for Summer gala, and find out how you can be the talk of your neighborhood by hosting a Driveway Tour performance for kids of all ages this summer!

  • February 2022

    This month we are thrilled to relaunch the beloved Puppet Lab residency for emerging artists! And we're growing our staff: Open Eye is now accepting applications for two new Lab Artistic Directors. Meanwhile, we’ve been busy rehearsing for ONCE UPON A WINTER NIGHT, an original new work created and designed by Open Eye co-founder Michael Sommers, set to open in early March. Until then our Open Eye @ Home programming continues with SNOW MAN – A RADIO FABLE FOR WINTER – until we can see you again!