Welcome on our stage

Join Us for a Behind-the-Scenes Adventure That Turns the Stage into Your Discovery! 🎤✨

Guess what? We’ve got an awesome trip lined up just with you! 🌟 Get ready to dive into the world of behind-the-scenes magic that brings a live show to life!

Picture this: You’ll be hanging out with some seriously interesting creative professionals who know all the secrets of making productions look and feel the way an audience wants. Imagine meeting the geniuses who prep the artists, the person that makes people feel the bass hit your chest from the sound booth, and the wizards controlling the lightboard.

But that’s not all! You’ll step into the rooms where it begins and ends. Feel the buzz of creativity as people get ready to hit the stage.

Get ready for a trip that’s has some very cool discoveries. We can’t wait to share this adventure with you! 🚀 Let’s bring the show to life together!

State Theatre

This is where we are going.

Located: Downtown Minneapolis

Watch the Stage Transform:

Although not at the State Theatre (it’s the Orpheum downtown Minneapolis), there are similar shows where hundreds of people are hired to ensure everything is perfectly set up. Take a look!

5 facts you may find interesting:

  1. 1921 Opening: The State Theatre opened in 1921 as the most technologically advanced theatre in the U.S., described as a gilded pleasure palace dedicated to Hollywood dreams.
  2. Cooling Innovation: It boasted Minneapolis’s first air conditioning system, an impressive feat for the 1920s.
  3. Glass Stage Floor: The original glass stage floor allowed unique lighting effects from beneath, creating a captivating experience.
  4. Longest Movie Run: In 1970, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid set a national record with a 34-week run at the State Theatre.
  5. Transformation and Reopening: Purchased in 1989, the theatre underwent an $8.8 million renovation, reopening in 1991.

Check out some amazing jobs

Here are just some of the jobs that a person can have at a theater

Technicians

Lighting Technician

Sound Technicians

  • Sound Technicians are the folks who plug the sound effects or the music into the sound board to create the world that the Sound Designer desires.
  • Checkout this sound video

Set Technicians

  • These are the folks who build the set on stage.

Costume Technicians

  • Are the folks who build the costumes for the actors on stage.

Designers

Set Designers:

  • Set Designers design the physical stage or place in which the storytelling will take place.

Costume Designers

  • Design the costumes or clothing which the Actor will wear while they tell the story.

Lighting Designers

  • Design the lights and lighting transitions on the set. You may not think that is important, but with out light you cannot see anything.

Sound Designers

Theater vs. Theatre. What the What?

Theater has roots in both Greek and Latin and came to English through the Old French word theatre. Theatre and similar words ending in -re were sometimes spelled with the -er until the 1660s, when the French-borrowed -re spellings came to be preferred; before that, both spellings were considered equally correct. Chaucer, for example, spelled it theatre. Shakespeare, on the other hand, spelled it theater. Today, theatre is considered the correct spelling in Britain and in most English-speaking countries other than the United States.

-Grammarly

Want to Keep the Discovery Journey Going?

Have you been having a blast discovering awesome creative careers with InspireMSP? Imagine turning that passion into your future!

Whether you’re into art, technology, building or something in between, we’ve got a some great places where the exploration will continue. Check out some of our partners where creative vibes keep rollin in high school. Your journey to a creative paying future continues! 🌟

Minneapolis FAIR School

Ready to explore and amplify your creative potential? The Fine Arts Interdisciplinary Resource (FAIR) School in downtown Minneapolis is the go-to high school for creative minds like yours!

With an innovative approach to scheduling, hands-on experiences, and a comprehensive arts curriculum, FAIR School is not your typical high school. FAIR nurtures individual talents, connects you with professional artists, and guides you on a personalized path to success. Whether you’re into performing on stage, creating in a studio, or working behind the scenes, FAIR School is where your unique identity and creative journey take palace. Discover a high school experience that’s as creative as you are! 🎨🌟

https://fair.mpls.k12.mn.us/about

People we may hang with

If you can’t remember who we met with or what they did, come back here to help remember

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Ari Koehnen Sweeney

Director of Creative Arts Partnerships

Katie Taintor

Arts Educator Manager

Jesse Carlson

Operations Coordinator at the State Theatre

Merritt

Head Audio Engineer

Christian

Head Carpenter

Chris

Head Electrician

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Current Owner: Hennepin Theater Trust

WHAT DO THEY DO????

Amazing Shows in Minneapolis

  • Hennepin Theatre Trust is like a magical portal for bringing the coolest stuff to Minneapolis. We’re talking about Broadway musicals, plays, concerts, funny comedy shows, and more! They own a bunch of the theaters right downtown.

A Big Mission

  • They’ve been around since 2000, and their mission is to take care of and ensure the future of three super-famous theaters in downtown Minneapolis: the State, Orpheum, and Pantages. It’s like they’re the protectors of awesome entertainment! 🌟😄
Check 'em out