Frank Theatre

Frank Theatre FRANK THEATRE is a Twin Cities' based company, founded in 1989 by Artistic Director Wendy Knox.
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Frank Theatre is a professional theatre company committed to producing work that stretches the skills of the artists who create the work while simultaneously challenging the everyday perceptions of the audience. In its twenty one year history, the theatre has staged 40 productions: FARMYARD by Franz X. Kroetz, KATZELMACHER by Rainer Fassbinder, TOP GIRLS by Caryl Churchill, QUARTET by Heiner Mull

er, SINCERITY FOREVER by Mac Wellman, MIRIAM'S FLOWERS and LUCY LOVES ME by Migdalia Cruz, MEDEA by Beverly Smith-Dawson, ETTA JENKS by Marlane Meyer, MACHINAL by Sophie Treadwell, MAD FOREST by Caryl Churchill, and a developmental workshop of Heiner Muller's DESCRIPTION OF A PICTURE, EXPLOSION OF A MEMORY (adapted by Artistic Director Wendy Knox) followed by a full production the next year, the English language premiere of Maaria Koskiluoma’s TOTTERING HOUSE , Shakespeare’s MEASURE FOR MEASURE, Suzan-Lori Parks’ THE AMERICA PLAY, Kevin Kling’s THE EDUCATION OF WALTER KAUFMANN, Caridad Svich’s ALCHEMY OF DESIRE/DEAD-MAN’S BLUES, Ruth Mackenzie’s music/theatre/dance piece KALEVALA: dream of the salmon maiden (1997, 1999,2001), THE CHEKHOV PROJECT, by Anton Chekhov and Kira Obolensky, AMBIENT LOVE RITES by Daniel Alexander Jones, a restaging of Frank’s premiere work FARMYARD to celebrate the 10th anniversary, THE THREEPENNY OPERA by Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill, THE TRESTLE AT POPE LICK CREEK by Naomi Wallace, THE ADVENTURES OF HERCULINA by Kira Obolensky, PERFECT PIE by Judith Thompson, THE RESISTIBLE RISE OF ARTURO UI by Bertolt Brecht, SELF DEFENSE, or death of some salesmen by Carson Kreitzer, THE TAMING OF THE SHREW by William Shakespeare, THE LOVE SONG OF J. ROBERT OPPENHEIMER by Carson Kreitzer, and THE CRADLE WILL ROCK by Mark Blitzstein, FU***NG A by Pulitzer Prize winner Suzan-Lori Parks, the premiere of THE WOMEN OF TROY, a company developed musical adaptation of THE TROJAN WOMEN, Sam Shepard’s THE GOD OF HELL, Suzan-Lori Parks’ VENUS, Brecht's MOTHER COURAGE, Jessica Blank and Eric Jensen's THE EXONERATED, Martin McDonagh's THE PILLOWMAN, Bertolt Brecht's PUNTILA AND HIS HIRED MAN MATTI, Caryl Churchill's VINEGAR TOM, Marina Carr's BY THE BOG OF CATS, Judith Thompson's PALACE OF THE END, a company adaptation of Franz Kafka's METAMORPHOSIS, Danai Gurira's ECLIPSED, David Sedaris' SANTALAND DIARIES Kander and Ebb's musical CABARET, Ellen McLaughlin's AJAX IN IRAQ, multiple playwrights contributing to STANDING ON CEREMONY, and a workshop production of Caridad Svich's THE WAY OF WATER

THIRTY SEVEN YEARS AGO this weekend, Frank opened its very first production, Franz X. Kroetz's FARMYARD, on the 4th floo...
04/30/2026

THIRTY SEVEN YEARS AGO this weekend, Frank opened its very first production, Franz X. Kroetz's FARMYARD, on the 4th floor of the Rossmor Building in St Paul. 37 years! Featuring Phyllis Wright, Bernadette Sullivan, Paul Smith and Sean Devitt (Renee Sugrue, in photo, was replaced by Phyllis in the production.)

Don't worry, you'll have ample chance to celebrate at Frank's second annual Big Ass Birthday Party on July 15 at the Eagles' Club! More info to come! (Photo by Ann Marsden.)

Look what Jiccarra dug up from the archives--an interview with the cast of our 2010 production of Danai Gurira's ECLIPSE...
04/24/2026

Look what Jiccarra dug up from the archives--an interview with the cast of our 2010 production of Danai Gurira's ECLIPSED! Sha Cage Signe Harriday Nisreen D Hope Cervantes Yeukai Mudzi

1 like. "Behind The Scenes of Frank Theatre's Production of Eclipsed"

One final, thoughtful review of THE WELKIN! "The Welkin paints a picture of who we can be when we come together as a com...
03/31/2026

One final, thoughtful review of THE WELKIN!

"The Welkin paints a picture of who we can be when we come together as a community; at the same time, it warns of the dangers of mob justice and collective failure to protect the most vulnerable members of society. These are both good reminders right now, when it feels like our very democracy is hanging in the balance." – Twin Cities Geek

Set in 1759 in England against the backdrop of the return of Halley’s Comet, “The Welkin” explores the fragile balance of justice in an insular community.

A special shout out to Wendy Knox, Frank Theatre's fearless founder and artistic director, and director of THE WELKIN! W...
03/30/2026

A special shout out to Wendy Knox, Frank Theatre's fearless founder and artistic director, and director of THE WELKIN! Wendy extends her gratitude to the stellar cast, phenomenal creative team, and incredible audience members who all made this production a huge success!

Wendy also works as a freelance director (Raison d’Etre Opera, Park Square Theatre, Skylark Opera, Portland Center Stage, Syracuse Stage, the Ordway, the Guthrie, and others). She has been the recipient of McKnight Theatre Artist Fellowships, Minnesota State Arts Board Artist Fellowships, Jerome Travel Grants, an MRAC/McKnight “Next Step” grant, and a Fulbright Fellowship. She works as a teaching artist with On Stage, has served as guest faculty at many colleges and universities, and fostered golden retrievers since 1998.

THE WELKIN has officially closed, and we are overflowing with gratitude for our incredible audiences and the stellar tea...
03/30/2026

THE WELKIN has officially closed, and we are overflowing with gratitude for our incredible audiences and the stellar team that brought this story to life.

A massive, heartfelt shout-out to our stage manager, John Novak. John was the glue that held this production together, making a complex job look easy. From creating a welcoming dressing room with personalized signs for each performer to "rustling up" props we didn’t even know we needed, he handled it all. He kept our schedule tight and our spirits high—not to mention his legendary Vietnamese Coffee Swirl brownies! John, you were truly invaluable.

For more than 25 years, John has been based at The Jungle Theater, collaborating on 125+ productions (and more than 4200 performances) as a stage manager and properties designer. In recent years, he’s also had the opportunity to stage manage for Frank Theatre (IRONBOUND performances), Artistry Theater, The Playwrights’ Center, Theater Latté Da, The Moving Company, and Lyric Opera of the North, and to design props for Skylark Opera Theatre, Park Square Theatre, and Ten Thousand Things. He lives in the Central neighborhood of Minneapolis with his spouse, the creator and performer Bradley Greenwald.

Thank you to Sarah Harris for her wonderful props design work, helping make the action happen in THE WELKIN! Sarah is a ...
03/29/2026

Thank you to Sarah Harris for her wonderful props design work, helping make the action happen in THE WELKIN!

Sarah is a Properties and Scenic Designer who has worked at Theater Mu, The Guthrie Theater, MN Opera, and Illusion Theater. She recently moved from Phoenix, AZ where she was the Properties Manager for The Phoenix Theatre Company. Sarah spent eight years in NYC working for such companies as Jerard Studio, Theater for the New City, Bergdorf Goodman, and Bone Simple Designs. She was also the Properties Master at STAGES St. Louis. She received her MFA in Stage Design from Southern Methodist University in Stage Design. Sending all her love to Rich.

03/29/2026

We just had four cancellations for today's sold out final performance of THE WELKIN. Go to franktheatre.org and grab 'em while they're hot! PLUS, we added a few more seats so come and get on a waitlist for the matinee! 2:00.

“Dan Dukich's sound design and composition convey the grit of life in this world, and the tensions among the characters....
03/29/2026

“Dan Dukich's sound design and composition convey the grit of life in this world, and the tensions among the characters.” — talkinbroadway

Still a couple tickets left for our final performance of THE WELKIN today at 2! And we’ll have a waitlist at the door. franktheatre.org/the-welkin

Dan Dukich is a sound designer, composer and musician who works interchangeably across theater, film, dance, TV, and podcasts. He received a Next Step grant in 2020, has been recognized by The Kennedy Center with a Distinguished Achievement in Sound Design Award and supported by Nautilus Music-Theatre's Composer-Librettist Studio. THE WELKIN marks Dan's fourteenth show with Frank. Next up: playing bass on Kiss the Tiger's Wrestle the West tour.

Kathy Kohl has designed costumes for most of the Twin Cities theatres over the last four decades, and for Frank Theatre ...
03/29/2026

Kathy Kohl has designed costumes for most of the Twin Cities theatres over the last four decades, and for Frank Theatre for 36 years. She takes delight in costuming big, weird & unsettling shows; some favorites include KALEVALA, CRADLE WILL ROCK, THREEPENNY OPERA and CABARET. She is co-founder of The Costume Collective, the area’s largest and newest costume rental house located in Nordeast Minneapolis.

Kathy’s beautiful costumes for THE WELKIN take us back to 1759! We have a couple of tickets left for today’s closing 2pm show, and will have a waitlist at the door! franktheatre.org/the-welkin

Thanks to Tony Stoeri for his brilliant lighting design for THE WELKIN! Tonight is sold out, but there will be a waitlis...
03/28/2026

Thanks to Tony Stoeri for his brilliant lighting design for THE WELKIN! Tonight is sold out, but there will be a waitlist at the door. franktheatre.org/events/the-welkin

Tony is a freelance lighting designer for theatre and dance based in the Twin Cities. His work has been seen with companies such as Stages Theater Company, Walking Shadow Theatre Company, Opera Festival of Chicago, Frank Theatre, Theatre Mu, Indiana Festival Theater, Wideman-Davis Dance, Collide Theatrical Dance, the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, BrkFst Dance, and Alternative Motion Project. He has an MFA in lighting from Indiana University, and teaches at Carleton College where he is also the resident lighting designer.

Joe Stanley is delighted to be back at Frank Theatre having previously designed the scenery for ARTURO UI, SANCTUARY CIT...
03/28/2026

Joe Stanley is delighted to be back at Frank Theatre having previously designed the scenery for ARTURO UI, SANCTUARY CITY, IRONBOUND, THE CONVERT, ESCAPED ALONE/HERE WE GO, THE VISIT, GROUNDED, THE GOOD PERSON OF SETZUAN, THE ARSONISTS, THE THREEPENNY OPERA, THE WAY OF WATER, CABARET, and AJAX IN IRAQ. His design work has been featured by many theatre, music, and dance companies including Illusion Theater, Stages Theater, Mixed Blood, Park Square, Children’s Theatre Company, Full Circle Theater, Theater Mu, History Theater, Pillsbury House Theatre, Full Circle, Jungle Theater, and others. Joe received an Ivey Award for scenic design in 2010. He was a founding Artistic Director of 15 HEAD—a theatre lab from 1995-2004.

Only a few tix left for THE WELKIN tonight and tomorrow. Waitlist at the door!

franktheatre.org/events/the-welkin

Address

Rehearsal Space: 2637 27th Avenue S, Ste 208
Minneapolis, MN
55406

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