Learn about our past

Illusion Theater develops and produces new works that give voice to artists who reflect a variety of cultural perspectives and who contribute to the fabric of theater here and across the country. In doing this, Illusion provides opportunities for both emerging and established artists, with a special commitment to the Twin Cities community of artists. Executive Producing Director Michael Robins founded Illusion Theater in 1974. In 1977, founding company member Bonnie Morris joined Robins as Co-Producing Director. Since its inception, Illusion Theater has commissioned or developed over 250 original mainstage plays that have been seen by more than 600,000 people. Plays developed at Illusion have been staged by more than 100 theaters across the United States, including major regional theaters such as the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles, the Alliance Theater in Atlanta, the Goodman Theater in Chicago, and the Manhattan Theater Club. Two plays have been made into motion pictures. Eight have been published.

Illusion Theater Artistic Associate Kim Hines Jeffrey Hatcher's THREE VIEWINGS, a part of FRESH INK 1994, played to sold out houses in its production at the Manhattan Theater Club, was revived at Illusion in 1995, and has since had over 100 productions nationally and internationally. Kim Hines' I BELIEVE I'LL RUN ON...AND SEE WHAT THE END'S GONNA BE was one of eight plays chosen from across the country for the Kennedy Center's New Visions/New Voices festival and was presented there in May, 1996, under the direction of Michael Robins. In 1999, James Still’s play, THE VELOCITY OF GARY (NOT HIS REAL NAME), which was partially developed in FRESH INK ’95, was made into a film that was released for distribution last summer.

David Feldshuh's MISS EVERS' BOYS, which brought to light the infamous Tuskegee Syphilis Study, was the runner-up for the 1992 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and premiered as an HBO film in February, 1997, starring Laurence Fishburne and Alfre Woodard and winning three Emmy awards. With Bonnie Morris’ guidance, a national symposium was arranged, to address the legacy of the Tuskegee Study, and eventually led to President Clinton's apology to its survivors and their descendents. MRS. MACKENZIE'S BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO THE BLUES by Patty Lynch and Kent Stephens, which was created for FRESH INK 1999, has been selected for readings at Playwrights Horizons in New York City and the Empty Space Theatre in Seattle, and received the Roger L. Stevens New Play Initiative Award from the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.

In its 2001 season, Illusion Theater produced the regional premiere of the LARAMIE PROJECT, by Moises Kaufman and the Tectonic Theater Group, about a town and a peoples reaction to the brutal beating and murder of Mathew Shepard. Illusion Theater presents its annual performance season at the Hennepin Center for the Arts in downtown Minneapolis. Our programming includes mainstage works and the annual FRESH INK Series, which gives artists the opportunity to experiment with new ideas in front of an audience. We also tour in the fall and spring, performing for schools, universities, arts series, corporations, churches and communities.