Craig VanDerSchaegen. The crowd at Fringe-for-All at the Ritz Theater. Courtesy Minnesota Fringe Festival.
They sit in the dark; their reactions scare us to death. Who are they? What do they want? They may be the most important actors in your production, yet you know the least about them. Will they judge or join in? In this issue, we stare back at the audience.
By John Middleton
Posted Monday, December 1
Does demography make you cringe? How can they put numbers on art? Relax.
By Jeff Redman
Posted Monday, December 1
The only theater in north Minneapolis survives by knowing their neighbors, from Katie to Carissa to Ellen and her friend Shirley.
By Joseph Scrimshaw
Posted Thursday, December 4
Lonely theater artists (LTA) seek HWP (humans with pulse) for GT (good time), maybe a couple laughs. Must be willing to pick up tab.
By Matthew Foster
Posted Thursday, December 4
Habitual theater-goers Kay and Jay Jackson share their secrets about how they make decisions on what to see.
By Sara Stevenson Scrimshaw
Posted Thursday, December 4
We use lots of energy collecting audience surveys then don’t use the results. Let’s root out the disappointing truth.
By David Salmela
Posted Monday, December 8
An ongoing series of staged readings about four writers living in a house?!? How did they wind up with such a cool crowd?
By Marya Hornbacher
Posted Thursday, December 11
Prof. Paul Woodruff wrote a book on the “art of watching and being watched.” You should avoid reading it if you possibly can.
By Greg Allen
Posted Thursday, December 11
The Neo-Futurists buy pizza for their audience whenever they sell out. Twenty years ago, they never imagined they'd be buying so much pizza.
By Matthew Foster
Posted Monday, December 15
Before they’ll buy a ticket, your audience wants to see that you’re competent. Welcome to graphic design.
By Alan M. Berks
Posted Thursday, December 18
We called around the state to find out where people are going, where they come from, and what they look like. An overview here.
By Alan M. Berks
Posted Monday, December 22
Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding is fine—I saw it once, and it was fine.
By Brad Dahlgaard
Posted Monday, December 22
A photo gallery of Minnesota audiences.
September 2010
Personal best
August 2010
Fringe points of view
July 2010
Gone fishin'
June 2010
Wild grass
May 2010
What's that sound?
April 2010
The healing arts
March 2010
All the world's a stage. . .
February 2010
Reel live
January 2010
Feeling Minnesota
December 2009
Jingle blogs
November 2009
Making art, work
October 2009
So very close. . .
See it this week at The Gremlin Theatre in Minneapolis. Presented by Theatre Pro Rata.

Jen Scott plays DEADWOOD: The Last Bleeping Episode playing at The Bryant Lake Bowl Theater this month.
Find performers, designers, crew, writers, composers, choreographers, and administrators for your next project.
Commonweal: Required Reading - what would you add to this list of essential theatre reads? http://bit.ly/dneYjx #2amt #mnpl
sailert: Agree. RT @almeberks: #mnpl Scottsboro Boys was wow. Complicated, beautiful, affecting, intelligent, entertaining, disturbing. More please
maxsparber: TC Arts are "in many ways, ahead of the rest of the country" -- NEA Chairman Rocco Landesman http://bit.ly/TCarts #mnpl #2amt