THE GREAT STROMBOLI

[from IN THE HEART OF THE BEAST PUPPET THEATRE]

Puppetry’s power lies in the act of transformation - of bringing something inanimate to life. This act in itself speaks to our lives, which rise and fall and rise again. As we share this act of building and performing, we find that theater brings people together. It builds community. It is with great respect and awe that we see the power and joy of this ancient art flourish in unsuspecting ways and places.

Since 1973, In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre has been using water, flour, newspaper, paint, and unlimited imagination to tell stories that explore the struggles and celebrations of human existence. In 2009, HOBT was one of only 90 non-profit theaters from across the country to be awarded a Recovery Act Grant from the National Endowment of the Arts. Drawing inspiration from the world's traditions of puppet and mask theatre and its lively roots in transformative ritual and street theatre, HOBT creates vital, poetic theater for all ages and backgrounds.

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Each year, we produce a season of original plays and tour productions; create specially commissioned pageants throughout Minnesota and beyond; and teach puppetry and pageantry through residencies and workshops to youth, students and teachers, and communities. In addition, each spring HOBT creates and wholly produces the beloved, fantastical MayDay Parade and Pageant, celebrated by tens of thousands in Powderhorn Park.

In 2004, HOBT was named a Finalist, Best Small Theater Production by the Star Tribune for Company of Angels: The Story of Charlotte Salomon; and in 1997 it won the national UNIMA-USA Award for its stunning original production Befriending the Enemy. In 2000 HOBT was the very first American organization invited to perform inside the North/South Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). International tours include South Korea and the Dominican Republic.