History Theatre
The First 40 Seasons
Welcome to our celebration of History Theatre’s first four decades! This site not only chronicles the works we have produced, but also serves as a way to say Thank You to everyone who has contributed to our success during the last four decades.
The Company
History Theatre and its artists have been honored seven times with IVEY Awards for excellence, and is recognized nationally as a leader in producing historical work. For 40 years History Theatre has produced brave, entertaining explorations of all the histories that make up our diverse community. Each year History Theatre produces a season filled with dynamic plays and musicals while commissioning playwrights and composers to develop new works and supports these artists with workshops and readings.
The Work
Since its founding in 1978 by Lynn Lohr and Lance Belville, the company has staged more than 120 world premieres, working with nationally recognized playwrights including Jeffrey Hatcher, Eric Simonson, Kevin Kling, Craig Wright, Frank McCourt, Lee Blessing, Doris Baizley, Melanie Marnich, Kim Hines, John Olive, Josh Wilder, Jessica Huang and Kira Obolensky. From a harrowing slave journey to St. Paul in Adrift on the Mississippi to an urban musical celebration of the Twin Cities in Inner-City Opera, from the rock ‘n’ roll biography Teen Idol: The Bobby Vee Story to the dark, complex A Piece of the Rope about Minnesota’s first public execution, to the bizarre murder musical Glensheen, History Theatre has moved audiences to rediscover, relive, and respect every piece of their rich history.
We hope you’ll make plans to see one or more of the shows at History Theatre that tell your story! We also invite you to learn more about this remarkable resource at our web site: historytheatre.com.