15 HEAD - a theatre lab was a

non-profit A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

, professional, experimental

theatre company Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perfor ...

based in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

History

The company was founded in 1995 by directors Julia Fischer and Greg Smucker, and designer Joe Stanley. 15 HEAD focused on creating original company works, employing a unique method of communal creation to bring their productions to the stage. Following two years at Old Arizona studios, they became a resident company at the Red Eye Theater in

Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

in 1997. Several former members went on the create the Minneapolis-based company known as

Sandbox Theatre Sandbox Theater is an experimental theater company based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Ryan Hill, Lisa Moreira, Andrew Lawrence Schiff and Heather Stone formed Sandbox Theater in 2005 after working together at 15 Head Theatre Lab. Hill served as ...

. In its final years (after the departure of two of the original founders), the remaining company members utilized methods popularized by

Anne Bogart Anne Bogart (born September 25, 1951) is an American theatre and opera director. She is currently one of the Artistic Directors of SITI Company, which she founded with Japanese director Tadashi Suzuki in 1992. She is a professor at Columbia Uni ...

and the

SITI Company The Saratoga International Theater Institute (also known as SITI) was an ensemble-based theater company based in New York City and Saratoga Springs, New York. SITI was founded in 1992 by American director Anne Bogart and Japanese director Ta ...

. The company was awarded a Jerome Foundation grant for their work in 2002 and 2004. 15 HEAD produced plays and offered classes in the Viewpoints method in Minneapolis from 1995, until the dissolution of the company in 2005.

Style

15 HEAD's productions were marked by a signature style featuring intense physical movement that included

music Music is generally defined as the art of arranging sound to create some combination of form, harmony, melody, rhythm or otherwise expressive content. Exact definitions of music vary considerably around the world, though it is an aspe ...

, dance and visually dynamic

design A design is a plan or specification for the construction of an object or system or for the implementation of an activity or process or the result of that plan or specification in the form of a prototype, product, or process. The verb ''to design' ...

. A unique feature of 15 HEAD was its use of a broad, cross-disciplinary, collaborative rehearsal process. The company of professional directors, designers, actors and writers ignored the traditional problems between their specializations, so that all participants could provide input into each aspect of the production. Although 15 HEAD was inspired by stories,

legend A legend is a genre of folklore that consists of a narrative featuring human actions, believed or perceived, both by teller and listeners, to have taken place in human history. Narratives in this genre may demonstrate human values, and possess ...

s and

myths Myth is a folklore genre consisting of Narrative, narratives that play a fundamental role in a society, such as foundational tales or Origin myth, origin myths. Since "myth" is widely used to imply that a story is not Objectivity (philosophy), ...

through an extensive discovery and rehearsal process, the finished product reflected the individual and collective strengths of each of the company members.

Awards

Top Ten Shows of 1999 for ''The Mountain Giants'' -City Pages"The Year in Theater: The Top"
; City Pages; Vol. 20, Issue 993; 15 December 1999

Founders

*Joe Stanley *Julia Fischer *Greg Smucker

Shows

*1996: ''Lulu'' *1997: ''She Must Be Dreaming: Impressions of Wuthering Heights'' *1998: ''The Lady from the Sea''; '
review
; ''Don Juan'' *1999: ''The Mountain Giants''
review
; ''Dracula'' *2000: ''Aria''; ''The Insatiate Countess'' *2001: ''Coco''; ''Cheri''; ''RED/instructions to follow'' *2002: ''The Rush''; ''The Enchanted''
review
*2003: ''The VI Wives of Henry VIII''; ''Sacred Space''; ''Oil on Canvas'' *2005: ''Vacationland''

References

{{reflist Theatre companies in Minneapolis