ABOUT HOBT
Puppetry’s power lies in the act of transformation - of bringing something
inanimate to life.
Receiving Gifts, MayDay, 2006
Photo by Yvonne Lai
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.
Prince Siddhata Gotama meets an old man.
from GOTAMA: A Journey to the Buddha, February, 2006
Photo by Bruce Silcox
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.
“Your performance yesterday touched a part of me that had lain
quiet for many years. The experience in the mask / puppet residency
brought wonder and creation to my heart. I felt the power of
your symbols, and understood many things that could not have
been communicated with words.” -Karyn, July 1983
“HOBT has brought hope and optimism
to their street corner. It is hard to imagine a community-based
arts group more committed to their neighborhood.” ~
Vincent James, in testimony to the Minneapolis City Council,
1996