Sparkle Theatricals
 
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“[Sparkle Theatricals] captures that unbottleable energy.”

— Dominic Papatola, Pioneer Press

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About Us

We are an adventurous, Twin Cities-based performance company that has been delighting audiences with quirky and surreal events since 2015. We value originality, integrity, and fun.

Our performances happen in unexpected spaces, like an historic restaurant and a one-bedroom apartment. We pay fair wages, we prioritize accessibility services, and we root all that we do in the spirit of collaboration.

…a delicious sense of slippage between the real and the imaginary.
— Erin McNeil, MN Playlist

 
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Quality creative experiences

Sparkle Theatricals believes that a night at the theater should transport you. We put that belief into practice by immersing our audiences in the sights and sounds of a moment in time. Our creative spirit is unconventional, to say the least. Our productions expand the idea of what theatre can be. Our artists are top-notch -- they share a love of discovery and a penchant for collaboration. We know how to find fun in unexpected places, and we know that taking artistic risks makes for novel, whimsical experiences.

 
Engaging our community

Mindful business practices

Sparkle is led by a two-person directorial team and an eight-member Advisory Board. Our daily operations are up-close and personal. We know that prioritizing kindness, clarity, and responsiveness has an impact, so we emphasize those values in everything we do.

We design each of our projects with the well-being of our artists and audiences in mind. We expect - and hold ourselves accountable to - a company culture that prioritizes diversity, equity, and inclusion. We set ticket prices so that they honor our artists' skills and our audiences' needs. And, above all, we keep our promises.

 
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Drive to innovate

Since 2015, Sparkle Theatricals has presented 8 original shows; employed 50 artists of various ages, races, backgrounds, and disciplines; engaged 2,200 audience members ages 7 to 85; and raised over $40,000 in government grants, cash, and in-kind gifts from over 100 donors and sponsors across the nation.

Our community volunteers are a huge part of our success story and have donated over 10,000 hours toward growing Sparkle Theatricals' programming and infrastructure.

You go in wondering how they are going to mix all these elements…you leave amazed that they did it.
— Family Fun Twin Cities

 

Our Bright Future

We've been a fiscally sponsored project of Springboard for the Arts since 2015, and we are more dedicated than ever to our mission and our vision for the future.

Over the next 5 years we plan to:

  • Expand to 4 shows each year.

  • Collaborate with more artists and inspire more audiences.

  • Cultivate an equitable, sustainable company culture.

  • Find a creative workspace of our very own.

Support our vision by making a tax-deductible gift to Sparkle Theatricals. A donation of as little as $10 will help us further our mission.

 

Since 2015

Surprising and delighting audiences

 
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Past Productions

Poe Is Me

An evening of treats, games, and tales. Featuring works by the master of mystery and macabre, Edgar Allan Poe, and authors of poetry and prose from our Poe is Me writing contest.

This is the kind of thing you want to do for Halloween.
— Anonymous audience member, Poe Is Me

The League

The League is an immersive, interactive, experimental performance. Audience members step into Holmes' shoes and team up with Dr. Watson to investigate recent strange events surrounding a local art gallery. Along the way, they uncover a layered mystery, complete with secret aliases, con artistry, an attempted heist…there’s even a large tree branch.

Amazing!
— Dr. Immersive, The League
 
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Feed Your Head

OCTOBER 2019

You've been hired by the Best Butter Company! Ready for employee orientation? Feed Your Head, inspired by Alice in Wonderland's Mad Tea Party, introduced audiences to a slew of fantastical characters and charmed them with enchanting sleights of hand. Along the way, they savored the scents, sounds, and flavors of the Best Butter Company. Feed Your Head was also produced as a 180-degree Virtual Reality film, in partnership with Uptop Films.

Everyone cared about how I was doing as a person and as an actor. I would highly recommend working with Sparkle Theatricals.
— Christine Pietz, Feed Your Head
 
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Heist

OCTOBER 2018

Unlock the surreal world that exists between the bright glare of reality and the soft glimmer of a daydream. Heist was our 5th annual Halloween event. Entire families enjoyed this inventive mix of storytelling, illusions, juggling, hand shadows, and dance as they made their way through an interactive play about the secrets we keep the stories we tell

A theatrical experience with real style and intrigue.
— Seth C.
 
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The Room with Closets

MAY 2018

Experience joyous flights of fantasy and stark political reality.The Room with Closets was an original theatrical experience based on the award-winning book by Argentine author A. Pablo Iannone. Audiences journeyed through a life divided between Argentina and the United States to arrive at a deeper understanding of life, love, human nature, and belonging.

I had an excellent experience working with Sparkle Theatricals and all the amazing people they attracted to make magic happen.
— Oliver Adam, The Room with Closets
 
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Apartment 101

OCTOBER 2017

Enter Apartment 101 – after all, you've been invited! Apartment 101 was more than your average magic show. Once they arrived at the secret location, guests were mesmerized by close-up sleight of hand performed using antique magical equipment as they wandered through captivating tales about Time.

I love the creativity, the energy, the enthusiasm that Sparkle Theatricals has. Their immersive shows draw the audience in.
— Steven Paul Carlson, Spirit Forward, Apartment 101, Feed Your Head
 
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Spirit Forward

OCTOBER 2016

Who will you meet at Margery Crandon's seance? Spirit Forward was an evening of magic, mysterious stories, and spectacular culinary art inspired by the life of Harry Houdini, at historic Forepaugh's Mansion in St. Paul, on the 90th anniversary of his death.

This show was fantastic!
— Becky F.
 
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A Pie. A Duck. And A Shoe.

JULY - AUGUST 2016

A grand exhibition of extraordinary amusements! Featuring modern vaudevillian acts by illusionist and comedian David Harris; tap dancer Rick Ausland; legendary beatboxer Carnage the Executioner; City Pages "Best R&B Vocalist of 2016" Nick Jordan in collaboration with multi-instrumentalist Luke Darger; and shadow puppeteers Neal Beckman, Alejandra Iannone, and Joann Oudekerk.

Beautiful, smart, and charming.
— Bethany W.
 
Five Fifths of the Titanic

Five Fifths of the Titanic

MAY 2015

Live the story of the Titanic like never before. It comes with giant hats! Every year the Minnesota Fringe Festival selects a book, movie, or play and divides it into five parts. Each part is given to a different performance group to interpret as truthfully or abstractly as desired. Sparkle Theatricals took up the challenge and transformed the “Second Fifth" of James Cameron's Titanic into a totally tubular 90’s dance party.

[Sparkle Theatricals events are] like a sparkler… Imagine someone is eating a muffin and the weather is very standard, overcast. A stranger comes and sticks a sparkler in that muffin and says,  ’I hope you have a really lovely day.’ They walk away. And you’re left with your muffin and your sparkler.
— Vlad M.
 
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Parent Observation Day

JUNE - JULY 2015

You dance, I dance, right? Parent Observation Day was a colorful depiction of the hilarious things children say and doin the magical realm of a dance class. Audiences cheered on a cast of nine kids-at-heart as they danced like everybody was watching.

 

Contact us

Connections are magical

 
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Get involved

There’s more than one way to get involved with Sparkle Theatricals.

Choose your own adventure!

 
 

 

Share your thoughts

Whether it's a question about our company, feedback on a show, or an invitation to collaborate on a new project, we love hearing from our community and promise to get back to you shortly.

 
 
 

Email

sparkletheatricals@gmail.com


Address

Sparkle Theatricals

2341 University Avenue West #A212

St. Paul, MN 55114