Thank You to All who attended Park Square Theatre’s (Virtual) 2020 Summer Gala!

2020 Park Square Theatre Hero Honorees

The 2020 Gala inaugurated the Park Square Theatre Hero Awards – honoring three long-time Park Square collaborators and one emerging voice. Your gift to Park Square in honor of these heroes moves their shared vision forward by making Park Square programs accessible to thousands of students. Make a contribution in honor of a Theatre Hero here.

Linda Boss
Advocacy

Linda and her late husband Andy caught and amplified the vision for a second, more intimate, stage within Park Square. Their friend-raising and fund-raising efforts compounded by their personal generosity helped bring that vision to a reality in the Andy Boss Stage. Linda, a former teacher, is passionate about education and sees the value of introducing students to live theater as part of their curriculum. Since its opening in 2014, the Boss Stage has enabled Park Square to touch the lives of 59,000 more teens than Park Square could have reached with just one stage. Through Linda’s on-going support, consistently wise counsel and tireless advocacy, theater for young people remains at the center of Park Square’s mission and daily work.

Marcia Aubineau
Mary M. Finnerty Award for Education

Marcia is a passionate life-long learner and teacher. She has served on Park Square’s Educator Advisory Board since its inception in 1997; editing countless study guides for schools, shaping curriculum, and making sure students have vibrant first-time experiences with live theatre. She has lectured for older adults, led salons and post-show discussions at Park Square, for the Osher Life Long Learning Program, for The Guthrie and MN Opera. A glamorous opening night “red carpet” mainstay, Marcia connects great artists and stories to learners of all ages.

James A. Williams
Richard Cook Award for Lifetime Achievement

James’ artistic history with Park Square dates back to 1981. Over the years here, across the region and across the country, he has demonstrated theatrical excellence — taking audiences on unforgettable journeys through his acting and directing. His mentorship and teaching of young people, as well as his natural leadership has helped foster a vibrant, beloved local community of African American artists and artists of color. The Minnesota theatre landscape simply wouldn’t be what it is nor have the possibilities it does — without his contributions.

Metropolitan State University Playwriting Program
Emerging Voices

Metropolitan State University is rooted in its East Side neighborhood as both an institution of learning and a sustaining community presence. Metro State is proud to be the public university in the Twin Cities serving a student body where 52 percent identify as people of color, including many first-generation college students. It is no wonder that its theatre department’s Playwriting Program, under the leadership of Gail Smogard, connects adult students of all ages, cultures and backgrounds to their inner voices in ways that inspire the wider community. In 2020, Park Square’s Andy Boss Stage will become a lab and performance home for these emerging voices who have so much to share.

MAKE A GIFT IN HONOR OF A THEATRE HERO