“Girl Friday's work model is an idiosyncratic one, but its periodic presence on the local theater scene has become an important one both for artists and audiences.”
—Dominic Papatola, Pioneer Press
A small, non-profit, professional theatre company, Girl Friday Productions’ mission is to inspire audiences and provide career growth for artists via outstanding, textually rich theatrical productions that illuminate the human condition. Girl Friday Productions creates high quality, thought-provoking theatrical experiences in process and product.
Girl Friday Productions focuses on larger scale, ensemble based, classic American plays of exceptional literary merit that are rarely produced. We seek out plays that embody great literature, humanity, relevance and stimulating theatricality. Girl Friday Productions chooses not to do a multi-play season but to rather focus on singular major projects because it wishes to provide the most artistically rewarding experience possible. This approach maximizes our efforts to work with challenging texts, large and skilled ensemble casts, and high-caliber directors and designers. Girl Friday Productions has been steadily building a niche for itself in the Twin Cities theater community and audiences, artists and critics have responded positively to our unique focus. We received 501c3 status in March of 2012.
Founded in 2004, Girl Friday produced Love Letters and Hate Mail in 2004, An Empty Plate in the Café du Grand Boeuf in July 2005 (MRAC funded), two acclaimed productions of the award-winning works of Thornton Wilder—Our Town in July 2007, and The Skin of Our Teeth in July 2009 (MRAC funded), and Street Scene by Elmer Rice in 2011. Our Town, directed by Craig Johnson, was selected as one of the Pioneer Press’ “Top Ten Shows of 2007;” The Skin of Our Teeth, directed by Benjamin McGovern, was selected as a MinnPost “Favorite for 2009;” and Street Scene was selected by the Star Tribune, Pioneer Press, and Lavender Magazine as one of the Top Ten shows of the year; and received a Twin Cities Ivey Award for its director Craig Johnson.
Our July 2013 will continue our tradition of exploring the American experience with humanity, relevance and stimulating theatricality.
Pioneer Press “10 Productions That Made a Difference in 2011”
“Practice makes perfect, right? Unless, of course, you're Girl Friday Productions, which offers one production every other year. It's almost always worth the wait, as a July staging of Elmer Rice's rarely seen Street Scene demonstrated. Director Craig Johnson—who netted an Ivey Award for his directorial efforts—marshaled his enormous cast of 26 actors (and one dog) magnificently, rendering the show's kaleidoscopic and still resonant themes crisply. Sharply observed and sentimental without being maudlin, Johnson and his company created a world so palpable that one could almost feel the oppressive heat radiating off the pavement. Girl Friday's work model is an idiosyncratic one, but its periodic presence on the local theater scene has become an important one both for artists and audiences.”
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