Theatre St. Paul

Theatre St. Paul was established in 1956 after the Junior League of St. Paul (Minn.) concluded a survey of the cultural resources of the city, and formed a theater organization, selecting Louis Marcuson as the first Artistic Director of Theatre St. Paul. Marcuson resigned after the first season and his succesor, Rex Henriot, led the theater for the next 10 years.

The theater company transformed a former synagogue building into an intimate thrust-stage theater setting that would seat 180 people. Rex Henriot and his wife, Zoaunne worked together to produce a regular season of from seven to ten plays, along with a childrens' theatre group which often performed up to three plays per season.

Theatre St. Paul seasons included, after 1960, a regular summer stock season and audiences enjoyed high-quality productions of such plays as Waiting for Godot, The Taming of the Shrew, and The Threepenny Opera. In 1964 the theater turned professional and moved the newly-built St. Paul Arts and Science Center. The higher operating costs and dimishing audiences for community theaters brought the theatre to a close at the end of the 1965-1966 season.

Notes adapted from "Minnesota Theatre", by Frank Whiting (1988:Pogo Press)

From the guide to the Theatre St. Paul Collection, 1956-1965, (University of Minnesota Libraries. Performing Arts Archives, Manuscripts Division [paa])