About ACT
Spotlighting new voices and rarely performed works in Minnesota.
Applause Community Theatre (ACT) is a volunteer-powered collective of actors, directors, designers, technicians, and playwrights committed to spotlighting new voices and rarely performed works. For more than fifty years, ACT has created affordable, intimate, and thought-provoking theatre that fosters community and sparks meaningful dialogue across Minnesota.
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We believe theatre is not only entertainment — it is a platform for storytelling that deepens empathy, challenges assumptions, and invites audiences into conversations that matter.
What We Do
ACT produces bold theatrical works that explore social justice, identity, and community life. Our productions frequently center:
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Emerging and Minnesota-based playwrights
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Stories featuring BIPOC, LGBTQ+, veteran, and other underrepresented voices
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Works that examine timely civic and social issues
Who We Serve
ACT serves multiple overlapping communities across Minnesota:
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Audiences
We keep ticket prices around $20 — a fraction of the cost of most professional theatre — to ensure access remains broad and affordable.
Community Artists
Our productions are built by volunteer performers, directors, designers, and technicians. ACT provides meaningful artistic opportunities for artists at all stages of their creative journey.
Minnesota Playwrights
Our Script Development Program supports emerging and established local writers by moving scripts from page to stage through structured review, table readings, staged readings, and potential full production
Our Team.
Behind the scenes, ACT’s volunteer Board of Directors provides the leadership and accountability that allow our artistic work to flourish. The Board supports strategic planning, financial sustainability, and long-term growth while keeping our focus on community-centered theatre.
Arts Access & Community Impact
Theatre involves artistic and financial risk. Socially challenging, new, or lesser-known works may not draw large commercial audiences — yet they are often the most vital.
ACT bridges that gap by:
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Maintaining affordable ticket prices
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Leveraging volunteer talent
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Producing intimate performances in accessible community venues
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Partnering with local media and neighborhood organizations
Most performances take place at The Hive Collaborative in St. Paul, with rehearsals and readings held in community spaces such as churches and public libraries.
Fundraising strengthens our ability to continue this work by funding essential production costs that volunteer labor cannot cover: script licensing, performance space rental, set construction, publicity, and insurance
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
We recognize that our strength lies in the richness of our differences. We welcome people of all backgrounds, identities, and abilities, and we are dedicated to fostering an environment where collaboration across cultures sparks creativity, empathy, and progress for all.
Beyond statement, we demonstrate this commitment by:
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Producing stories that center marginalized voices
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Supporting LGBTQ+, BIPOC, and veteran narratives
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Keeping pricing accessible
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Creating volunteer opportunities open to the full community
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Hosting script readings and development processes that encourage diverse authorship
For ACT, inclusion is not an initiative — it is embedded in our artistic choices and community relationships.