Park Square Theatre — Attraction in Saint Paul

Mission: Park Square Theatre excites generations of artists and audiences through vibrant theatre that elevates our community’s multiplicity of voices. Vision: To be a premiere gathering place for culture, thought, and dialogue.

To be a national leader in creating theatrical experiences for students in order to inspire confidence and compassion in the next generations.

Park Square opened in 1975 in an 80-seat walk-up in the Park Square Court building. With our move to the Historic Hamm Building in 1994, we began our strong relationship with Actors’ Equity Association (the union of professional actors and stage managers) and embraced a leading role as a producer of contemporary plays. A Simple Beginning Park Square Theatre was founded by Paul Mathey in 1972 first as Variety Hall in the Park Square Court Building in Saint Paul’s Lowertown neighborhood.

“The theatre grew out of an extension of the Smith Park Gallery as a bare spot with a brick wall and a few lights that hosted poetry readings and eventually plays,” remembers Richard Cook, Park Square’s longest tenured Artistic Director. As David Hawley, retired Pioneer Press theatre critic remembers, it was a tiny space “tucked away on the second floor of the then-headquarters of a scruffy outfit called Minnesota Public Radio.” Richard came to Park Square in its first year as the designer for Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing, which was being directed by his husband, Steven Kent Lockwood (who retired in 2012 after 32 years as Park Square’s first Executive Director). From there Cook and Lockwood worked on every Park Square season for a few years until Mathey decided to retire for health reasons. Cook offered to shadow him as Assistant Artistic Director and took over in 1980. Among all my other responsibilities in those first years was to thaw the radiator pipes with a propane torch” — Richard Cook

During the course of his tenure, Artistic Director Richard Cook conceived, designed (and often helped build) five unique theatre spaces in Saint Paul from that first 80-seat walk up to the Andy Boss Thrust Stage, which opened in 2014. After a major capital campaign, Park Square opened the 200-seat Andy Boss Thrust Stage in 2014 and now operates a 40,000 square foot facility with two theatres, two rehearsal halls, costume and scene shops and offices within in the landmark Historic Hamm Building. It was in 1977 when he directed Oedipus at Colonus that Cook rearranged the little Park Square Court walk-up into a tiny amphitheater. In 1980, Cook designed a 120-seat, three-quarter round thrust theatre in the basement of the Park Square Court building. He ran the upstairs theatre by day and built the downstairs theatre at night. I thought he would drop from exhaustion.” – Steven Kent Lockwood By 1985, Park Square Court’s developers wanted to take over the new theatre to rent to more lucrative clients, and Park Square was itinerant for a season before landing in the Jemne Building, then owned by the Minnesota Museum of American Art. The Jemne Auditorium, remodeled into a 120-seat theatre for Park Square, won the 1987 Interior Architecture Award from the Minnesota Society of the AIA for architect Craig Rafferty. By 1991, performances at the Jemne were bursting at the seams and Cook decided it was time to make a major move. The 350-seat Seventh Place Theatre (now known as the Park Square Proscenium Stage) became available. After a sold-out summer run of The Mousetrap, Park Square signed its first long term lease in the Historic Hamm Building. The move allowed Park Square to take off — first doubling, then tripling its subscriber base — and providing the capacity to launch its now wildly successful education program.

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Attended with a group from Andover YMCA on 11281918. The performance wad Triple Espresso a highly caffeinated comedy. Because of recent snows our bus transportation was delayed for our reservation pick up time, not long though, after arriving at the YMCA we boarded quickly and were o our way with the trusted bus driver, whom had been in the traffic situation prior to our trip, we arrived a little late for open in g performance, however we were allowed to be seated, approximately 20 of us in our group, with a little jesting, from performers, we enjoyed a very good performance we also were very appreciative to be able to attend without cancellation issues, and the ride home was without incidents. We the Y people were very pleased the performance was well worth all the hassels of the snows falling during our ride to as well as our return ride. Downtown St Paul was decorated all in lights along eith the new fallen snows was beautiful and we all cherished as Minnesotans can appreciate our fine cities along with the beauty of winter. The bus driver did excellent driving finding a route to travel safely and we all were very appreciative we were not car pooling for this event. The performance was excellent comedy with lots of audience participation very inclusive for all. We would recommend the Park Square Theater performance of Triple Espresso to those of you who enjoy light comedy as well as a nice evening event In St Paul Minnesota. Beverages were available for...

I've been going to the Park Square Theater for many years and I seen over 30 plays or more. Plus I attended 43rd Anniversary Party and theater display held at the Landmark Center. I can't think of which play I liked best, because they were all good. Just to name a few: A Midsummer Night's Dream, Mary Stuart, the mystery of Irma Vep, Noises Off, 33 Variations, The House on Mango Street, My Children, My Africa, Romeo and Juliet, Sherlock Holmes and the Ice Palace Murders and Laughter On The 23rd Floor, and I can't forget The Color Purple. Then you have A Raisin In The Sun, and how about Macbeth and I also like The Flower Drum Song. Plus just a couple few days ago I went to see the Skin Of Our Teeth. And I didn't name all the plays that I went to, but this'll give you an idea of some of the great plays that have been performed on a Park Square Theater stage or the Boss Theatres. The staff is very friendly and the Performers are very approachable. With beverage bar and a snack snacks available at the theater. And the Theaters is in the Center of downtown of Saint Paul. With plenty of and bars and restaurants within walking distance. Closest easy access By the Light Rail or the Buses of Metro...