Six Elements Theatre
The Count of Monte Cristo Web Series Premiere

While in quarantine for COVID, Six Elements Theatre Company created a project to support actors and artists while live performance spaces were closed. That project was a web series adaptation of Alexandre Dumas' The Count of Monte Cristo. In the fall of 2021, armed with an amazing cast and crew, greenscreen, studio space, lights, and a camera, we began filming.

The Count of Monte Cristo Web Series Premiere

Thank you, Lavender!

We are extremely honored and flattered to learn that John Townsend of Lavender Magazine has named our January production of Orpheus Descending one of the 10 Best Shows of 2014.  (You can see John's review from last winter right here).  From all of us here at Six Elements, we want to say thank you to our outstanding cast, crew, and designers, and to the audience that turned out in last winter's extreme cold for a sweltering tale of passion and imprisonment.  We knew we were creating some of our best work yet, and thanks to you all we are in some pretty august company (look at the rest of that list, there are some incredible groups and people in there!).

And if that isn't exciting enough, Townsend also recognizes Company Member Mike Lubke, the man behind the craziness that is Human Combat Chess, for his work on Theatre in the Round's Beaux Strategem, calling it the Best Stage Combat Direction of 2014.   

Don't worry, though, we aren't just resting on our laurels.  We are already hard at work planning Human Combat Chess 2015, and we're in preproduction for Tom Stoppard's Hapgood, a Cold War spy drama of political, emotional and quantum entanglement, directed by Justin Alexander.

Sign up for our mailing list to see what's in store for Six Elements Theatre.

 

Brave the Elements, 

-Philip D Henry, Company Member

Meredith Larson and Philip Matthews in Orpheus Descending

Shindig 2014

Thank you to everyone who came out to our 2014 Shindig, for helping us celebrate an incredible year and to announce our 5th season.

In our 2014 season we staged a critically acclaimed production of Orpheus Descending, presented the original and evocative Tales From Camelot, sponsored Minnesota's first SAFD Regional Workshop, and assembled our largest and most successful Human Combat Chess yet, all thanks to our loyal audience and the incredible Twin Cities community.

And we have even more coming up for 2015:

In April, at the Nimbus Theatre, we present Tom Stoppard's 1988 spy thriller Hapgood, directed by Justin Alexander, a Six Elements collaborator since 2012.  With his characteristic intelligence and sharp characterization, Stoppard "spins an end-of-the-cold-war tale of intrigue and betrayal, interspersed with explanations of the quixotic behavior of the electron and the puzzling properties of light” (David Richards, The New York Times).  It falls to Hapgood, an extraordinary officer in the the British intelligence agency, to unravel a mystery of mistaken identity and deep betrayals.

In May we'll once again sponsor Brawl of America, turning a remarkable event into an epic tradition.  Last year we had an incredible faculty, with 2 Fight Masters, 1 Fight Director, 2 Certified Teachers and 6 Advanced Actor/Combatants, and a fantastic turn-out with 34 registered students.  We plan to build on that terrific groundwork to provide an even better experience for our faculty and students.

Next summer we'll present the Midwest Combat Chess League's Finals Match for the 6th time.  Well, 7th if you count 2010 - but we DON'T TALK ABOUT 2010.  That aside, next year we'll build the biggest and best season yet, with new fighters, new weapons, and new  audience experiences both on and off the board.

Finally, next October will see the area premiere of Qui Nguyen's She Kills Monsters, directed by Callie Meiners, another long-time friend of Six Elements. This comic and touching story features Agnes, a woman who finally gets to know her dead sister, Tilly, by delving into Tilly's greatest passion: Dungeons & Dragons.  With thrilling combat, terrifying monsters, and skads of geek-culture references, She Kills Monsters is right in our wheelhouse, and we'll pack the People's Center Theater with our usual high-intensity, finely tuned action.

We want everyone who made 2014 a huge success, and together we'll make 2015 another fantastic year for Six Elements Theatre.

Brave the Elements

-Philip D Henry, Company Member

Human Combat Chess in Chicago

Thursday, July 12th, marks the opening performance of Human Combat Chess in Chicago. That's right, HCC has franchised!!  Nathaniel Nesheim-Case has been laboring with his own group of combatants to put on the regular season match-up of the Corsairs vs. the Roses. We are very excited to see a production that we labor hard at every year become a big enough thing to be brought down to Chicago. 

HCC 2012.jpg

This new development has pushed us to build the world of Human Combat Chess even more, and given us the resources to do it. With a whole new group of actors fighting their way through another show, that gives us almost 40 new names and faces to be able to make the Human Combat Chess Wiki, and our in-world podcast, Boards and Swords, so much more awesome. 

Speaking of Boards and Swords, Mike Speck and Mark Rasmussen have returned as our announcers and hosts for both the podcast and the championship game. The first few episodes are live on our site, and the two of them can be found blissfully taunting the fighters this July.

Weapons 2.jpg

This year also marks the first year with official HCC swag!  Dragons, Phoenix and Corsairs themed gear are all on the CafePress site, including general HCC gear. Unfortunately, we were unable to get the Roses logo on the site in time, but our goal for 2015 is to have gear for each of the 8 MCCL teams up for purchase.

 

In closing, if you are in Chicago, go see Chess. If you are in Minneapolis, come see Chess. If you are on the road, listen to Chess, and if you are at a shortage of clothes, buy Chess.

Thank you friends, and as always, control your center, 
Skot Rieffer
Six Elements