Our Mission:

With action both onstage and off, Six Elements Theatre stimulates thought, inspires creativity, and cultivates our community through high-intensity theater and excellent craftsmanship.

The Work We Do

Violence and Intimacy represent the extremes of human experience, which is what makes stories featuring these elements so engaging.  Six Elements Theatre is dedicated to bringing these stories to the stage in ways that are compelling and new. Our productions come in a variety of shapes:

  • Collaboratively-built new works based on legends - some mythological, some historical

  • New, or otherwise underproduced works, helping to serve as a platform for stories that haven’t yet become household standards (we brought She Kills Monsters to MN!)

  • Established scripts that offer our expertise in theatrical intimacy and stage combat an opportunity to elevate the story to a new place

That said, we know that this work must be approached responsibly.  We believe that the best art can be made when we create a safe space to tell dangerous stories.  This is why we were some of the first adopters of the Chicago Theatre Standards in Minnesota - for more information on these guidelines, please visit www.notinourhouse.org

As an integral layer to Six Elements’ vision, 6E offers multiple regular opportunities for artists to train in the industry-forefront best practices when it comes to performing theatrical intimacy and violence.  We annually host the largest stage combat workshop in the region, featuring instructors with international renown providing classes for all experience levels. Through showcasing what training can do in our productions and providing access to that training in our educational initiatives, we lead by example but have no intention of leaving anyone behind.

Theatrical Productions

Since 2010, Six Elements Theatre has created high-intensity shows with a special focus on staged violence. We want to improve the way the extremes are performed; moments of combat or of love between characters.

Six Elements is committed to the act of creative discovery, especially in the creation of new works; most of our projects are either cast-developed or in partnership with local playwrights.

Training

Six Elements Theatre has been a leader in introducing performers in the Twin Cities to stage combat since 2011 and became a regional leader of stage combat training in 2014. In 2018 we expanded our training to encompass staged intimacy.

Through the yearly Brawl of America workshop (sanctioned by the Society of American Fight Directors) and multiple Intimacy for the Stage workshops taught by instructors from Intimacy Directors International, we offer important training opportunities not otherwise available to theater professionals in the Twin Cities.

Commitment to our community

We believe that the purpose of theatre is to bring people together.  With that in mind, one of our core tenets is that we will never turn away anyone who wants to see one of our shows because they can't afford it.  If you come to see one of our shows and truly cannot afford to pay our ticket price, tell us so, and we will be happy to negotiate to find a price you can afford to pay.  We're happy to have you in the audience.

OUR GOAL

We want equity for our fellow artists and within our company for people of all races, genders, orientations, religions, ethnic origins, colors, sizes, and abilities. 

  • We commit to equity in casting. We believe in conscious casting. For any marginalized community, our policy is one of "conscious", rather than "blind", casting. Increasing representation of a myriad of identities, whether based on race, gender, or disability, only clarifies our core artistic message. People come in all shapes, colors, and sizes. We all have different abilities, and different neurodiversities. Everyone belongs in the room. 

  • We commit to equity in our company at all levels, in our company, on our board, on our stages, and on our backstage/ artistic/ design teams. 

  • We are committed to equal pay and transparency. We are committed to publishing our pay rates for each production going forward. 

  • We are committed to eliminating barriers for people (especially BIPOC artists) so they can participate in our work. We currently offer scholarships for training in Intimacy Direction and Stage Combat. 

As a company and board entirely composed of white people, we understand we have a long way to go towards eliminating barriers of participation.

  • We are committing to robust diversity hiring. Effective immediately:

  1. Our company will at every level reflect the population of our community at large. We will only move forward with productions after hiring a minimum of BIPOC artists to make up at least 15% of performers and production artists.

  2. As having representation in leadership roles is an even more urgent need, we are recruiting BIPOC residents for company and board membership to shape the future direction of Six Elements’s artistics and community vision.

  3. Our methods and goals will be reviewed on an annual basis for efficacy and evolution.

  • We are committing to transparency and safety in the rehearsal room. Before each production:

  1. We will publish the in-rehearsal policies related to consent and physical and emotional safety, including zero tolerance for harassment and discrimination.

  2. We will create and give to the cast and creative artists a conflict resolution path, including contact information for individuals on all levels of the production and broader organization.

  • We are committing to accessibility for our community. For our future offerings:

    • At least ⅓ of tickets available for all our performances are “Pay What You Want”, in order to increase accessibility for those who otherwise might not be able to see our shows.  

    • For our workshops, we will offer early admission for BIPOC artists/ attendees.

    • We will increase the accessibility of our shows by offering ASL and audio-described performances.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  • Land acknowledgement practice will be incorporated into first rehearsal rituals and at the beginning of any official meeting at theatres, because we all must honor tribal sovereignty and self determination.

    • We acknowledge that the land for our legal address in Saint Paul, MN as the traditional territory of the Wahpekute and Očhéthi Šakówiŋ Tribal nations. 

  • We recognize and acknowledge the exclusion, exploitation, and misrepresentation of Latinx, Asian, Middle Eastern and all People of Color. 

  • We recognize and acknowledge the enslaved Africans, who have lived, been subjugated to free labor, and toiled the grounds where many theatres have been built and resurrected. 

SOURCES/ RESOURCES

The following resources and materials were used in developing these commitments: