Arts Activities Support

Nearly 500 people attended the production over 12 productions, including members from six press organizations who gave unanimous glowing reviews. The number of attendees marks the highest recorded attendance in company history, affecting more audiences and artists than ever before. We were able to pay our artists more than double the average non-equity contact salary in the Twin Cities. Our artistic goals for this project were met. We set out to produce high-quality theatre at an affordable and accessible way, and we did just that. With six glowing reviews, packed houses, and many deeply moved audience members, Theatre Coup d’Etat’s production of Equus was an artistic success. Press comments include: "...one of the best shows of the year..." -City Pages. "Enthralling." - Lavender Magazine. "A glorious night of theatre." - l'etoile. "Bold productions like Equus help renew that faith (in theatre) in ways few other things can." - Matthew Everett. "From the first chant to the final blackout, every beat of Equus pulses with a raw, prickling intensity." - The Minneapolite. "...thought-provoking, disturbing, and engrossing..." - Cherry and Spoon. Our pay-what-you-can opening weekend was a success with three of the four days filled to capacity. Combined with our marketing efforts, the following weekends saw a boost in our audiences, making it the most attended production in Coup d’Etat history with nearly 500 total attendees. We were able to cross-promote with multiple theatre companies within the cities to help bring audiences to out prospective productions, creating a true communal experience. If were able to repeat a similar project, we would increase our estimates on set materials. We were able to reach our intended community in both numbers and diversity. Our affected artist and adult audience reach was met, and our surveys show that we continue to grow our younger audience base with 67% of our attendees under 35. Our outreach efforts resulted in a diverse community. Our surveys indicate that over 27% of our audience identified as a person of color, and 38% declared themselves members of the LGBTQ community. 54% identified as female, 49% male, and 2% undeclared. Our diverse group of partnerships included relationships with The People’s Center Clinic, Walking Shadow Theatre Company, Mu Performing Arts, and Savage Umbrella.