Open Eye Theatre

Lovely small/ micro theater. Make sure you arrive early if you want to sit together since there are no assigned seats. They have beer, wine, and soft drinks for purchase. Parking in the area is a little tough so try to carpool, rideshare or take public transit.

My recent visit to Open Eye Theatre in South Minneapolis was nothing short of extraordinary, culminating in the deeply moving and utterly unique experience of "Ode to Walt Whitman." This production, a testament to the Open Eye's commitment to innovative and evocative storytelling, left an indelible mark on my heart and mind. From the moment I stepped into the intimate space of the Open Eye, there was a palpable sense of anticipation. The theater itself, with its welcoming atmosphere and dedication to presenting diverse and thought-provoking works, immediately set the stage for something special. Plus, being able to grab a beer or wine before the performance started added to the relaxed and enjoyable evening. "Ode to Walt Whitman" delivered on that promise with remarkable grace and imaginative flair.

Highly recommend this venue! Small, intimate, with great sound. "Scrooge with Rouge" was a wonderful romp back to the days of Victorian music halls. Brilliant cast, and music! Delightfully naughty!

This venue deserves more visibility. The theater is cozy and attractive, and has ongoing shows by what I consider to be all-star fantasy teams of performers. I have found myself back in this place repeatedly by happenstance of following local celebrities, and it is a thought crime against the arts that the seats aren't packed. Get in, nerds. These are your people!

We have seen 3 productions from this theater in the last year. Every single one was a 10/10. The Broomstick was the last one we attended. I never thought that I would be so intrigued with a cast of one! The actress who played the witch was captivating. She held the audience the entire show. It's like a book came alive. I will be back for many more. Check this place out!

Open Eye Theatre is always great! No matter what production they are currently hosting, it will be top quality, mind-challenging, and quirky! Just what good theatre should be, IMHO. 🎭

An adorable, intimate theater space. We so enjoyed feeling as though we were part of the action of the play when we saw A Year with Frog and Toad.

Here's the deal with Open Eye: I love it. My kids love it. Everyone loves it. Charmingly weird, fantastically creative, community focused... all of it great. They do a big variety of performances in the space so be mindful of the intended audience (not all stuff is great for kids). We mostly do the kid centric stuff and for real things like Milly and Tillie are just legendary productions in our house. You know how often we say bah nya nah? Every time. Every. Time. In the summer Open Eye hosts shows on Driveway Tour. Perfectly summer and fun and highly recommended.

I just love this theatre. It's small enough where every seat is a good one, the shows are always unique and special in their own way and such talented actors and actresses. I also appreciate their willingness to ensure the safety of the crew and staff by requiring masks and vaccine cards. Thanks to everyone at Open Eye for a great evening!

I've probably seen more of their puppet shows than anyone on the planet. During the summer they do their Driveway Tour, where they do scores of free shows in front yards, parks, libraries, and anywhere you are willing to host them (public bathroom?). My kids absolutely love The Amazing Cow Boat, Katie Tomatie in the Big City, and Little Grandpa in the Big City. Most people only hear about the shows actually happening in their neighborhood, but I scour their website for any and all shows at time and places we can make, showing up in the backyards of random people all over the city. We've also been to their theater itself to see Milly and Tilly (x2), and The Learning Fairy. These shows are not for the faint of heart, they are loud, high energy performances by nutty, nutty people. A bit too loud for my middle-aged ears, and can be too intense for 1 year-olds sitting in the front row, but holy cow the kids go nutty for these shows. My kids play act Milly and Tilly all the time. Plus, they often have complimentary ice cream afterward. Next summer they are going to create a new puppet show, can't wait.

A Prelude to Faust was the first time I had ever been here. What a phenomenal theater! The actors were talented. The size of the theater was small and that made it extremely charming for me and those that were with me. What an amazing place! I can't wait to see more talent there.

Saw a Driveway Tour show of the Amazing Cow Boat. It was amazing. So cool to do this roaming puppet theater and to being it out to front and back yards. My kids, and every kid there, loved it and it was a great neighborhood bonding event. The story was good for kids and adults, with humor, a great set and interesting puppets and props and fantastic performers. Super duper highly recommend!

This is the most incredible, weird, fun, neat, interesting place in the Twin Cities (or most other places I have been). My description would only force you to imagine the mundane, so I will not even try. Please go, see a show, and realize how right I am to not even try to describe it. I will say, however: puppets, tiny live bands, amazing sets, great stories, cool space, and nice people.

I went to see a play designed by Irve Dell tonight at the Open Eye Figure Theater, and it was amazing! The seating is small and intimate. The stage is beautiful, with arched cobble stone! It looks like a medieval castle inside. They had reasonably priced adult beverages (donation accepted...) AND... There was also a rummage sale, where I got to purchase three antique frames for 2 dollars! They will be hosting a Holiday pageant from Dec 3rd to Dec 23rd. It will take all of Santa's eight reindeer holding me back to stop me from going.

What a stellar place! They put on amazing shows for both adults and kids. Tonight I saw Nature Creature and they were lovely! They put on many puppet shows and even have puppet shows that go around Minneapolis-over 100 of them! Wowzers!! They offer regular admission and also pay what you can to be as inclusive as possible. It is an intimate theater and I am happy that I was able to go!

We were in from out of town just to get away. Not knowing much about what to do we decided to see a Tennesee Williams play here. It was a great production by the company and the venue was absolutely one of the best i have been to!

This is a local treasure. I saw The Sorcerer's Apprentice and it was beautiful. The set, the marionettes, and everything about the production was a work of art. Some people might assume a theater like this is meant for children, but it isn't. Kids would certainly enjoy it, but according to a staff member I overheard at the performance, they are designing for a primarily adult audience. My advice is to get there early and sit as close to the front as possible. Since this venue is for puppets and not people, the figures are smaller.