ABOUT RED EYE

Red Eye is a multidisciplinary creative laboratory that supports the development and production of boundary-breaking performance work. Artist-run and intentionally modest in size, Red Eye encourages experimentation, foregrounds process, and advocates for equity and systemic change for the contemporary performance community in the Twin Cities.

Red Eye cultivates a hive for artists pursuing radical exploration, rigorous inquiry, and thoughtful risk. The organization provides crucial in-depth developmental opportunities, incubating the next generation of creators and making space for artists to reexamine creative process in a new light. At Red Eye, performance is a platform for stimulating exchange with audiences, challenging the status quo, and practicing alternative models for how we might gather and collaborate.

From 1983 to 2018, Red Eye was led by Steve Busa and Miriam Must. Since 2019, Red Eye has been led by a group of seven Artistic Directors: Jeffrey Wells, Hayley Finn, Theo Langason, Emily Gastineau, Andrew Dolan, Valerie Oliveiro, and Rachel Jendrzejewski in a collaborative leadership model.

ABOUT RED EYE’S NEW SPACE

In fall 2021, Red Eye Theater moved into our new long-term home, located on unceded Dakota land in the Seward neighborhood of South Minneapolis. We have been building out a new performance space in the Focus Arts building at 2213 Snelling Avenue, a ~3000 sq ft flexible and accessible black box theater. We envision this space as a home for contemporary performance in the Twin Cities—a place for artists to exchange ideas, build networks of support, grow and deepen their practices over time, and share work with audiences. Red Eye understands this space as a shared resource and a community good, and intends to steward the space with inclusivity, invitation, and care.

SHORT-TERM RENTALS

Rentals form a crucial part of Red Eye’s model. The rental program allows the space to function as a resource to the Twin Cities performance community, to expand our community beyond our programming capacities, and to foster sustainability for the organization.

Short-term rentals are by the day or by the hour, and are intended for rehearsals, technical residencies, low-tech showings, auditions, film shoots, photo shoots, meetings, readings, small events, lectures, etc. 

For one-day events that include tech (such as a lecture with a mic and projections), we’ll need to talk with you about your needs and whether it fits with the setup of the space at that time.

Full productions and rentals of a week or longer should go through our RFP process for curated rentals, which opens twice a year.

TIMELINE

Red Eye accepts requests on a rolling basis, and will respond within one week. We have some availability for rentals in 2023; please submit your requests through the Google form and we’ll be in touch.

SPACE SPECIFICATIONS

Through the conclusion of its capital campaign, Red Eye will continue to build out the new space, make improvements and add to its equipment inventory. We’ll share more detailed information about equipment as we continue to add to our inventory, and will post technical drawings of the space once we have them available. Potential renters should note that through 2022, the space will operate in a more raw state, which enables a different type of artistic experimentation. If you have specific concerns or requests, please include them in your rental application, or contact staff@redeyetheater.org with any questions. 

• The full space is 60’ x 41’, with 100 audience chairs and risers that can be arranged in a variety of configurations. 

• The space has a concrete floor, and there will be a sprung floor measuring 32’ x 22’. The floor is temporarily installed in the space but will not be moved for individual productions. Red Eye will provide a ramp to reach the floor.

• Basic equipment is provided, including two speakers, a mixing board, light board, and a 16-lighting instrument plot in a basic wash. 

• There is a small dressing room, as well as access to gendered and all-gender bathrooms, shower, and kitchen in common areas of the Focus Arts building. Note that storage is very limited and only available during the rental period.

• Focus Arts has a small parking lot and access to street parking. 

• Focus Arts is ADA accessible.

RENTAL TERMS

• Rentals grant exclusive use of the space unless negotiated in advance. 

• Short-term rentals do not include technical, marketing, or box office support.

• Renters are expected to carry their own event insurance as necessary.

• Renters are included under Red Eye’s Covid safety policy, which is updated periodically to reflect current conditions. Red Eye requires proof of full vaccination, including boosters as eligible, from everyone in the space.

RATES

Rates for short-term rentals vary based on the type of event and support needed; please reach out for more information.

To receive the guidelines as a Word doc, or application materials in an alternate format, please contact staff@redeyetheater.org.

CONTACT

You can reach all seven Co-Artistic Directors at staff@redeyetheater.org. Feel free to reach out with any questions about the space or the RFP process.