An Opera Theatre (AOT) was founded in 2018 with a mission to produce socially relevant works to break down the barriers of the classical art form and bring communities together. We are guided by the vision: Art To Action. AOT uses opera in the way it was originally intended: as a tool for civic discourse that advocates for the people historically kept at the margins of society. Our approach connects to the ancient cultural roots of the art form while advancing it toward an intercultural, decolonized future. 

AOT’s inaugural production was Gian Carlo Menotti’s The Consul in November 2018 which focused on themes of immigration with Community Partner The Advocates for Human Rights. Since then, AOT has gone on to become a staple of the Twin Cities arts scene with productions such as WE OUT: Voicing Our Truth (July 2020), new commissions The Sky Where You Are (October 2020) made in partnership with Women’s Advocates which was inducted into the Library of Congress in February 2021, In the Midst of Things: In Medias Res which premiered to 1,002 high school students in May 2021, AOT’s newest commission Mináǧi kiŋ dowáŋ (“My spirit sings” in Dakota) an opera film about the life and continued legacy of Zitkála-Šá which premiered in October 2022 and is currently on a regional screening tour, and most recently a new production of The Cradle Will Rock fusing live opera and shadow puppetry in April 2024.

Outside the venue, AOT hosts Voice Lab, a free monthly-facilitated peer-to-peer workshop for all singers, regardless of genre and ability. Our fall and spring semester education immersion program at LEAP International High School, South High School, and Lionsgate Academy replaces the standard historical focus of opera education programs with a focus on storytelling, authentic expression, movement, and sharing.