Tyler Michaels Launches TRADEMARK THEATER

Trademark Theater officially launches today, November 14th, 2016 and announces their first production. Led by local theater artist Tyler Michaels (Guthrie, Theater Latté Da, History Theater), Trademark's mission is to create, develop, and produce new theatrical works in the state of Minnesota. Trademark strives to bring high-quality, original productions to life, utilizing local creators and performers from the heart of the Twin Cities arts community.

Says Artistic Director, Tyler Michaels, "our sole focus will be the generation of new works. That is my true passion as an artist and what I will bring to this company. I want to share that passion and drive with our community. I want Trademark Theater to be at the forefront of the new works movement in Minnesota."

The Boy and Robin Hood - A World Premiere

THE BOY AND ROBIN HOOD will be Trademark Theater's first production. Conceived and Directed by Tyler Michaels, written by Tyler Mills with Music and Lyrics by David Darrow. This play-with-music is inspired by 15th and 16th century English and Scottish ballads of Robin Hood which tell a much more brutal and harsh story of the merry men in the Sherwood Forest. Creator Tyler Michaels states, "we want to reexamine these ideas of violence and aggression in the Robin Hood myth and hold them up against how we traditionally see the character: as an adventurous, boisterous, colorful, always winning hero. We want to explore the gray areas of our humanity. Given the current climate in our country, we felt exploring these themes of perceived freedom, the escalation of violence, and seeing the true face of a hero would be especially impactful; a worthwhile story to share with our audiences."

The production has been in development since spring 2015. In July 2016, the creative team held a workshop of the production (then titled The Gest of Robin Hood) as part of the Fresh Ink Series at the Illusion Theater. Photos of the read can be viewed below. "The reading was met with good response," says writer Tyler Mills; "The reactions the audiences had to the piece taught us a lot about what was working and also about what needed to change. But more than anything we came away feeling that we are headed in the right direction, that the story is engaging audiences in a way that traditional renditions of Robin Hood do not. And to us that felt like a big success."

THE BOY AND ROBIN HOOD will open May 27th 2017 at the Ritz Theater in Northeast Minneapolis. Director Tyler Michaels notes, "We are so thankful to be welcomed into Latté Da's new space. It is one of the best venues in town, and even more so with the upgrades Latté Da has made to the space. It presents the perfect setting for our world premiere."

ABOUT TRADEMARK THEATER

Created in 2015, and launched in 2016, Trademark Theater expands the breadth of original works born in Minnesota by creating, developing and producing dynamic theatrical productions. Trademark is led by Tyler Michaels (Artistic Director) and Tyler Mills (Artistic Associate).

The Board of Directors for Trademark Theater includes:

Chair: Nadege Souvenir

Vice Chair: Jane M. Confer

Treasurer: Eric Norman

Secretary: Louise Chalfant

Mitch Kelly, Leni Moore, Amy Newton, Emily Skoblik-Diallo