Finding Minnesota: The Traveling Garage Show

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. (WCCO) -- Minnesota is home to many legendary theaters like the Guthrie, the Orpheum, the Ordway and the Pantages.

But how about Barb and Mario's garage in Bloomington?

For one weekend this fall, Barb Spies and Mario Lone hosted quite the performance – a traveling show that's been featured in garages from Isanti to Mendota Heights.

This year's play, "Stripe And Spot Learn To Get Along," is produced by Off-Leash Area, a theater company that hits the road in the fall so its audience doesn't have to.

Jennifer Ilse and Paul Herwig, the co-artistic directors, came up with a show that combines vaudeville, silent film elements, music and dance into a show about cooperation.

It's entertainment in the home, at a time when more people stay home in front of the TV. The Minnesota State Arts Board provides much of the funding through the Land and Legacy Amendment.

"We were asked to come up with a program that enables more Minnesotans to have access to the arts," Herwig said.

The inspiration for the Neighborhood Garage Tour came from Ilse and Herwig's own home in south Minneapolis. They moved into a house with a relatively large garage in 2002.

"We thought, 'Wow, we could do shows in here,'" Ilse said.

They now do shows in the suburbs, squeezing lights, speakers, risers and chairs into a small space. This year's presentation includes a set that rotates like an oversized Lazy Susan.

"We thought to ourselves, 'Well wouldn't it be fantastic to have a revolving stage in a garage?'" Herwig said. "Who would do that? Well, we would do that."

Homeowners, like Spies and Lone, who host the tour commit to clearing everything out and gathering an audience of neighbors and friends.

"They came out and vetted our garage," Spies said. "And when we found out that it worked, that the show would work in our garage space, that was a cool experience for us as a family."

"I was very impressed at the acoustics in our own garage," Lone said.

The couple's two children allowed the actors to use their bedrooms as a make-up room.

For the neighborhood, it's an event.  For the theater crew, it's access to people who perhaps haven't seen live theater in a while.

"It's very dear to our hearts," Ilse said. "And as long as we can keep finding support of it out there, we'll keep doing it."

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