Michelle Hensley, whose Ten Thousand Things troupe has brought quality theater to underserved audiences in Minnesota jails, shelters and community centers for 25 years, received the Ivey Award for lifetime achievement Monday at the State Theatre in Minneapolis.
That accolade, selected by the artistic directors of other Twin Cities theaters, was among 11 awards presented Monday during a high-gloss ceremony. It marked a career-capping achievement for Hensley, who will step down as artistic director next year.
"You guys have said so many nice things about me," said Hensley, clearly humbled. She paid tribute to her ancestors, the artists she works with and the communities her company serves. She also called for the appointment of female arts leaders to positions that come open in the next five years in order to change the field.
Meghan Kreidler, currently starring in "The Man of La Mancha" at Theatre Latté Da, was honored with the Ivey for outstanding emerging artist. She thanked the many Twin Cities companies where she has worked, but especially Theater Mu, which helped her connect strongly with her Asian-American heritage.
Kreidler also was part of the Ivey-winning acting ensemble of "Vietgone," a hip-hop-inflected musical staged at Mixed Blood Theatre, along with Sun Mee Chomet and Sherwin Resurreccion, who also won Iveys for their performances in Theater Mu's production of "The Two Kids That Blow S — - Up."
Theatre Latté Da was honored with two Iveys — one for overall excellence for its revival of the melting-pot musical "Ragtime," and another for the clever design team behind "Six Degrees of Separation," John Guare's play about ambition and impersonation.
Pillsbury House co-artistic director Noël Raymond was honored for her directing work on "The Children," a human-and-puppet re-imagining of the Greek tragedy "Antigone."
Pillsbury House also figured in another award, for writer/actor Nilaja Sun's tour-de-force solo show "Pike St.," in which she evoked a whole community on Manhattan's Lower East Side.
