Letter from Kathee Foran
Dear Friends,
After twenty years in the saddle I will soon retire as executive director. I've stayed well beyond the two or three years I first imagined because In the Heart of the Beast is about something important.
It's about looking truth right in the eye and having a conversation. It's about having compassion for our own foibles and those of others. And it's about using a quirky brand of humor to examine the issues of our neighborhood, our country and our place in the world. It's also about using the form of puppet and mask theater to voice not only the human characters of our world but the vast majority that don't use the spoken word - the rivers, the sky, the creatures that crawl on our sidewalks and live in our forests. It's about having that grand and mythic dialogue with all beings - inviting all to the table.
In choosing to emphasize the interconnectedness of all creation In the Heart of the Beast is able to shift perceptions, stir the spirit and help us take another look at our preconceptions.Whether in a school residency, a performance with the Minnesota Orchestra, a puppet show in our lobby, a piece of street theater at the holiday season or the MayDay Parade, it's all done with the same intent - to encourage us to put our hands in and become active participants in our own lives.
As I take my leave, I turn a stable organization over to a new executive director who will work in partnership with artistic director Sandy Spieler and scores of long-time artists, a strong administrative staff, a dedicated and energized board of directors and a corps of volunteers, 450 people strong.
Now, at the close of our fiscal year, I'm writing to ask for your continued support of this amazing organization. For In the Heart of the Beast's work is not about creating pretty puppets and moving them around in amusing ways. It's about imparting the energy to act, choosing what to emphasize and igniting the creative spark that will save the world. With a grateful heart for an amazing twenty years,
Kathee Foran, Executive Director
Staff News
We bid a sad farewell to our community programs director, Melissa Koch, as she moves to California to pursue a graduate degree in documentary film. Already an accomplished filmmaker, her film The Red Tail has been seen on the independent movie circuit both nationally and internationally. We wish her the very best of luck - her ready laugh and high energy will be missed.
Because Melissa has done such an excellent job building our community programs we wanted to be sure to hire a replacement who could step easily into her shoes. We think we've found just the right person in Julie Worden, a six-year veteran of Vocal Essence's education program and an accomplished musician. Welcome, Julie. We're so happy to have you as member of the HOBT team!
PuppetLab is a developmental laboratory for artists working within the medium of puppetry. 
MayDay 2010
July 10 - August 10
