FEFU AND HER FRIENDS: Immersive Theater Experience Will Be Performed Minneapolis Mansion
Performances run May 11–28 at the Searle Mansion.
Theatre Pro Rata has announced its upcoming production of Fefu and Her Friends by renowned playwright María Irene Fornés, directed by Carin Bratlie Wethern. This striking and influential play will be staged as an immersive, site-specific experience inside the historic Searle Mansion in Minneapolis, where audiences will move through the rooms of the house as the story unfolds.
Originally written in 1977, Fefu and Her Friends is widely considered one of the most innovative works of American theater. Set in the 1930s, the play follows a group of women gathering for a weekend meeting to plan an educational event. What begins as casual conversation gradually reveals deeper tensions, private fears, intellectual debates, and moments of unexpected humor and tenderness.
Fornés' groundbreaking structure invites audiences to witness intimate scenes happening simultaneously in different rooms, creating a layered theatrical experience that is both personal and communal.
About the Production
Theatre Pro Rata's production of Fefu and Her Friends transforms the Searle Mansion into a living theatrical landscape. Rather than watching from a fixed seat, audiences will move through the house in small groups, experiencing scenes in the very spaces where they unfold. This immersive approach heightens the play's exploration of connection, isolation, and the unseen emotional lives of women.
Through sharp dialogue, philosophical reflection, and moments of surprising comedy, Fefu and Her Friends explores themes of friendship, identity, gender roles, and the struggle to articulate inner truths in a changing world. The production highlights the vitality and complexity of Fornés' writing while embracing the unique intimacy of site-specific performance.
This staging of Fefu and Her Friends is designed specifically for the architecture and atmosphere of the Searle Mansion. As audiences travel from room to room, they encounter the play's characters in close proximity, creating a theatrical experience that is immediate, personal, and impossible to replicate in a traditional theater.
The result is a deeply immersive evening where story, space, and audience interact in real time. Theatre Pro Rata's production celebrates the collaborative spirit of Fornés' work while inviting audiences to experience one of the most influential plays of the 20th century in a way that feels fresh, intimate, and alive.
Celebrando Fornés
Theatre Pro Rata's production of Fefu and Her Friends is proudly part of Celebrando Fornés / Celebrating Fornés, a national initiative led by the Fornés Institute that invites theaters, colleges, and artists across the United States to stage productions, readings, and events dedicated to the work of playwright María Irene Fornés. The initiative aims to bring renewed attention to one of the most influential voices in American theater and expand the presence of her work on stages and in classrooms. By producing Fefu and Her Friends, Theatre Pro Rata joins a nationwide community of artists honoring Fornés' legacy and introducing new audiences to her groundbreaking approach to theatrical form and storytelling.
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