Big Blue Theatre Is Bringing Joy to the Stage at Woodbury’s Merrill Arts Center

In March, I found myself out in an industrial park behind a Target in Woodbury. There, in an unassuming building with a row of suites, sits the Merrill Arts Center, a hub in the east suburbs with a very nice open space, plenty of storage, and a stage. It was here I joined Big Blue Theatre at the rehearsal of the group’s original play Soup.

Big Blue business manager Thomas D. Nelson, who also played Clarence in the show, described the piece as an “absurdist comedy about a man who is turned into soup.” I’ve seen plenty of out-there ideas on stages, and I can safely say this was the first time I’d heard of a play about talking soup.

Lindsay White, Lizzie Stuebs, Lauren Paulson, Josiah Fagerstrom, and Beth Ledbetter in Soup. Courtesy of Big Blue Theatre

The biggest reason I wanted to pop into this rehearsal and learn more about Big Blue Theatre was a blurb on the group’s website, which reads, “We strive for not only artistic purpose and development, but for Joy. We want not only to create excellent work, but also show processes that are fun.”

I loved this. I, too, strive to find joy in theater and the processes I use to make it happen. While there are certainly pieces of theater that people would not use “joy” as a descriptor, I do think it’s essential to creating some of the best theater if even just in the planning process.

I saw this on full display in the rehearsal as the very young cast bounded around the rehearsal space, rapid-firing comedic lines and pulling off hilariously quick costume changes. Their joy and passion were evident in their smiles and energy, and it was a great little emotional boost for this theater professional.

Lizzie Stuebs in Soup. Courtesy of Big Blue Theatre

Big Blue Theatre started out as a bunch of high school and college friends putting on one-act plays in backyards and garages, truly taking the idea of “All the world’s a stage” to heart. They’ve put on several original performances each summer since 2021, and now that most of the team are done with college, they are able to expand their performances and venues to more locales. Soup had a quick three-show run in March at the fantastic Hive Collaborative in St. Paul.

Don’t fret, however, if you missed out, as the Big Blue team has a busy year ahead of them, with shows scheduled in May, June, July, August, and October (including Soup 3). Most of their performances will be held at Merrill Arts Center, their home base, but they will also be performing at other venues, including their Minnesota Fringe Festival debut in August.

Lindsay White, Thomas D. Nelson, Lauren Paulson, and Josiah Fagerstrom. Courtesy of Big Blue Theatre

Local theater thrives when new players, energies, and ideas emerge in our community. Having experienced the energy, ideas, and passion of this group, I know we are going to witness a bunch of joy and fun from them in the year to come and hopefully much, much longer.

I will be watching Big Blue Theatre from an audience chair or two this year, and I hope you can join me at some point. Your next opportunity is Do What’s Wright, a parody musical inspired by Phoenix Wright of Ace Attorney, which runs May 30–June 1, 2025. Try something new, support some original art and find some joy on a stage near you!

Stuebs, Paulson, White, Nelson, and Ledbetter. Courtesy of Big Blue Theatre

This article is part of a series featuring original works of theater in the Twin Cities area. My goal is for readers to gain some insight into the process of creating original theater works, meet the people who make them, and learn a little about why we love doing what we do. If you are a theater company of any size or experience level and you are working on a new original piece, please contact me—I’d love to write about it!