Starri Hedges

Last Login 05/18/12

• Minneapolis, MN
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I first fell in love with theater when I was a kid. Looking back, I believe that acting helped me develop a healthy sense of self and community. After 15+ years helping kids do collaborative art projects, my suspicions that theater can help all youth--not just weirdos like me--have been thoroughly confirmed.
In addition to hanging out doing theater & other fun things at Second Foundation School (SFS), I work as a teaching artist for the City of St. Paul Park & Recreation Dpmt. and the non-profit, East Side Arts Council. I am also an EXCO (community ed) volunteer facilitator and a healing artist at Lucky Palm Healing Arts.
I was a teen mom when I graduated from SFS after being a student there for 3 years. SFS saved me from the horrid miseries of public schools and I will love her forever for that. I went on to earn a Women’s Studies Certificate from MCTC, a B.A. in Holistic Education (minor in Intermedia Arts) from Metropolitan State University, & a Masters of Arts in Human Development and Educational Psychology from St. Marys University. During my undergraduate studies, I was a Kopp Scholar, a member of Phi Beta Kappa, and won several awards including the GLSEN Teacher of the Year Scholarship and first place in the Fuschian Student Association Literary Contest. In addition to my academic achievements, I have completed in-depth studies of expressive art therapies, martial arts, and several holistic healing techniques including Reiki, Qigong, and Yoga. I am also a writer, performer, and singer, having worked with local and national arts organizations since 1992. I have been a guest speaker at the University of St. Thomas in MN, Earlham College in Ohio, and Heartwood Institute in CA and toured both the West & East Coasts performing original music and theater.
Besides working at SFS, I have also worked at a Montessori daycare, the Edina Art Center, as the HIV Coordinator at District 202 (GLBTQ Youth Drop In Center), as a Homeless Youth Housing Advocate for YouthLink, as a community organizer, and a founder of the worker-run Hard Times Cafe. I am also the proud mother of Jazmin, who was a student at SFS for many years.
I have had the honor of directing/helping with the following SFS original (and semi-original) plays & musicals over the years:

Mayday Festival stage (1990) We did an anti-garbage burner show.

Persephone's Descent (at Playwrights Center, 1993) This was a collection of short performances that was based on a writing class. Matt Spillum and Jake Nordin were both involved back then & are currently teaching a similar class at SFS! One piece was entirely made up of conversations overheard in the Hard Times Cafe.

Enter At Your Own Risk (1995) Southern Theater: An original collaboratively written show in partnership with Project Offstreets' Kulture Klub (Homeless Youth)

I Wrote This Play to Impress My Parents (1996) at the Southern Theater Original & collaboratively written, mostly by Erin Tate, who is now the Drummer for the band Minus the Bear. I played a psycho mother & Jay H. was a wingnut cop. There was a live snake at the end.

Circus Maximus (1997-8) An original collaboratively written circus themed-show, multiple performance sites, including Mpls. City Parks--also when the GYM MURAL was first painted.

Damn Fine Casserole (Peoples Center & Bedlam, 2001) An original collaboratively written show about stereotypes featuring fantasizing housewife Alberta smashing dishes & Eliot as Suzie--a beautiful, suicidal, suburban, princess. William was an alligator, Mae was Martha Stewart, & Jazmin was the gay boy, Billy. Casey was the statue of Liberty & I’m pretty sure she “gave birth” to Eliot at the end & then came the cherry jello placenta, yum.

Hodgepodge (Bedlam, 2002) A collection of random one acts by SFS students, including Helen & Marvel's "Toast" & Emme’s first play with SFS.

Rocky Horror Picture Show (Walker Church, 2003) with all live music by the Eliot (who also played Meatloaf), Luke, Klaus, (ala Dangerboy & the Road Vultures or Tornado!) & Travis, Charlie as Frank, Emily & Jazmin as Janet & Brad, Emme & Isaac as Majenta & Riff Raff, Ben as the Investigator. Shadow puppets! Absolutely so much fun!

MaskRaid (Walker Church, 2004) An original collaboratively written show based on twisted versions of Wizard of Oz, Alice & Wonderland, Where the Wild Things Are... Awesome, original music by Travis, Anna as the Queen of Hearts (that plastic wig!), Tre as "genderless" Alix, Johann as Max, and Martha/Emme as Good/Bad Alice. Marina spoke the sacred tree poems & Isaac was The Man with Plan. There was a Barbie Army?!

The Bacchae (Varsity, 2005) Starring Andre (who is teaching in Poland now) & many amazing madwomen including Wonder Woman played by Ariel (previously Annie) Pinkerton. Using the Wole Soyinka translation from the ancient Euripides script, we added characters, humor, & music by Starri, Kata & Dimitry. As one of the very first shows at the now-popular Varsity venue, it was a stunning environment for our tribute to the God of Wine and Dance. Remember the sheep? & Mike describing the sheep? Jake & his Village people line. Dru & his bursting appendix, making me think the madwomen had truly eaten him alive.

Wonderland (Bedlam, 2006) Emme & I were both fascinated by the amusement park that was in our South Minneapolis neighborhood 100 years ago (Lake St. & 31st). We began to research & create characters, scenes, & songs based on our discoveries. We shot a video in the cemetery where some of the displayed incubator babies are buried. Music by Eatin' Hogeye, Emme, & Starri. Highlights: the church ladies & preacher man, the street kids, Eeka & ElDiablo, the crazy doctor & smoking nurse, the fortune teller & Xelias Aerial Arts.

Fools Eye or the Adventures of the Joyfully Disturbed (the “new” Bedlam 2007) We wrote this script entirely from dreams! There was also a lot of Tarot ideas. Highlights: Hassan as Pepsi-makes-me-fly guy, Luna as Kitty, Light & Dark, Sandman, Riva’s zillion costume changes, the hermit video of commercials taking over dreams & Emme’s video of the ocean, Ian as the “bad man” (scary!) and the lovely whisperers.

Goodbye Berlin: Cabaret with Liberty Taken (Bedlam, 2008) music director: Mark Garcia...and those great musicians. We took the short story turned play turned movie turned broadway musical, old classic & rewrote it---making it even more intense than it was before! Highlights: the gorilla head/s, 2 Ladies, the German crystal available in the lobby, the blue rabbit coat, the chair dance & the Hard Knock Life Kids. Remember Nara’s tomorrow!? Wow.

Crybaby (Bedlam, 2009) music director: Mark Garcia & those awesome musicians again! With Riva & Marissa as Johnny Depp/Crybaby & Allison & the Walker family/gang played by: Calem (Ramona), Treana (HatchetFace), Jadeen (IggyPop), Emme as Pepper & Rainy & Nara as her kids & Kimmy as Lenore.............I just know we would have made John Waters proud! Classic 1950’s music. So many highlights!!!

3 (an original tragedy in fractions at Peoples Center, 2010) Collaboratively written by Emme, Jadeen, Bree, Riva, Starri based on mythology & heartbreak,the Selkie & the unicorn, the gollum, centaur & Bird, of course. From the press release: Let us take you on a magical, dismal journey that transcends time and space! Blending fantasy, mythology, and science fiction to create a series of epic adventures throughout the ages, "3" features: a beautiful spirit stolen by vampires, a bride and groom parted by a jealous, malicious god, two star-crossed, drugged-up,genetically-altered, futuristic lovers, one mysterious troubadour-witch, and a swarm of fickle, wicked fairies.

MUSIC BOX (People's Center Theater, 2011) Collaboratively created coming of age story set in Minneapolis-- a rollicking, magical-realism adventure exploring the dreams & memories of 4 life-long friends, featuring ghosts, thieves, unreal twins, & a mighty strange musical Wizard.