Steampunk Dreams in Loring Park: How Strange Loop Projects is Revitalizing Minneapolis’ Performance Scene
When patrons step through the doors of a nondescript storefront on the edge of Minneapolis’ Loring Park, they are not merely entering a theater; they are boarding a phantom train to an alternate reality. This is the home of "Bazaar Bizarre," the latest immersive, site-specific production from Strange Loop Projects. Here, the boundaries between performer and observer dissolve, replaced by a dark, atmospheric journey that blends the grit of industrial soundscapes with the polished precision of ballet-infused burlesque.
As the city of Minneapolis looks to reinvigorate its commercial corridors, Strange Loop Projects has emerged as a beacon of creative resilience. By leveraging municipal support and a deep-seated history in the local dance scene, founder Zhauna Franks is transforming a vacant space into a crucible for avant-garde performance, proving that even in a post-pandemic landscape, the arts can still anchor a neighborhood.
A Chronology of Artistic Return
For Zhauna Franks, the Loring Park venue is more than a commercial lease; it is a homecoming. Decades ago, the building served as the creative headquarters for the legendary contemporary dance company, Ballet of the Dolls. Under the visionary leadership of artistic director Myron Johnson, the company pushed the boundaries of Midwestern performance art, famously blending satire, technical prowess, and a healthy dose of irreverence.
Franks spent years as a core member of that ensemble, famously inhabiting the role of Barbie in Johnson’s subversive "Nutcracker (not so) Suite." "It’s wild," Franks reflects on her return to the space. "I walk through the same door I used for years when we occupied two floors here. To come back to the same block, knowing what this building once meant to the city’s arts scene, is surreal."
The trajectory of the neighborhood, however, has been one of flux. In the early 2000s, the Loring Park area became a victim of its own success. As arts activity surged, the neighborhood became increasingly desirable, leading to a rise in commercial rents that eventually pushed the Ballet of the Dolls—and many of their peers—to move to Northeast Minneapolis in 2006. In the years that followed, the area grew quieter, losing some of the bohemian energy that had defined its mid-aughts peak. Now, through programs designed to fill vacant storefronts, the cycle is beginning anew, with artists returning to the very streets that once nurtured them.
The Mechanics of Immersion: Inside "Bazaar Bizarre"
"Bazaar Bizarre," which premiered in a nascent form last Halloween, has evolved from a simple event into a sophisticated, multi-room theatrical journey. This year’s iteration, which runs through the end of October, abandons the passive "sit-and-watch" model of traditional theater. Instead, audience members are divided into two distinct tracks upon entry, assigned by color-coded cards.
Guided by conductors—dancers such as Stephanie Fellner Grey and Franks herself, each brandishing a parasol—patrons are led through a labyrinthine environment. The narrative, if it can be called that, is fluid and non-linear. One track might lead an audience member into a long-form aerial duet, while the other group encounters the same dancers in a fleeting, haunting silhouette.
The aesthetic is unmistakably steampunk: robotic clowns, the rhythmic "clack-clack" of industrial machinery, and the sharp, elegant lines of dancers performing burlesque-inspired choreography. The sonic world, crafted by Daron Walker, is a disorienting blend of noise music, carnival melodies, and period-specific jazz, which serves to heighten the tension. When coupled with Mike Grogan’s saturated lighting and Josh Sundby’s textured video projections, the effect is hypnotic. The two groups of audience members converge and diverge throughout the night, ensuring that no two attendees experience the same show.
Supporting Data: The Economics of Creativity
The existence of this ambitious project is largely due to the City of Minneapolis’ "Vibrant Storefronts" program. For an independent artist like Franks, the hurdles to securing a space are rarely just about finding a landlord willing to sign a lease; they are about capital and bureaucracy.
"Whenever I do something, it’s a big project," Franks notes. "Finding a space to work out of is complicated. If I want to make something truly immersive, I need the space for months to build out sets, rehearse, and calibrate the lighting. Most commercial landlords aren’t interested in that kind of timeline."
The Vibrant Storefronts initiative provides $50,000 a year toward rent for a two-year term, with the possibility of a two-year extension. For Strange Loop Projects, this subsidy covers roughly 95% of the rent, an essential lifeline that allows the company to direct its limited budget toward production values rather than overhead.
However, the financial assistance is only one half of the equation. Franks highlights the "red tape" involved in professionalizing a venue as a significant barrier. From securing a theater license in March to navigating the complexities of a wine and beer permit—which didn’t arrive until September—the transition from artist to venue operator has been a grueling lesson in municipal administration. These licenses are not just administrative checkboxes; they are the bedrock of the venue’s financial sustainability. With a capacity of just 60 to 80 people, the margins are razor-thin, and the income generated from beverage sales is a vital component of the theater’s ongoing survival.
Official Perspectives and Community Impact
The mission of Strange Loop Projects extends beyond "Bazaar Bizarre." The venue also hosts "Fresh Baked," a rigorous 24-hour choreographers’ challenge that forces creators to build work under extreme time constraints. Currently occurring every two months, the series is slated to move to a quarterly schedule in the coming year, reflecting a shift toward long-term sustainability rather than constant, high-burnout output.
Looking ahead, Franks is preparing for a new project titled "Swan Song Studies." Developed alongside Stephanie Fellner Grey, the piece is a reimagining of a work they debuted seven years ago at the Art Box in South Minneapolis. While the original was a meditation on the end of a career and the bittersweet nature of looking back at a life in art, the new version will be an immersive, full-scale production.
When asked about the future of the venue, Franks is both optimistic and pragmatic. "I think this program helps us a lot," she says, referring to the city’s rent subsidy. "But after that, it’s up to the people. If they want dance to thrive in this community, they have to show up."
Implications for the Minneapolis Arts Scene
The case of Strange Loop Projects provides a blueprint for how cities can combat the "hollowing out" of urban neighborhoods. By incentivizing artists to occupy storefronts, the city is not just providing low-cost space; it is cultivating a destination.
The implication here is clear: the survival of the arts requires a symbiotic relationship between municipal policy and the creative class. While grants and subsidies are essential, the "vibrancy" the city seeks to restore is ultimately produced by the human element—the audience. The success of "Bazaar Bizarre" proves that there is an appetite for high-concept, challenging, and intimate art in Minneapolis.
However, the "priced-out" phenomenon that Franks remembers from 2006 remains a cautionary tale. As these neighborhoods become "cool" again, the risk of escalating rents and displacement persists. For the moment, the Loring Park storefront is a thriving anomaly—a space where industrial sounds meet the echoes of the past, and where a veteran of the Minneapolis dance scene is working to ensure that the city’s future is as bold as its history.
“Bazaar Bizarre” concludes its run with performances on Friday, Oct. 30, and Saturday, Oct. 31, at 8:00 p.m. The Saturday finale will feature a post-show Halloween DJ dance party. Tickets and information regarding the season are available at the Strange Loop Projects website.
