(he/him)

Grant Sorenson is a versatile theater artist with extensive experience as a director, actor and writer. A native of Minneapolis, Minnesota, he has spent the majority of his life working professionally in theatre, onstage and off. Grant’s work as an actor has been seen at the Guthrie Theater, Theater Latte Da, The Children’s Theatre Company, Yellow Tree Theatre, Frank Theatre, The Playwright’s Center, and many more. He received his training at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities and is a proud member of the Actors’ Equity Association. His work as a director has been seen at Arrow Theater, 7th House Theater, Theater Latté Da and Wayzata High School Theatre, where he serves as Associate Program Director. More information can be found at

Can you describe the moment when you first knew you loved theater?

“Oh, I feel like there’s a lot of them! I remember seeing Beauty and the Beast in the pre-Broadway run. That was probably the earliest show I remember seeing. Then, when I was 12 or 13, I saw a production of The Seagull and I did not understand it, but I was like, ‘Oh, I want to do this for the rest of my life!’ It was just so cool. It made me see what you can do on stage in a way I’d never seen before. It blew open all the preconceived notions about what I thought theater was.”

What advice would you give to a younger version of yourself?

“I’m super lucky because I was working professionally as a kid and my high school knew what it was doing educationally. My school produced beautiful shows and was led by a teacher that changed my life in a lot of ways, introduced me to Shakespeare and Sondheim, etc. I remember her saying to me at a rehearsal, ‘Just shut up and say the lines.’ I was acting and feeling and honestly thinking way too hard about it. That advice changed acting for me, so… do that. I know a lot doesn’t make sense right now, but you are going to be fine. Shut up and say the lines.”

What have you learned from the students you’ve worked with?

“I’ve learned to be prepared. As a director and a teacher, I have to know everything I’m trying to get them to do. You need to be intentional because they will ask you ‘why?’ and if you haven’t thought through the reasoning, they’ll know, and then you’ll have to work extra hard to win them back. They can tell if you’re faking it. So, as a director, I focus really early on in the process on research and references and vocab. It’s made me a better director and educator and performer.”

What are you looking forward to this year as a Spotlight Teaching Artist in Residence?

“I’m excited to see what’s going to happen. I know it’s sort of a new program model and I’m excited to be a part of it. I have no expectations. I want to go on the ride and just figure it out, to connect with other artists. After the pandemic, I do feel a little disconnected from artists in a lot of ways, and I can’t wait to collaborate with y’all and the other artists to dream up fun things!”