Last June, when George Floyd was killed and our theatres were shuttered due to the pandemic, we issued a statement that Hennepin Theatre Trust would discontinue using off-duty Minneapolis Police Department officers for part-time event security. We made this announcement in collaboration with our theatre management firm, Historic Theatre Group (HTG). 

Now, as we approach the re-opening of our stages, we have a greater understanding of the contracts our management firm holds that require a police officer to be present during events. While we do not have the authority to cancel these legal agreements, we accept responsibility for not being as careful as we should have been when we made our statement about this very serious issue. 

While we must abide by the contracts in the State, Orpheum and Pantages theatres for the time being, we will continue to use alternative public safety options at The Hennepin (the event space we manage ourselves) and at our public art events. We are exploring with HTG the possibilities of adding new options in our theatre lobbies as well. We are forming a committee of board, staff and invested community members to guide our work to improve the overall experience of artists, audiences and staff coming to the Hennepin Theatre District. We must and will do better.

Hennepin Theatre Trust is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that advances the cultural and economic vitality of Minnesota through leadership of a dynamic arts district in downtown Minneapolis and educational programming that reaches every area of the state. Our historic theatres — Orpheum, State and Pantages — light up Hennepin Avenue with the best of Broadway and diverse, top-tier entertainment. Our building at 900 Hennepin provides a creative community space for performances and other events and serves as our organization’s headquarters. Annually, the Trust serves more than 8,000 high school students statewide and brings nearly 600,000 people to the Hennepin Theatre District to experience art on the street and stage.