Apartment 2B, a striking new physical theatre mask performance told entirely without dialogue, invites audiences to peer behind the walls of a dilapidated apartment building and into the inner lives of its lonely inhabitants. Created and performed using full-faced expressive masks, this original work blends magical realism, movement, and stillness into a rich, theatrical experience.
In the apartments of a weathered building on the edge of the city, four tenants live in quiet, self-imposed isolation—side by side, yet worlds apart—each trapped within their own grief, pain, regret, and longing. In the basement, resides the building’s superintendent: a socially awkward tinkerer who recognizes their suffering and yearns to connect, but doesn’t know how. When an unexpected incident disrupts their routines, the tenants are reluctantly drawn together into a collective rescue mission—one that begins to dismantle the walls between them and awaken the fragile beginnings of community.
Created by performer and theater artist Katie Kaufmann, the piece grew out of an early exploration of a character with chronic pain, inspired in part by her personal journey with pain and the nationwide opioid crisis. Originally conceived as a solo show, the project evolved—thanks in part to a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board—into a larger ensemble-driven story that reflects a collective yearning for human connection.
The masks—silent, expressive, and heartachingly beautiful—require performers to communicate entirely through movement, gesture, and physical relationship. This unique storytelling form invites the audience to lean in, interpret, and connect the dots for themselves, resulting in a highly personal and emotional experience.
Directed by Erin Leigh Crites, the talented ensemble includes James Lekatz, Kate Tobie, Lizz Windnagel, and Kaufmann herself. The creative team features Thomas Speltz (Composition/Sound Design), Mags Scanlon (Lighting Design), and Brian Hirt (Stage Manager).
October 30-November 3 at 7:30pm
November 6-8 at 7:30pm