Fanning the Flame

Take 15,000 members of the international media, 2,500 Republican delegates, and a few thousand protesters in what is shaping up to be an incendiary election year—and you’ve got yourself a natural powder keg. What does Ivey Awards creator and local theater maven Scott Mayer want to do with it? He wants to add the spark.

“There has never been a time, and may never again be an opportunity, to reach this many spectacular influencers,” Mayer explains. His plan is simple: As the world comes to Minneapolis–St. Paul on the eve of the Republican National Convention, Mayer and his six-person team are bringing the Twin Cities’ art scene to the world in one twenty-four-hour blitz of music, theater, fashion, art, and more.

“It occurred to me that we needed more than a two-hour theater performance to get the message out,” Mayer says, adding that while he initially focused on showcasing the theater community, when he heard there was no large-scale arts message being developed he decided the event needed to encompass all art forms. “The delegates, media, even the protesters, will be busy during the convention, so our goal is to immerse them beforehand and convince them to come back and check us out.”

The event is called “spark24,” and when Mayer says it will be twenty-four hours of arts entertainment, he’s not kidding. Though the complete schedule wasn’t finalized by presstime, the kickoff is set for Peavey Plaza at 5 p.m., August 30, and will feature a welcome from the History Theatre, followed by performances from the Minnesota Opera, Arena Dances, VocalEssence, and others. For the night owls, bands such as The Alarmists, Chris Koza, and White Light Riot play Orchestra Hall from bar close until dawn. Though the main events are at Peavey Plaza and Orchestra Hall, more than sixty venues—including bars, restaurants, hotels, and the usual arts standbys—will present spark24-sponsored performances during the twenty-four-hour period.

It is, to say the least, a monumental undertaking, so Mayer assembled an all-star committee to fuel spark24, including Mitch Kelly, Nicolle Toth, Dana Munson, Jennifer Lueck, Jennifer Guarino, and Erin Harney, who were chosen simply because “they know what they’re doing.” Which is key, considering that nothing like this has been done before—at least not in these cities. According to Mayer, however, participating organizations embraced this unique chance to highlight the Minnesota arts scene on the eve of our state’s moment in the sun.

“They immediately recognized the event’s potential to bring people back to the area after the convention,” Mayer says, adding that the committee’s only disappointment was that the city failed to extend the temporary 4 a.m. bar hours to Saturday night. But booze or no booze, seeing The New Congress playing Orchestra Hall at 3 a.m. should be surreal enough.

As for just who might be watching at 3 a.m., Mayer isn’t as concerned. He says this is the first event he’s produced where he hasn’t had to worry about the number of bodies in the seats—and is instead able to focus on the quality of the product being presented.

“We want to make sure we have the quality to match the quantity,” Mayer says, referring to the delegates and international media who could be watching. And if they’re not? “I tell performers that even if you are playing to one person, if that one person is the head of Sony records, then it was probably time well spent.”

But even if you’re not a member of the international media or a record company mogul, Mayer and crew still want to see you there, for they hope the event draws as many local visitors as it does international. After all, he points out, we’re all in this together.

“This is really our time to put our best foot forward and show the world what we are about,” Mayer says. “Show them that this is a community to come back and visit.”