The organization formerly known as the Myswyken Theater Company has changed its name to the Red Brick Theater Company. Red Brick is one of the younger theater organizations on campus, founded in 2017. The name change was intended to address the continued longevity of the company.
Red Brick member Jacob Thompson ’24, in an interview about the name change, said “Myswyken, as a name, genuinely meant nothing. It was just a combination of the names of all the original founders. Since none of them are with the company anymore, we figured we ought to change the name so as to give all of our newer members a stake in the company.” The new name, Red Brick, is an homage to the red bricks of the Theater Building.
Red Brick is unique in its commitment to the company model, whereby members audition for a spot in the organization and stay in the company for the rest of their time at St. Olaf. Red Brick puts on a number of shows throughout the year, including an annual Halloween scavenger hunt in October.
The company is currently busy preparing for their upcoming show “Grinch!,” an adaptation of Dr. Seuss’ “The Grinch Who Stole Christmas.” The show is a raunchier, wilder take on the classic children’s book — the poster, which stipulates that all audience members must be 18 or older, went mildly viral on twitter. “Grinch!” has been, in different forms, in development for two years. The show will happen on Tuesday Dec. 14 at 7:00 p.m. and Wednesday Dec. 15 at 3:00 p.m. in the Pause Mane Stage. Thompson, to summarize the show, said “it’s an adaptation with original content. It is a wacky ride from start to finish, you just have to go and experience it. It’s best to go in blind.”
