From 1994 to 2026, connection and exploration through theater
In early 1994, as Project Success was first taking root at North High School in Minneapolis, our founder and executive director, Adrienne Diercks, had an ambitious idea. She was already working with her mentor and former teacher, George Roberts, on bringing workshops into the classroom at North, and she envisioned theater as a powerful part of this work. What if the seniors at North could attend an evening at the Guthrie Theater to see Macbeth?
For Adrienne, this idea wasn’t just about art for art’s sake. It was about bringing students, their parents, and their teachers together for a shared experience that would build relationships and serve as a springboard for discussion in the facilitated workshop the next day.
As the idea started to germinate, Adrienne found an immediate ally in Sheila Livingston, then the education director at the Guthrie, who recognized the need to bring new audiences into the theater. They worked together to secure the tickets and plan the logistics of what this trip could look like.
Flyers and postcards papered senior classrooms at North High, and invitations were sent through the mail. A bus was secured to provide transportation. Adrienne called on her mom, Shirley, a well-known actor in the Twin Cities, her family, friends, and others who saw the promise of Project Success to help give rides. Some of the families attending the show also brought younger children, who Adrienne watched in the lobby.
Through it all, almost 200 students and family members attended, many who were experiencing live theater or the Guthrie for the first time. The next day, Adrienne was joined by Sheila and Garland Wright, the Guthrie’s artistic director at the time, for post-show discussions in George Robert’s classroom at North.
“The play sparked conversations about greed, and the role it plays in our lives,” reflects Adrienne today. “But now 32 years later, the feeling that still resonates with me is the power of everyone being together in that shared experience. People talked about that feeling that evening, and it was beautiful be a part of something with so many people for the first time.”
That first big Project Success trip to see Macbeth in 1994 has come full circle this month, in 2026, as we partnered with the Guthrie and seven Minneapolis high schools to bring 1,002 students and teachers to see the latest production of Macbeth at the Guthrie.
While we’ve expanded our arts experiences significantly — including enhanced curriculum and partnerships with 45 arts organizations — much of what drove the endeavor 32 years ago remains today: using art as a springboard for students to explore and connect. Our generous theater partners provide tickets, we plan through the details to anticipate and remove barriers, and we work to make a potentially new space and experience accessible and welcoming. (Patrick Pelini, an English teacher at Camden High School and a longtime collaborator, continued his tradition of stunning promotional images this year.)
As we take stock of this rich history and how it’s grown, we’re grateful to all the school teachers and leaders; the theater staff and partners; and the amazing volunteers who’ve all helped make these experiences possible through Project Success. Most of all, we thank the students who’ve joined us, exploring new places and big ideas, and connecting it all to their dreams for the future.