SHRINK / we all need one

SHRINK/we all need one, an original & witty rock musical about a therapist helping her clients—and herself—navigate the beautiful mess of everyday life. Written by Sophia Pimsler (who’s also a shrink) and set inside a counseling clinic, clients and their therapist reveal how even the most profound lived experiences challenge the myths surrounding mental health.

The rock musical features an original score by Twin Cities musician, songwriter, and pioneering transgender rock artist Venus de Mars, with additional music and lyrics by Sophia Pimsler. SHRINK is a rich theatrical soundscape that weaves storytelling, ensemble singing, and dance into an immersive experience.

Building on its successful 2024 premiere, this new production of SHRINK / we all need one expands and deepens the work with newly created choreography, an enriched rock musical score, and refined storytelling, creating an even more immersive and emotionally resonant theatrical experience. No quick fixes. Just song, dance, & bad coffee.

The production features a dynamic cast of acclaimed Twin Cities music, theater, and dance artists, including Suzanne Costello, Brian J. Evans, Maurice Fields, Tyler Jay, Chris Jimmy, Brenna Mosser, and Molly Stoltz.

SHRINK/ we all need one is supported by the Minnesota State Arts Board through the Creative Individuals Art Grant and the Rimon Foundation through Stuart Pimsler Dance & Theater.

Unable to attend but want to still support mental health & the arts?

Are you in the field of Mental Health? Want to promote your services with our production while supporting the arts? https://givebutter.com/untitled-campaign-dzhaod

Sophia “Sophie” Pimsler (she/her) is a choreographer, playwright, performer, jeweler & shrink. Oy! She realizes that’s a suspicious amount of careers.

Sophia has performed with Contempo Physical Dance (MN), April Sellers Dance Collective (MN), Analog Dance Works (MN), Borealis Dance (MN), GloATL (GA), Life/Art Dance (CO), and Stuart Pimsler Dance & Theater (SPDT). She has collaborated with SPDT for many years as a performer, choreographer, and project assistant. Her choreography has been commissioned by Threads Dance Project, SPDT, Alternative Motion Project, Borealis Dance Theatre, Shoot The Glass Theater’s production of Spring Awakening, PiM Arts High School, and The Phipps Center for the Arts (WI).

A practicing mental health therapist with more than a decade of clinical experience, Pimsler holds an M.A. in Marriage and Family Therapy and a Graduate Certificate in Sex Therapy. She is a therapist and clinical supervisor at Therapist Cooperative Practice and presents continuing education courses.

When she’s not in a rehearsal studio or therapy office, she’s probably making jewelry. As the owner of MerMade Jewelry, Sophia has turned her obsession with mermaids into a socially acceptable career. Follow @mermadeinmn.

Venus de Mars (she/her) is a multidisciplinary artist, musician, songwriter, and frontwoman of the pioneering Minneapolis glam-punk transgender rock band Venus de Mars & All the Pretty Horses. She is also the subject of the acclaimed documentary Venus of Mars, which chronicles her life, artistry, and journey as a transgender musician.

Venus came out as transgender in 1988, at a time when openly embracing her identity meant confronting profound societal stigma and exclusion. Rather than living in the shadows, she forged her own artistic path, creating work that celebrates individuality while challenging expectations. She is currently writing a memoir reflecting on her decades-long journey as a transgender artist and her place in today’s rapidly evolving cultural landscape, where visibility, acceptance, and backlash continue to coexist.

Duration: 2hrs with one intermission.
If you are unable to make your performance, contact the box office to exchange your tickets to another performance.

If cost is a barrier, please email [email protected]. Limited complimentary tickets are available to the community, as our commitment to making art accessible.

SHRINK addresses topics of abuse, racial violence and includes brief discussions of sex. The performance also contains strong language. We trust caretakers to make the best choice and no one will be turned away.