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Sonja Parks gives notes to actor Ansa Akyea during a rehearsal of "Othello."

Sonja Parks has a solid reputation as an accomplished actor in the Twin Cities. In just the past year she performed the one-woman show "No Child" at Pillsbury House Theater (for which she won an Ivey Award) and starred in "I Have Before Me a Remarkable Document Given to Me by a Young Lady From Rwanda" at Park Square Theatre.

But Parks has decided that simply acting is not enough for her; she wants to direct. I caught up with Parks at a rehearsal for "

" which she's co-directing with Ten Thousand Things' Artistic Director Michelle Hensley. Parks doesn't mince words when she talks about the trade-offs between acting and directing:

Parks says she's committed to a collaborative style of directing in which actors have a voice not just on stage, but in rehearsal.  Parks obviously isn't afraid of a challenge, taking on a Shakespeare classic as one of her first projects. She says she loves "Othello," in part because it "pushes my buttons."

Even from just attending an hour of rehearsal, it's evident that this is a different "Othello" from stagings I'm familiar with. The Desdemona of this production fights back. The jealousy is not artful - it's real and painful. Michelle Hensley credits Parks with bringing that element to the show.

Othello co-directors Michelle Hensley and Sonja Parks

Parks adds, "This production is not a glorification of any one society or culture.  It touches, rather, on the baggage we all carry around, no matter what our culture.  The white characters aren't the kindest and the purest and neither are the blacks.  I'm interested in what motivates our actions as human beings and then what labels we put on that."

Parks says directing for her is about growing as a person, and taking on new challenges. And with this production she'll certainly find out what audiences think of her work.

Ten Thousand Things Theater Company performs primarily for people who wouldn't otherwise get a chance to see theater, bringing plays to homeless shelters, prisons and other places that serve the disenfranchised. That often means that if they don't like the show, attendees will get up and walk out, or start talking to the person sitting next to them.

 runs October 14 through November 15 at various locations, including public performances at Open Book and the Minnesota Opera Center.

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Marianne Combs

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Sonja Parks has a strong reputation for her acting on Twin Cities stages. But her eyes are set on directing, and she's taking on a Shakespeare classic.

Making the leap from actor to director

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