Michael Sommers has worked in the Theatre Arts for forty years as a director, designer, playwright, composer, performer, puppeteer, builder and scenic painter. He co-founded Open Eye Figure Theatre in 2000 and in 2008 opened the doors to a permanent venue in south Minneapolis, where he created over forty original works for the Open Eye stage. He is a Professor Emeritus of the Department of Theatre at the University of Minnesota and the recipient of numerous grants and awards.