Twin Cities theatre company creates space for older talent often overlooked by industry

In a city filled with stages, two women saw a glaring absence and turned it into a powerful presence.

When Alison Edwards and Shelli Place launched PRIME Productions in 2016, it started with a simple but urgent idea.

"There were about 60 theatres in town at that time. Out of all of those, there were five roles for women over 50. Five. We just said something's got to be done," Place, co-artistic director for PRIME Productions, said.

They did it, creating a theatre company where older women don't play background roles, they lead.

"To ultimately contribute to the culture and the narrative about women over 50, because they tend to be invisible," Edwards, co-artistic director for PRIME Productions, said.

"We like doing big themes. You're not going to see three mature women in a retirement