zAmya Theater Project proudly presents DisPlace: A North Loop Fantasy Quest by Elle Thoni and the Cast, an original production that blends real-world housing issues with fantasy role-playing adventure. Created in partnership with the North Loop Neighborhood Association and Avivo Village.

DisPlace debuted at the Luminary Arts Center in Minneapolis, March 13-16, 2025. View the full online program.

About the Play

Hear ye, hear ye! His honorable Lord Sunshine hereby invites you to the first official Festival of DisPlacement, celebrating the triumph over poverty in the Kingdom’s Northern Loop! Rest assured, there is absolutely no chance whatsoever that you will run into any wayward heroes or formidable monsters on your way to Archer’s Arena – which is definitely not Target Field. However, please be advised that you may want to keep your sword on you… you know… just in case.

North Loop condo residents and Avivo Village emergency shelter guests join together on an epic fantasy quest for housing justice in Minneapolis. Inspired by the high-energy imagination of tabletop roleplaying games.

Through audience participation, and immersive storytelling, DisPlace challenges audiences members to think about how we can come together as a community to create housing justice.

Dungeons & Dragons? Roleplaying games?
This play is inspired by Dungeons & Dragons! D&D is a tabletop role-playing game where players create characters and embark on adventures in a fantasy world guided by a Dungeon Master (DM). The game blends storytelling, strategy, and improvisation, with players making decisions that shape the narrative. Actions are determined by rolling dice, primarily a 20-sided die (d20), and using character abilities. D&D encourages creativity, teamwork, and problem-solving, making it a beloved game among fantasy enthusiasts!

About the project behind the play

The North Loop is a unique neighborhood, home to both upscale condos and rentals and higher-income residents, and several organizations sheltering low income residents in need of housing. Recently there has been acute conflict over a homeless encampment.

zAmya, North Loop Neighborhood Association and Avivo have joined forces to create the joint project, Neighbors Being Neighbors In the North Loop, which aims to establish a shared vision in the North Loop of what needs to happen for all community members to feel safe, have shelter, and ensure support for the most vulnerable. 

One special outcome of the project will be a new play - made by, with and for - North Loop community members across the housing spectrum. This original play will debut in 2025 and  weave true experiences with unsheltered homelessness into a fictional narrative, inspiring neighbors to dream up solutions to end homelessness. 

Our deepest hope is this process galvanizes a neighborhood coalition to work together in an ongoing fashion, to address future concerns regarding homelessness/housing.

Project Timeline

2025 DisPlace made its premiere in March at the Luminary Arts Center, performed by zAmya Theater Project Troupe Members and residents of Avivo Village.

2024 collaborators developed the final script and music for DisPlace, hosted community engagement events, and gave sneak peek performances.

Spring 2023, we “shared back” an original script at Avivo Village based on the conversations and ideas shared during the listening sessions. The play reading included zAmya Troupe Members and residents of Avivo Village.

Fall 2022, North Loopers attended “listening sessions”. These interactive workshops promoted deep sharing, dialogue and listening. Stories were collected to create the first draft of a new play about the North Loop, reflecting perspectives from community members of all housing experiences.

Summer 2022, zAmya performs Second Chance at Target Field Station Amphitheater as a starting off point for the project. Community members from diverse backgrounds came together for a fun, elevating event focused on homelessness.

partners

The North Loop Neighborhood Association (NLNA) is an organization consisting of residents, property owners, and business owners of the North Loop Neighborhood. They strive to foster a strong community rich in diversity of ideas, talents, people and property, promoting a climate of safety, livability, and improvement through public neighborhood meetings, communication and advocacy.

Avivo serves more than 11,000 individuals each year helping them find housing stability, achieve recovery, and secure employment and economic advancement. Serving Minnesota since 1960, they specialize in helping individuals and families who face complex barriers – homelessness, chemical addiction or mental health concerns, poverty, or unemployment. Avivo’s holistic approach to providing shelter and housing supports, chemical and mental health services, career education, and employment services embraces each person’s unique journey. Avivo's paired services lay a foundation of health, and social and economic wellness, that transforms lives. Included in Avivo’s services is Avivo Village, an indoor community of 100 secure, private dwellings or “tiny houses” located in North Loop, providing shelter and wraparound services.

zAmya’s contribution to the partnership is experience in designing and facilitating art based, community building processes that bring together neighbors with a variety of housing experiences and result in creative solutions and increased compassion. 

Audience Response

"[DisPlace] presented people experiencing homelessness as having dignity, beauty, humor, ingenuity and flaws just like all of us."

"It can be hard to access stories of houselessness, and you all are amplifying them so beautifully! Thank you! I'm so glad for the spaces where barriers get broken down across difference - especially around questions of housing stability. This conversation is precious in times like these."

"This show is a reminder that we are stronger together, and we ALL must come together to fight the systems and people that benefit from the harm of others."

"The playfulness, humor, talent and joy of the people in the production was infectious- their ability to not only inform, but also entertain was impressive!"

"Through the medium of a play and through D&D, these amazing actors were able to share real stories, histories, current realities, policies, morals, lessons, experiences etc. in a way that felt extremely educational while keeping the heart and human centered. I wish everyone I know could see this show!"

"Amazing cast, fabulous show! Very important to hear the voices of unhoused folks. Our street outreach staff really enjoyed it."

"The most fun I've had at a stage production since Les Mis on Broadway."

Features and Spotlights

North Loop Neighborhood Association, “Famous Actor Directing New North Loop Play Featuring Unhoused Actors”

Mpls.St.Paul Magazine, “Dungeons, Dragons, and Housing Justice”