New Website Gives Every Twin Cities Theater Equal Billing — For Free

MINNEAPOLIS, MN — March 2026

A new website aims to change how Twin Cities audiences find live theater. 79seconds.org is a free performing arts guide that automatically discovers and publishes what's playing across Minneapolis–St. Paul — without theaters having to lift a finger.

The site currently tracks 28 theater companies and more than 75 current and upcoming productions, from the Guthrie to storefront companies staging work in basements and bars. Every organization gets the same treatment: same card, same placement, same visibility. No advertising, no featured listings, no pay to play.

“The performing arts don't have a quality problem — they have a discovery problem,” said Ross Phernetton, the site's founder and editor. “A five-person company doing extraordinary work in a church basement shouldn't have to outspend the Guthrie to be found. We just put everything in one place and let the art speak for itself.”

How It Works

The site uses automated scrapers that visit each theater's website daily, pulling in show titles, dates, descriptions, images, and ticket links. The data is normalized and published to a clean, mobile-friendly interface with no login required.

A weekly email newsletter — available for as little as $1/month — delivers the full lineup every Sunday. Subscriber support is the site's only revenue source. There are no ads, no sponsorships, and no fees for theaters to be listed.

Why “79 Seconds”?

In the winter of 1963, the Mona Lisa came to America for the first time. Crowds stretched for blocks outside the Met. When organizers realized thousands of people in line wouldn't get in before the painting left, they divided the remaining time by the number of visitors — and gave everyone exactly 79 seconds.

That's the idea here: equal access. Not everyone can afford a billboard or a PR firm, but every company deserves to be found.

Currently Featured Companies

The site tracks productions from Guthrie Theater, Theater Latté Da, History Theatre, Penumbra Theatre, Park Square Theatre, Mixed Blood Theatre, Yellow Tree Theatre, Open Eye Theatre, Pillsbury House + Theatre, Ten Thousand Things, Theater in the Round, Frank Theatre, Combustible Company, Illusion Theater, Minnesota Shakespeare Theater, Theatre 55, Theatre Pro Rata, Gremlin Theatre, Theater Mu, The Moving Company, New Native Theatre, Stages Theatre Company, Walking Shadow Theatre Company, and others — with more added regularly.