Michelle Hensley has had enormous influence on American theater. Even if you may not have heard her name, you know her work. As founder of Ten-Thousand Things Theater in Minneapolis, she basically invented the contemporary version of Mobile Theatre. Companies around the country have followed in her lead, including Baltimore Center Stage, The Public, The Old Globe and Theatreworks.

By taking theatre to the people—including to prisons, parks and community centers— Hensley demonstrated the necessity for an American theatre that acts as a democratizing force. She outlined her method in the 2015 book, "All the Lights On: Reimagining Theater with Ten Thousand Things," so that other theaters could learn her ethos and build to a more inclusive art form.