Theater Mu Incorporated

THEATER MU PRODUCES GREAT PERFORMANCES BORN FROM THE HEART OF THE ASIAN AMERICAN EXPERIENCE.

THEATER MU'S MISSION IS TO PRODUCE GREAT PERFORMANCES BORN OF ART, EQUITY, AND JUSTICE FROM THE HEART OF THE ASIAN AMERICAN EXPERIENCE. MU OPERATES WITH THE FOLLOWING PRIMARY ARTISTIC VALUES AND GOALS: TO GIVE VOICE AND CULTURAL PROFILE TO THE ASIAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY; TO PROVIDE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR EMERGING ASIAN AMERICAN ARTISTS; TO PROMOTE AWARENESS OF AND PROGRESSIVE ACTION ON ISSUES OF SOCIAL JUSTICE IN SOCIETY; AND TO MOVE, PROVOKE, AND CHALLENGE OUR AUDIENCES TO UNDERSTAND, EMBRACE, AND CELEBRATE DIVERSITY. MU COMMITS TO WORKING TOWARDS EQUITY AND INCLUSION TO SERVE THE DIVERSE ASIAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY. FOR THIS WORK, MU WAS NAMED ONE OF 10 MINNESOTA CULTURAL TREASURES BY THE MCKNIGHT AND FORD FOUNDATIONS THIS SEASON. IT WAS ALSO AWARDED A WALLACE FOUNDATION ARTS INITIATIVE GRANT. THE 2021-2022 SEASON WAS TITLED "SEEING OURSELVES," INSPIRED BY THE LATE PHOTOGRAPHER CORKY LEE WHO DOCUMENTED ASIAN AMERICAN HISTORY SO THAT FUTURE GENERATIONS COULD LOOK BACK AND REFLECT ON WHO THEY ARE AND WHERE THEY'VE COME FROM. DURING THESE CHALLENGING DAYS FOR THE ASIAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY, MU FEELS THE URGENCY OF "SEEING OURSELVES" NOW MORE THAN EVER. HATE MANIFESTS IN THE WORLD WHEN PEOPLE DO NOT HEAR A COMMUNITY'S STORIES. MU KNOWS THAT THE MORE IT UPLIFTS AAPI STORIES, THE MORE THE COMMUNITY IS A PART OF THE NARRATIVE OF AMERICA. MU TAKES THAT RESPONSIBILITY SERIOUSLY AND BELIEVES THE KEY TO UNIVERSALITY IS SPECIFICITY. THE ASIAN AMERICAN CHARACTERS MU CHAMPIONS ARE FULL, REAL, AND COMPLICATED, AND ONLY THEN CAN WE INSPIRE TRUE EMPATHY AND UNDERSTANDING. FROM ANGER TO JOY TO DISILLUSIONMENT, FROM TRAGEDY TO LOVE TO HOPE, THE SEASON EMBODIED THE FULLNESS OF HUMAN EXPERIENCE THROUGH ASIAN AMERICAN STORYTELLING. THIS WAS ALSO THE SEASON MU TRANSITIONED FROM VIRTUAL PROGRAMMING TO RETURNING TO THEATER IN PERSON. THE COMPANY OPENED THIS SEASON WITH THREE VIRTUAL PROGRAMS. FIRST MU EMBRACED THE FALL SEASON WITH YOU SHALL HEAR ME: STORIES FROM BEYOND, PRODUCED IN COLLABORATION WITH THEATER 45, AND FEATURING WRITERS ERIC SHARP, KATIE HAE LEO, ISABELLA DAWIS, AND BAO PHI. NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART, THE FOUR-EPISODE AUDIO SERIES DELVED INTO THEMES OF RIGHTEOUS ANGER AND RETRIBUTION AND INCLUDED TALES OF ANGRY GHOSTS, UNDERDOGS WITH MYSTERIOUS POWERS, A POST-APOCALYPTIC LOVE STORY, ACCURSED SOLDIERS, AND A MAGICAL TALKING HORSE. NEXT CAME THE 2ND TWENTY-PHO HOUR PLAYFEST - MU'S ONE-DAY EVENT THAT GIVES AAPI PLAYWRIGHTS, DIRECTORS, AND ACTORS ONLY 24 HOURS TO WRITE, REHEARSE, AND PRESENT SIX 10-MINUTE PLAYS FOR A LIVE AUDIENCE. THIS VIRTUAL PLATFORM ALLOWED MU TO WORK WITH A NATIONAL POOL OF ARTISTS THAT WOULD HAVE OTHERWISE BEEN INACCESSIBLE. IT EMPLOYED 30 ARTISTS FROM FOUR DIFFERENT TIME ZONES AND ALLOWED THEM THE FREEDOM TO CREATE AND TELL BOTH FUNNY AND HEARTFELT NARRATIVES THAT AMPLIFIED THE INTERSECTIONALITY OF AMERICA'S DIVERSE AAPI COMMUNITIES. MU'S FINAL VIRTUAL PROGRAM WAS SCENES FROM THE MU TANG CLAN. MU'S PLAYWRIGHTS' INCUBATOR, THE MU TANG CLAN, LED BY MELLON FOUNDATION PLAYWRIGHT-IN-RESIDENCE SAYMOUKDA VONGSAY, SHARED SCENES OF THE PLAYS THEY HAD BEEN WORKING ON THROUGHOUT THE SEASON. AUDIENCES MET VIGILANTE HMONG VAMPIRES, NAZI HUNTERS, A TAXI DEMON, SNAKE GODS, AND MORE, VIDEO-STREAMED FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY. AT THE START OF 2022, MU PRODUCED ITS FIRST IN-PERSON PRODUCTION IN TWO YEARS, ANNA MOENCH'S MAN OF GOD, STAGED AT MIXED BLOOD THEATRE. BILLED AS A "FUNNY FEMINIST THRILLER," THE PLAY FOLLOWS FOUR TEENAGE KOREAN-AMERICAN GIRLS ON A MISSIONARY TRIP TO BANGKOK. IN THEIR HOTEL ROOM, THEY DISCOVER THAT THEIR CHURCH PASTOR IS WATCHING THEM THROUGH A HIDDEN VIDEO CAMERA INSTALLED IN THE BATHROOM. THEIR COMMUNAL RAGE AND DISILLUSIONMENT FUEL VIOLENT REVENGE FANTASIES AMID THE NEON BUBBLEGUM SEX-TOURISM EPICENTER OF BANGKOK. MAN OF GOD FOCUSES ON THE ME-TOO REVOLUTION AS IT DELVES INTO THE CONTROVERSIAL TOPICS OF SEX SCANDALS AND THE CHURCH. THE PRODUCTION WAS A CRITICAL AND AUDIENCE FAVORITE. AS ONE AUDIENCE MEMBER SHARED, "THIS MIGHT BE THE BEST SHOW I'VE EVER SEEN. GUT-WRENCHING, POWERFUL, OFTEN HILARIOUS AND REAL IN A WAY THAT MANY STORIES ABOUT SIMILAR SUBJECTS FAIL TO BE. WALKED OUT THINKING, 'GOD, THIS IS WHY I LOVE LIVE THEATRE.'" SIMILARLY, THE REVIEWS WERE POSITIVE, WITH ONE READING, "WHAT MAKES THE PLAYWHAT LINGERED WITH ME FOR DAYS AFTER THE PERFORMANCEWAS THE SILENCE. IT SHOWS EVERY PART OF THE PRODUCTION IS WORKING. THE ACTORS SO PERFECTLY EMBODY THE TENSION OF THE MOMENT THAT I FELT DRAWN IN AS A CO-CONSPIRATOR." IN SPRING OF 2022, MU WAS ALSO ABLE TO BRING ITS LONGEST RUNNING TRADITION THE NEW EYES FESTIVAL BACK TO IN-PERSON AUDIENCES. THIS SERIES OF STAGED READINGS OF NEW WORKS FROM ASIAN AMERICAN PLAYWRIGHTS INCLUDED MU'S JEROME FOUNDATION FELLOW KATIE KA VANG AND MELISSA LI'S NEW MUSICAL AGAIN, ABOUT TWO HMONG AMERICAN WOMEN'S JOURNEY THROUGH CANCER; SAYMOUKDA VONGSAY'S KUNG FU ZOMBIES VS. SHAMAN WARRIOR, THE PREQUEL TO HER HIT 2013 SHOW KUNG FU ZOMBIES VS CANNIBALS; AND MU TANG CLAN PLAYWRIGHT KEIKO GREEN'S EXOTIC DEADLY: OR THE MSG PLAY. THE FIRST TWO PLAYS WILL BE PART OF MU'S 2022-2023 MAINSTAGE SEASON. FINALLY, MU'S 2021-22 SEASON CLOSED WITH LAUREN YEE'S MAGNIFICENT PART-PLAY, PART-ROCK CONCERT CAMBODIAN ROCK BAND (CRB). IN THIS PLAY, CO-PRODUCED WITH THE JUNGLE THEATER, A KHMER ROUGE SURVIVOR RETURNS TO CAMBODIA FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 30 YEARS AS HIS DAUGHTER PREPARES TO PROSECUTE ONE OF CAMBODIA'S MOST INFAMOUS WAR CRIMINALS. BACKED BY A LIVE BAND PLAYING CONTEMPORARY DENGUE FEVER HITS AND CLASSIC CAMBODIAN OLDIES, THIS THRILLING STORY TOGGLES BACK AND FORTH IN TIME AS FATHER AND DAUGHTER FACE THE MUSIC OF THE PAST. THIS PIECE ABOUT INTERGENERATIONAL WAR TRAUMA IS SO BRILLIANT IN THAT IT BRINGS BOTH JOY AND TRAGEDY, GRIEF AND RESILIENCE. AND MU'S PRODUCTION ALLOWED THE LOCAL KHMER COMMUNITY TO SEE THEIR STORIES TOLD ON STAGE. THE STAR TRIBUNE CALLED CAMBODIAN ROCK BAND "A GRIPPING THEATER MU PRODUCTIONFIVE OF THE SIX ACTORS PLAY INSTRUMENTS, NIMBLY ALTERNATING BETWEEN AFFECTING DRAMA AND HAUNTING ROCK 'N' ROLL IN THIS SUMMER MUST-SEE." DURING THE CRB RUN, MU ALSO PRODUCED SELAPAK: A CELEBRATION OF KHMER ARTISTRY. THE FREE EVENT FEATURED THE WATTANAK DANCE TROUPE, POET PEUO TUY, AND MU ACTING FELLOW DERYCK HAK IN HIS ONE-PERSON PLAY BETWEEN. MU WILL CONTINUALLY STRIVE TO CREATE INNOVATIVE, IMPACTFUL, AND HIGH-QUALITY WORK IN ITS FUTURE MAINSTAGE PROGRAMMING. THROUGH FUNDING FROM THE JEROME FOUNDATION, MU IS CONTINUING ITS ONGOING COMMISSIONING PROJECTS WITH THE 2022-23 WORLD PREMIERE OF AGAIN AND THE 2023-24 PREMIERE OF PLAYWRIGHT JESSICA HUANG'S NEW MUSICAL THE KIM LOO SISTERS, ABOUT THE REAL-LIFE MINNESOTA SISTERS WHO TOOK THE AMERICAN CABARET CIRCUIT BY STORM IN THE 1930S. MU ALSO SUPPORTED THE WORK OF BOTH ESTABLISHED PLAYWRIGHTS AND EMERGING WRITERS, THROUGH ITS PLAYWRIGHT COHORTS MU TANG CLAN AND MU EMERGING PLAYWRIGHTS' CIRCLE, RESPECTIVELY. AND THROUGH THE MELLON FOUNDATION NEW PLAY RESIDENCY PROGRAM, IT SUPPORTS VONGSAY'S PLAYWRITING CAREER AND WILL BE PRODUCING THE WORLD PREMIERE OF HER KUNG FU ZOMBIES SAGA NEXT YEAR. MU IS ALSO COMMITTED TO TRAINING THE NEXT GENERATION OF ASIAN AMERICAN ARTISTS. IN ADDITION TO CREATING A SPACE WHERE EARLY CAREER ASIAN AMERICAN ARTISTS CONTINUE TO TRAIN AND HONE THEIR SKILLS THROUGH THE MU TRAINING INSTITUTE, MU OFFERS ARTISTS ON-THE-JOB TRAINING IN THE FORM OF PRODUCTION ASSISTANTSHIPS AND FELLOWSHIPS IN MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTSACTING, DIRECTION, DRAMATURGY, DESIGN, AND STAGE MANAGEMENT. THEATER MU'S ENGAGEMENT STRATEGY BEGINS WITH ITS THOUGHTFUL SEASON SELECTION OF DIVERSE ASIAN AMERICAN PLAYS. FROM THERE, IT WORKS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY TO EDUCATE, DEVELOP RELATIONSHIPS, IDENTIFY AND ELIMINATE BARRIERS, AND DEEPLY ENGAGE. THE COMPANY STRUCTURES THIS ENGAGEMENT AROUND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS DESIGNED FOR THE ASIAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY TO SEE THEMSELVES AND PARTICIPATE IN MU'S STORYTELLING, AS WELL AS PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMS, DESIGNED TO INTRODUCE MU'S WORK TO THE LARGER TWIN CITIES COMMUNITY IN A VARIETY OF SETTINGS. EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING INCLUDES: - MU EXPLORATIONS SUMMER CAMP. EACH SUMMER MU HOLDS A MULTIPLE-WEEK THEATER INTENSIVE FOR STUDENTS ENTERING GRADES 6-12. PARTICIPANTS HONE PERFORMANCE SKILLS WITH PROFESSIONAL ASIAN AMERICAN THEATER EDUCATORS, AND CREATE SHOWCASES AND PERFORMANCES FOR FAMILY AND FRIENDS. FOR MANY PARTICIPANTS, IT WAS THE FIRST TIME THEY COULD SEE A PLACE FOR THEMSELVES IN AMERICAN THEATER, LEARNING ABOUT AND CREATING ART IN AN AAPI AFFINITY SPACE. - THE REMIX. THEATER MU INTRODUCED A NEW SERIES INTO ITS YOUTH EDUCATION CURRICULUM TO GUIDE DISCUSSIONS AROUND ASIAN AMERICAN THEATER, HISTORY, AND IDENTITY, AND CONNECT STUDENTS TO THE LEGACY OF VARIOUS ASIAN AMERICAN ARTISTS. EACH VIDEO IN THIS FOUR-PART SERIES ILLUSTRATES A FRESH PERSPECTIVE ON A PIONEERING ARTIST, CULTURAL PHENOMENON, OR MOMENT IN ASIAN AMERICAN HISTORY.