Wonderlust Productions

WONDERLUST PRODUCTIONS ACTIVATES IMAGINATION AND ILLUMINATES COMMUNITY STORIES TO CREATE A MORE INCLUSIVE WORLD. WE ARE A MULTICULTURAL, MULTIDISCIPLINARY ENSEMBLE OF PROFESSIONAL ARTISTS THAT COLLABORATES DIRECTLY WITH DIVERSE LOCAL COMMUNITIES - THOSE WHO ARE ESSENTIAL TO SOCIETY BUT WHOS STORIES ARE OFTEN IGNORED OR MISUNDERSTOOD - TO FORGE NEW WAYS OF SEEING OUR COMMON EXPERIENCES BY CREATING NEW ART THAT TRANSFORMS THE PAST INTO A BETTER FUTURE.

WE REMAINED CONNECTED WITH THE ENORMOUS COMMUNITY OF FOLKS IN AND IMPACTED BY MINNESOTA'S INCARCERATION SYSTEM, WITH WHOM WE WERE ABOUT TO PRODUCE AN EPIC PLAY WHEN THE PANDEMIC HIT, BY PRODUCING A SERIES OF ONLINE VIDEOS FEATURING FOLKS IMPACTED BY INCARCERATION DISCUSSING HOW TO SURVIVE ISOLATION AND RE-ENTRY. WE PRODUCED CONTACT TRACING, A ONE-OF-A-KIND ZOOM-BASED STORYTELLING RITUAL FOR EXPLORING AMBIGUOUS LOSS. AUDIENCE MEMBERS REPORTED: "IT'S THE KIND OF EXPERIENCE THAT STUCK WITH ME WEEKS AFTERWARD, AND IT KEEPS POPPING BACK UP IN MY LIFE IN UNEXPECTED WAYS." WE PUBLISHED AND DISTRIBUTED A 300 PAGE GRAPHIC NOVEL ADAPTATION OF OUR ADOPTION PLAY PROJECT, A PLAY BASED ON THE STORIES OF HUNDREDS OF MINNESOTANS IMPACTED BY ADOPTION AND FOSTER CARE. FIVE STARS ON AMAZON.COM AND 4.78 ON GOODREADS.COM. "BEAUTIFUL GRAPHICS, ENGAGING STORYLINE, AND THEATRICAL PRESENTATION HELP KEEP YOU TURNING THE PAGES FOR MORE! AT THE SAME TIME YOU WANT TO STOP AND TAKE IN EVERY MOMENT ON EACH PAGE." WE COMMISSIONED TEN LOCAL PLAYWRIGHTS TO WRITE SHORT PLAYS IMAGINING WHAT THE FUTURE MIGHT LOOK LIKE IF WE LEARNED FROM THESE PAST TWO YEARS, AND PRODUCED THEM IN A SERIES OVER TWO WEEKENDS IN TWO DIFFERENT ST. PAUL PARKS THAT WERE ENJOYED BY MORE THAN 400 PEOPLE AND EMPLOYED 29 ARTISTS. "SUCH A GIFT TO SAFELY ENGAGE WITH LIVE PERFORMANCE; SUPPORT THE WORK AND LIVELIHOOD OF LOCAL ARTISTS; IMAGINE A FUTURE THAT'S BETTER THAN THE PRESENT."