THEATER MU INCORPORATED
755 PRIOR AVENUE NORTH NO 107, SAINT PAUL, MN 55104 www.theatermu.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: THEATER MU PRODUCES GREAT PERFORMANCES BORN OF ARTS, EQUITY, AND JUSTICE 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.ARTISTIC PROGRAMMING CENTERS AROUND MU'S MAINSTAGE PRODUCTIONS. THE 19/20 SEASON TITLED "THE WORLD IS OURS TO BUILD" WAS INSPIRED BY LATE CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVISTS YURI KOCHIYAMA AND LED BY MU'S FIRST FEMALE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR, LILY TUNG CRYSTAL. THE 19/20 SEASON BEGAN WITH FAST COMPANY BY CARLA CHING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE GUTHRIE THEATER. CHING ALSO WROTE THE TWO KIDS THAT BLOW SHIT UP WHICH ALSO PREMIERED AT MU. THE PRODUCTION WAS BACKED BY A STRONG ENSEMBLE CAST OF ASIAN AMERICAN ACTORS WHO HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO PLAY ALL-AMERICAN ROLES IN THE COMEDY HEIST GENRE. BUT FAST COMPANY ISN'T YOUR TYPICAL HEIST STORY. IT IS COMPLEX IN THE WAY THAT ONLY FAMILY ENTANGLEMENTS CAN BE. ONE REVIEWER WROTE, "THROUGH THEATER MU'S ALWAYS-RELIABLE STORYTELLING ESTABLISHING CULTURE AND REPRESENTATION TO SHAPE THE STORIES THAT SHAPE THE TWIN CITIES WE'RE REMINDED HERE SIMPLY OF THE POWER A GOOD STORY, AND GOOD CHARACTERS, CAN HAVE." MU'S LAST PRODUCTION BEFORE THE PANDEMIC WAS PEERLESS BY JIEHAE PARK, PRESENTED AT THE GREMLIN THEATER. THIS WAS ARTISTIC DIRECTOR LILY TUNG CRYSTAL'S DIRECTORIAL DEBUT IN THE TWIN CITIES. THE STORY NAVIGATES THE COMPLEX ISSUES SURROUNDING AFFIRMATIVE ACTION AND HIGHER EDUCATION AS SEEN THROUGH THE EYES OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS. AN AUDIENCE MEMBER COMMENTED, "THE SHOW WAS PROVOCATIVE IN A PRODUCTIVE WAYIN EXAMINING THE TENSIONS AND RIVALRIES BETWEEN COMMUNITIES OF COLOR, AND IN ITS DELICATE POSITIONING OF THE ASIAN AMERICAN SISTERS AS WIELDING A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF POWER AND PRIVILEGE WITHIN THEIR HIGH SCHOOL AND AT TIMES, WIELDING THOSE IN NEGATIVE WAYS. THE LATTER MARKS A POINT WHERE ASIAN AMERICAN ARTISTS DON'T ALWAYS HAVE TO PORTRAY ASIAN AMERICANS AS WITHOUT BLEMISHES OR FAULTS AND THUS, NO LONGER [NEED TO CREATE] WORK DETERMINED BY A CONSCIOUSNESS OF THE WHITE GAZE." THEATER MU'S IN-PERSON SEASON HAD TO END WITH THE SPREAD OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, CAUSING THE POSTPONEMENT OF THE HIGHLY ANTICIPATED PRODUCTION OF CAMBODIAN ROCK BAND BY LAUREN YEE TO BE PRESENTED WITH THE JUNGLE THEATER. MU PIVOTED QUICKLY. DAYS AFTER THE STATEWIDE SHUTDOWN, THE COMPANY HOSTED ITS FIRST OF MANY MU-TINI HOURSLIVE VIRTUAL HANGOUTS WITH SOME OF THE COUNTRY'S BIGGEST THEATER STARS WHO HAPPEN TO BE ASIAN AMERICAN. THE MOST ATTENDED MU-TINI HOUR INCLUDED GUESTS GEORGE TAKEI, LEA SALONGA AND JAY KUO TALKING ABOUT JAPANESE INTERNMENT AND THE MUSICAL ALLEGIANCE. IT HAS GARNERED OVER 112 THOUSAND VIEWS TO DATE. THAT FIRST WEEK, MU ALSO LAUNCHED MU MONDAYS, AN ONLINE ARTIST SALON WHERE AAPI ARTISTS FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY GATHERED TO READ PLAYS WRITTEN BY AAPI WRITERS. MU MONDAYS GAVE THIS NATIONAL ARTIST COMMUNITY THE SPACE TO SUPPORT EACH OTHER AND SHARE ART TOGETHER, ESPECIALLY AMIDST THE ISOLATION OF THE PANDEMIC AND THE RISE OF ANTI-ASIAN RACISM. FOR ITS YOUNGER AUDIENCES, MU ALSO CREATED FAMILY EXPLORATIONS, A SHOW WHERE MU ARTISTS TAUGHT THEATER-RELATED ACTIVITIES TO CHILDREN AND THEIR GROWNUPS. IN MAY, MU DIVED INTO MORE ARTISTIC PROGRAMMING, PRESENTING A MU VARIETY SHOW, FEATURING SINGERS, MUSICIANS, DANCERS, AND COMICS. THEN IN JULY, IT PRODUCED RE:PLAYS, A TIMELY FESTIVAL WHICH PRESENTED SHORT PLAYS WRITTEN BY PAIRS OF ASIAN AND BLACK PLAYWRIGHTS RESPONDING TO GEORGE FLOYD'S MURDER AND THE CIVIL UNREST IN THE TWIN CITIES. THESE PLAYS CHALLENGED US TO RE:IMAGINE OUR REALITY, RE:WIND WHAT HAS ALREADY TRANSPIRED, AND RE:COGNIZE THE HARD WORK AND HEART WORK DONE BY COMMUNITY. ALL IN ALL, THE 19/20 SEASON SAW MU HOSTING A OVER 30 VIRTUAL EVENTS WITH AUDIENCES IN OVER 43 STATES AND 12 COUNTRIES AND EMPLOYING 129 ARTISTS. THAT COMMITMENT WOULD ONLY GROW IN THE 2020/2021 SEASON TITLED "TOWARDS SOMETHING GRANDER AND INSPIRED BY THE LATE GRACE LEE BOGGS, ANOTHER LEGENDARY ASIAN AMERICAN CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST AND PHILOSOPHER. MU WILL CONTINUALLY STRIVE TO CREATE INNOVATIVE, IMPACTFUL, AND HIGH-QUALITY WORK IN ITS FUTURE VIRTUAL AND MAINSTAGE PROGRAMMING. THROUGH FUNDING FROM THE JEROME FOUNDATION, MU IS CONTINUING ITS ONGOING COMMISSIONING PROJECT, WITH TWO PLAYWRIGHTS CURRENTLY CREATING NEW WORKS FOR MU'S STAGES OVER THE NEXT TWO SEASONS. NEW ASIAN AMERICAN ARTISTS ALSO CONTINUE TO TRAIN AND HONE THEIR SKILLS THROUGH THE MU TRAINING INSTITUTE. THEATER MU'S ENGAGEMENT STRATEGY BEGINS WITH THIS THOUGHTFUL SELECTION OF A SEASON OF DIVERSE ASIAN AMERICAN PLAYS. FROM THERE, WE WORK WITHIN THE COMMUNITY TO EDUCATE, DEVELOP RELATIONSHIPS, IDENTIFY AND ELIMINATE BARRIERS, AND DEEPLY ENGAGE. WE STRUCTURE 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:- AFTER-SCHOOL TRAINING PROGRAMS. DESIGNED FOR GRADES 3-12, THESE PROGRAMS ARE OFFERED THROUGH DIVERSE PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND WEEKEND LANGUAGE SCHOOLS TO TEACH THE SKILLS OF THEATER TO STUDENTS.- MU STORIES. FOCUSING ON BASIC THEMES INCLUDING IDENTITY, RACISM, IMMIGRATION, ASSIMILATION, GENDER EQUITY, FAMILY, FRIENDS, AND RELATIONSHIPS, THESE CLASSES WITH EXPERIENCED AAPI ARTISTS INCLUDE PLAY, THEATER GAMES, PHYSICAL WARM-UPS, AND IMAGINATION EXERCISES. PERSONAL STORIES AND EXPERIENCES ARE SHARED AND WRITTEN INTO PLAYS PERFORMED FOR FAMILY, FRIENDS, AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS. IN THE END, STUDENTS HAVE EXPERIENCE WITH ACTING, WRITING, AND PRODUCING PLAYS, AS WELL AS SHARING THEIR STORIES AND FINDING THEIR VOICES. MANY TEACHERS HAVE EXPRESSED THAT FORMERLY SILENT STUDENTS WERE ACTIVE AND ENGAGED AFTER PARTICIPATION.- FAMILY EXPLORATION DAYS. A NEW PROGRAM DESIGNED TO ENGAGE FAMILIES BY OFFERING A PERFORMANCE PAIRED WITH INTERACTIVE ACTIVITIES AND WORKSHOPS TO TEACH CHILDREN AND THEIR PARENTS ABOUT THE PROCESS AND VALUE OF THEATER EXPERIENCES AND INVOLVEMENT.PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMMING INCLUDES:- TALKBACKS. FOR EACH PRODUCTION, WE ARRANGE OPPORTUNITIES FOR AUDIENCES TO STAY FOR TALKBACKS WITH ACTORS, DIRECTORS, PLAYWRIGHTS, AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS.- MEET AND GREETS. OUR FIRST REHEARSALS ARE ALWAYS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC TO GIVE THEM A CHANCE TO MEET ACTORS AND DESIGNERS, TO ASK QUESTIONS, AND TO DIVE DEEPER INTO THE CONTENT OF A PLAY BEFORE ENTERING THE THEATER.- OUTREACH PLAYS. DESIGNED AND MARKETED FOR ALL AGES, MU CREATES TWO 45-TO-60 MINUTE PLAYS EACH SEASON TO ENGAGE AUDIENCES IN STORIES ABOUT THE ASIAN AMERICAN EXPERIENCE. THESE MAY BE PRESENTED AT SCHOOLS, LIBRARIES, CORPORATIONS, AND COMMUNITY CENTERS. MU IS GIVEN GRANT FUNDS FROM US BANK TO PROVIDE FREE PERFORMANCES TO SCHOOLS WITH UNDERREPRESENTED AND LOW-INCOME POPULATIONS EACH YEAR. - WORKSHOPS. DESIGNED TO BE OFFERED AT A COLLEGE OR CORPORATE LEVEL, WORKSHOPS ARE CENTERED AROUND LEADERSHIP TRAINING, TEAM COLLABORATION, PUBLIC SPEAKING, AND OTHER TOPICS THAT CAN BE INFORMED THROUGH SKILLS LEARNED IN THEATER. TAUGHT BY ARTISTIC DIRECTOR LILY TUNG CRYSTAL OR MU'S TOP TEACHING ARTISTS, THESE ARE VALUABLE TOOLS FOR ASIAN AFFINITY GROUPS TO SERVE THEIR EMPLOYEES, BUT ARE ALSO USEFUL FOR CONFERENCES.- CORPORATE PROGRAMS. ARTIST-LED PROGRAMS INCLUDE SKITS, READINGS, AND/OR TALKBACKS WITH MU ARTISTS, OFTEN FOCUSED AROUND ISSUES OF EQUITY, RACE, AND THE ASIAN AMERICAN EXPERIENCE IN MINNESOTA.MU HAS CONTINUED TO USE ITS INNOVATIVE INTERSECTIONS TOOL TO TRACK ONGOING ENGAGEMENT, RELATIONSHIP GROWTH, AND COMMUNITY RESPONSE WITH OVER 25 COMMUNITY PARTNERS. WE CONSISTENTLY EVALUATE EACH OF OUR PARTNERS USING THIS TOOL, AND PRIORITIZE RELATIONSHIP AND PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT THROUGH ITS LENS. MU HAS DEVELOPED RELATIONSHIPS OVER TIME TO FACILITATE EACH OF THE ABOVE PROGRAMS. COMMUNITY PARTNERS ARE KEY, AS REACHING OUT TO ESTABLISHED GROUPS KEEPS US FROM HAVING TO DEVELOP THOSE GROUPS ON OUR OWN, WHICH WOULD DRAIN RESOURCES. WE ALSO USE ONGOING AND DEVELOPING RELATIONSHIPS WITH SCHOOLS, LIBRARIES, CORPORATIONS, AND OTHER INSTITUTIONS FOR OUTREACH PERFORMANCES AND WORKSHOPS.

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