Theater arts has been at the center of the creative atmosphere within Minnesota for decades. The varied array of local venues have both fostered talent through the years and brought world-renowned individuals to present their artistic approaches to our Minnesota stages. The theater scene has also been integral in social dynamics within our communities…from social issues, race, to gender.
The likes of The Guthrie, Mixed Blood, Penumbra, Park Square, Stages Theater, History Theatre, Theater in the Round, Duluth Playhouse, and so many more have drawn audiences in and left an indelible mark.
Collected here are a selection of interviews, performances, critiques, and profiles of those behind and in front of the curtains.
October 31, 1992 - MPR’s Beth Friend reports on the new location in Minneapolis Warehouse District for Theatre de la Jeune Lune, the celebrated local theater company. The space was once the Minneapolis Van and Warehouse Company.
November 20, 1992 - Playwright Beth Gilleland and actor Susan Scott talks about the Illusion Theater production of Gilleland’s If We Never Meet Again. The play puts together intimate stories about losing someone you love and coming to terms with grief.
December 4, 1992 - MPR’s Beth Friend profiles the Theater Mu production of Mask Dance, a theater piece about and by Korean Americans. The work tackles family, love, and identity.
December 19, 1992 - MPR’s Chris Roberts profiles Keith Antar Mason and the Los Angeles based Black theatrical company Mason founded, Hittite Empire. Mason speaks on Rodney King and LA riots.
January 15, 1993 - MPR’s Paula Schroeder talks with John B. Davidson on directing "A Performing Arts Tribute to Martin Luther King Jr" event being performed at the Great American History Theater. The work is sponsored by University of Minnesota.
January 18, 1993 - MPR’s Cathy Wurzer interviews nationally-acclaimed Black storyteller Jackie Torrence about the history and purpose behind storytelling. Segment includes Torrence sharing a story.
January 20, 1993 - A Morning Edition interview with actor and playwright Gregory Alan Williams about Great American History Theatre’s production of The Life and Times of Deacon A.L. Wiley. Williams also discusses his personal experience in the 1992 Los Angeles riots.
January 27, 1993 - MPR’s Beth Friend reports on Penumbra Theatre play King of Coons. The play is a portrayal of Black film comedian Stepin Fetchit.
February 5, 1993 - MPR’s Cathy Wurzer interviews Randy Sue Latimer, local playwright and co-founder of Sell the Cow Theatre, a new theater company in the Twin Cities. Others involved in the joint venture are Brad Lowery, Anne Welsbacher, Jeff Reynolds. The group’s first offering is Harold Pinter’s The Caretaker and Lyle Kessler’s The Orphan.
February 5, 1993 - In this segment from First Friday program, a conversation with Black playwright Michael Henry Brown about his play, King of Coons.