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.
February 17, 2010 - MPR’s Euan Kerr reports on the play "Black Pearl Sings." Kerr talks with director Lou Bellamy and actors from play.
September 16, 2010 - MPR’s Kerri Miller interviews Minnesota writer Louise Erdrich about The Guthrie Theater production of Erdrich's novel The Master Butchers Singing Club. Francesca Zambello, internationally renowned opera and theater director, is also interviewed.
April 18, 2011 - MPR’s Tom Crann interviews playwright Dominic Taylor, actor Dennis Spears, and director Lou Bellamy about the play "Black Pearl Sings."
May 10, 2012 - Penumbra Theater is presenting James Baldwin's The Amen Corner at the Guthrie. Director Lou Bellamy says he's waited 30 years to do the show, but now he has all the elements he needs, including his own perspective.
March 12, 2013 - MPR’s Euan Kerr profiles the Penumbra Theatre staging of Spunk, three short stories of Zora Neale Hurston adapted by Jelly's Last Jam writer George C. Wolfe.
March 13, 2013 - MPR’s Euan Kerr reports on Penumbra Theatre mounting its first show after almost closing its doors.
April 5, 2013 - MPR’s Dan Olson presents an episode of Minnesota Sounds and Voices with a profile of the langauge in the play Spunk.
April 16, 2013 - In an unlikely collaboration double Tony Award winning actor Mark Rylance joins forces with Duluth poet Louis Jenkins to create a new play about ice fishing at the Guthrie.
February 20, 2014 - MPR’s Kerri Miller has a conversation with Lou Bellamy, co-artistic director of Penumbra Theatre, and Ifa Bayeza, playwright of The Ballad of Emmett Till, about the themes of the play and its relevance to current tragic events concerning young men of color.
August 4, 2015 - MPR’s Marianne Combs reports on Penumbra’s Summer Institute which focuses on social justice and activism.