February 13, 2009 - In what it calls a proactive move, St Paul's Penumbra Theatre has trimmed it's 3.8-million-dollar budget by almost a quarter.
February 12, 2009 - The Penumbra Theatre in St. Paul, the largest professional African American theater in the country, announced its trimming budget by almost a quarter and pushing a major production into next year as a result of the economic downturn. Penumbra recently completed a three-million-dollar fundraising campaign. Artistic director Lou Bellamy says the cuts are preventative measures to protect what the company has built in recent years.
February 12, 2009 - Interview excerpt with Penumbra Theatre’s Lou Bellamy on the organization’s budget cuts and plan to postpone its final production of the current season until the 2009-2010 season, while preserving its important programs.
January 26, 2009 - It's been a good day for local writers. Both of the top awards from the American Library Association, the Newbery and Randolph Caldecott medals went to books with Minnesota and Wisconsin connections. The Newbery Medal for Children's literature went to Neil Gaiman for "The Graveyard Book." It's the story of a young boy adopted by the ghosts and other supernatural spirits who live in an old cemetary. Gaiman who lives in Western Wisconsin is known for his work writing comic books, novels, and film scripts. He is in Los Angeles for the release of the film adaptation of another of his children's books "Coraline." He told Minnesota Public Radio's Euan Kerr he was still a little stunned.
January 16, 2009 -
December 16, 2008 - MPR’s Euan Kerr sits down in a café to talk with poet Todd Boss.
October 6, 2008 - Later this week fans will likely pack a St Paul church to hear author Neil Gaiman read from his latest novel, "The Graveyard Book." Gaiman is a writing rock star, producing best selling comic books, novels and film scripts. He's often swamped at reading and now has devised a new way to keep himself physically accessible to his readers.
October 3, 2008 - Minneapolis author George Rabasa's new novel explores love, opera and the agony of writing. "The Wonder Singer" is the story of Mark Lockwood who is hired to ghost-write the autobiography of an aging operatic diva. When she dies suddenly leaving him with hours of interview tapes, he realizes he has the greatest story of his life, but he faces the greatest struggle of his life to tell it. George Rabasa told Minnesota Public Radio's Euan Kerr that he didn't start out to write about opera - his interest was more in the plight of the ghost writer.
October 2, 2008 - A million dollar grant will help the Playwrights' Center in Minneapolis develop new work, and promote it on the web. The money from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation will be paid out over five years. Center Producing Artistic Director Polly Carl says in addition to developing and presenting new plays the center will develop trailers for plays which will be available on the web.
October 1, 2008 - A million dollar grant will help the Playwrights' Center in Minneapolis develop new work, and promote it on the web. The money from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation will be paid out over five years. Center Producing Artistic Director Polly Carl says in addition to developing and presenting new plays the center will develop trailers for plays which will be available on the web.