"HMong Futures: The Future of Us" by Theater Mu at Gremlin Theatre

Theater Mu's world premiere new play HMong Futures: The Future of Us tells the specific story of three generations of HMong women in rural Minnesota, that is universal in its depiction of a family with conflicts and misunderstandings, but great love and a sense of tradition that keeps them together, even when things get hard. Written by HMong American playwright Katie Ka Vang, whose work has frequently been seen on Mu and other stages around town (most recently Sixpack at the Jungle), it's a story that resonates in any time, but particularly now when our HMong community was one of those targeted by the recent ICE invasion. It's a sweet, funny, hopeful story about how we move forward into the future, featuring a fantastic five-person cast and a gorgeous design that's bursting with spring. HMong Futures: The Future of Us continues at Gremlin Theatre through May 3. Now that food truck season is upon us, come early to see what's parked outside Vandalia Tower (I had some great Thai food for lunch), or order OG Zaza Pizza and eat it at Lake Monster Brewing, King Coil Spirits, or on the lovely patio under the tower.

"Maybe You Could Love Me" by Theater Mu at Mixed Blood Theatre

The world premiere new play Maybe You Could Love Me by L.A.-based Muslim playwright Samah Meghjee is a gem of a two-hander. The story of two Muslim girls growing up in Florida, in love but unable to be together because of the expectations of their culture, is sweet, funny, sad, and lovely. And Theater Mu has cast the perfect two actors to bring these two endearing characters and their precious relationship to life. It's playing for two more weekends only at Mixed Blood Theatre, highly recommended if you're looking for adventurous, new, original theater.

"Stop Kiss" by Theater Mu at Gremlin Theatre

Yesterday was a tough day here in Minnesota. It began with horrific politically motivated attacks on our state legislators that resulted in two deaths and two people severely injured. It then transitioned into inspiring "No Kings" protests in our state capital and around the country. I ended the day at the theater, seeing a queer Asian story about love in the face of hate and violence, and found great solace there. Sadly, hate and violence are a part of our world that never seems to go away, but the hope is that we can make the voices of love, connection, and community loud enough to drown out the hate. Stop Kiss, written almost 30 years ago by Asian American playwright and screenwriter/producer Diana Son, is about two women, in this production Asian American women, who fall in love and are confronted with violence because of it. It's a beautifully written play in two timelines, as funny and sweet as it is tragic and heart-breaking, and Theater Mu's nearly flawless production is a must-see. Even now. Especially now.

"Fifty Boxes of Earth" by Theater Mu at Park Square Theatre

The world premiere new play Fifty Boxes of Earth tells the story of a nonbinary immigrant who moves into a community and begins to plant a magical garden to establish literal and figurative roots. Theater Mu could not have known just how timely and important this story would be when they planned it as part of their season, with Trans Rights being threatened and immigrants being deported seemingly with no cause. This story puts a very human face on the immigrant or outsider experience, using magical realism, dance, puppetry, and some theater magic to evoke emotion. See it at Park Square Theatre in downtown St. Paul through March 16 only.

"Blended Harmony" at the History Theatre, a co-production with Theater Mu

Wrapping up an excellent season of world premieres, the History Theatre is bringing us another gem of a local story - Blended Harmony: The Kim Loo Sisters, a co-production with Theater Mu. If you've never heard of this Chinese-Polish-American family of singers from Minneapolis, well, you have now! Referred to at the time as "the Chinese Andrews Sisters," they toured the Vaudeville circuit before making their Broadway debut in the late '30s. That's where this story picks up, and we follow them through the next several years, through conflicts, touring, and reunion. It's a heart-warming story of family and identity, told with a fabulous swing era score, with touches of Chinese and Polish sounds as well. See this original, historical, feel-good musical now through May 26.

"Hells Canyon" by Theater Mu at Jungle Theater

The world premiere new play Hells Canyon is a revenge fantasy, in which the revenge comes almost 140 years after the crime - the murder of 34 Chinese goldminers in Oregon. The spirits of the murder victims are restless, and use a group of friends having a fun getaway at a cabin to enact their revenge. It's modern dramedy-horror with social commentary, in the vein of Get Out. Horror isn't really my thing, but this play is thrilling. It'll make you laugh, and think, and feel, and maybe jump out of your seat a little. Theater Mu's production is brilliantly cast with an incredible design that pulls off some real scares, and it's a must-see, especially if you're a fan of the horror genre (and even if you're not). It plays at the Jungle Theater* Wednesdays through Sundays until March 17. 

"The Kung Fu Zombies Saga: Shaman Warrior and Cannibals" by Theater Mu at the Luminary Arts Center

The Walking Dead would be so different if the zombies could do kung fu. If you're curious what that looks like, go see Theater Mu's world premiere play The Kung Fu Zombies Saga: Shaman Warrior and Cannibals, a compilation/update of two previous plays by Saymoukda Duangphouxay Vongsay. It's not only a thrilling zombie apocalypse story with great fight scenes, not only a coming-of-age tale of a couple of young women on opposite sides of the planet, but it also draws on the culture and history of Laos and the Laotian diaspora. It's a wild ride, with fantastical elements and sci-fi mixed with real family drama and an exploration of grief, loss, and identity. At nearly three hours in length, it is a saga (you can't say they didn't warn us), so have a cup of coffee, take a nap, or see a matinee because you'll want to be awake and alert to experience this epic journey. And if you're curious to know more about the creation of the show, either before or after you see it, listen to Episode 8 of the Twin Cities Theater Chat podcast, in which we interview the playwright along with actor Michelle de Joya.

"Again" by Theater Mu at Mixed Blood Theatre

"At Mu, we believe universality can only be found through specificity." I agree with Theater Mu’s Artistic Director Lily Tung Crystal. Here she’s talking about their new original musical Again, but it's true of all of their work. For 30 years, Mu has been telling specifically Asian American stories from the Asian American perspective, about universal themes of life that anyone can relate to. Again is about Hmong American women living with cancer, an experience that's all too familiar to many people. The story isn't about being Hmong, it's about being human – relationships, career crises, disease, grief – from the specific background of the artists. Despite the heaviness of the theme, I found the musical to be much lighter than I expected, really more about friendship, community, and perseverance than loss and dying. The talented four-person cast (some of whom are purportedly making their professional theater debuts, although that's hard to believe) is charming and fun to watch as they bring this story to life. See it now through April 16 at Mixed Blood Theatre in Minneapolis' Cedar-Riverside neighborhood.

"Cambodian Rock Band" by Theater Mu and Jungle Theater

Originally planned for summer 2020, the Theater Mu / Jungle Theater co-production of Lauren Yee's play with music Cambodian Rock Band finally hits the stage at the Jungle, and to say it's worth the wait is an understatement. Part rock concert, part history lesson, part family dramedy, Cambodian Rock Band explores the complicated and tragic history of Cambodia in the latter half of the 20th Century through the lens of music, art, and one specific family. It's both an epic and an intimate story, and features fabulously unique music by the Cambodian indie rock band Dengue Fever, with fantastic performances by the mostly local and all Asian American cast. It's playing through the end of July, so you have plenty of time and no excuse not to see this ingenious new, innovative, and important work of music-theater.

"Man of God" by Theater Mu at Mixed Blood Theatre

It's so exciting to continue to welcome #TCTheater companies back to the stage after the very long extended intermission of 2020-2021. Today's edition: Theater Mu, who are finally presenting the dark comedy Man of God, their first onstage production since Peerless in February of 2020. Man of God was originally scheduled to close out their 2020-2021 season, which included the fantastic virtual full production Today is My Birthday. Now the star of that show, Katie Bradley, is making her directorial debut on this new play by Anna Ouyang Moench about a Korean-American Christian youth group on a mission to Bangkok who discover Pastor isn't who they think he is. It's a brutal look at sexual abuse, harassment, and living under the male gaze, which is especially relevant in a time when hate crimes against Asian Americans, particularly women, are on the rise. See this funny, entertaining, thought-provoking, heart-breaking play through March 6 at Mixed Blood Theatre (click here for details).

"Today is My Birthday," a Live Virtual Play from Theater Mu

cover of virtual program
(photo by Rich Ryan)

In their first full production in the virtual space, Theater Mu has brought us something completely unique, that I don't think we've seen before in #TCTheater. I have seen not a little virtual theater in the last year, which ranges from recordings of pre-pandemic shows, to simple Zoom readings, to shows created specifically for streaming. But I have not previously seen a live production on this scale, with actors in six different locations across the country, using multiple areas in their homes, along with green screens, virtual backgrounds, sound cues, split screens, and overlayed images in an incredibly ambitious and successful technical feat. Today is My Birthday is truly innovative storytelling in a way that's never been seen before.

Weekly Online #TCTheater Events

Hello friends. I sure miss live theater, more than I've ever missed anything in my life. I don't know when we'll be able to gather together again in the same space to share stories, but I know that day will come (watch Guthrie Theater Artistic Director Joseph Haj's inspiring message about that here). In the meantime, you can watch #TCTheater artists sharing their art online almost every night of the week! Below is a list of events occurring weekly. For other events, please visit the Twin Cities Theater Bloggers Event page on Facebook, where we are compiling #TCTheater Facebook events for online performing arts. If you know of any other events not listed there, please comment or send us a message.

"Peerless" by Theater Mu at Gremlin Theatre

Peerless is a super dark comedy (sort of) about twin teenage girls who will stop at literally nothing to get into a prestigious college. For this regional premiere, Theater Mu has lured back to town a couple of alums, sisters Francesca and Isabella Dawis, to play the twins. Their independent and codependent performances anchor the strong cast that, along with clever design, brings out all of the dark corners of this sharply and smartly written play. The relatively short run continues Wednesday through Sunday for the next two weekends  at Gremlin Theatre in St. Paul, next door to Lake Monster Brewing which has daily food trucks, the perfect set up for dinner, drinks, and a show. (Click here for info and tickets.)

"Fast Company" by Theater Mu at the Guthrie Theater

Theater Mu's latest play is a fun crime caper about a Chinese-American family of con artists. Mu was part of the rolling world premiere of NYC-based playwright Carla Ching's smart, funny, two-person relationship play Two Kids that Blow Shit Up a few years ago, and are now bringing us this smart, funny, family crime dramedy Fast Company. There's nothing particularly deep or revelatory about it, but it's fun in an Ocean's Eleven heist kind of way, and it's rare and wonderful to see an Asian-American family at the center of this type of story, portrayed as flawed, messy, loving, complicated humans instead of stereotypes.

"Hot Asian Doctor Husband" by Theater Mu at Mixed Blood Theatre

Theater Mu commissioned a new play from Japanese-American playwright Leah Nanako Winkler, author of the hilarious Two Mile Hollow seen in a Mu/Mixed Blood co-production last year, and the result is more hilarious and biting social commentary. Hot Asian Doctor Husband explores the journey of a young biracial woman who has an existential (and identity) crisis when her Japanese mother dies, and she decides she has to break up with her white boyfriend because she wants her children to look like her and her mom. It's a very smart, modern, and funny look at race, identity, stereotypes (see: title), family, grief, and love. NYC-based director Seonjae Kim and this brilliant seven-person cast (three of whom also appeared in Two Mile Hollow) bring out all of the humor and emotion in this exciting new script.

"The Brothers Paranormal" by Theater Mu and Penumbra Theatre

For the first time in their long and celebrated histories, #TCTheater's African American and Asian American theaters (Penumbra and Mu) are joining forces in the regional premiere of the new play The Brothers Paranormal. In it, an African American couple hires two Thai brothers to investigate some mysterious happenings around their house. The result is a totally captivating thriller that also deals with some pretty serious issues surrounding culture and mental health. It's a play that's both wildly entertaining, and speaks to our world today in a meaningful and thought-provoking way. And as usual with these two theaters, the production is top notch, with an excellent cast and spot on design. Don't miss this historic and fantastic #TCTheater collaboration!

"The Korean Drama Addict's Guide to Losing Your Virginity" by Theater Mu at Park Square Theatre

I interrupt this all-Fringe-all-the-time coverage to bring you news of Theater Mu's world premiere play The Korean Drama Addict's Guide to Losing Your Virginity, which opened last night. During Fringe. But the good news is they kindly let me attend a preview, and the run extends past Fringe you you still have time to check it out.

A romantic comedy about a rich Asian man and a hard-working Asian American woman featuring an all Asian cast. No, I'm not talking about the soon-to-be smash hit movie Crazy Rich Asians, I'm talking about a world premiere new play written by a local Hmong playwright and featuring a charming 10-person local cast. Theater Mu's The Korean Drama Addict's Guide to Losing Your Virginity, written by May Lee-Yang, is a sweet, funny, fantastical story about love, friendship, and the melodrama of life.

"Two Mile Hollow" by Theater Mu and Mixed Blood Theatre

My 280-character (or less) review of Theater Mu and Mixed Blood Theatre's first ever collaboration:

Friends, run don't walk to see #twomilehollow (co-production from @theatermu and @mixed_blood). I can't decide whom I love most in this cast of comic geniuses! But behind all the wackiness and humor is some seriously smart commentary on race and class in America.

"Charles Francis Chan Jr.'s Exotic Oriental Murder Mystery" by Mu Performing Arts at the Guthrie Theater

With their new production of Lloyd Suh's recent Off-Broadway play Charles Francis Chan Jr.'s Exotic Oriental Murder Mystery, Mu tackles the issue of yellow face and the stereotypical portrayal of Asian Americans in media head on. Like Branden Jacobs-Jenkens' Octoroon (recently produced by Mixed Blood Theatre), the play includes yellow face and white face, a play-within-a-play format, and a weird human-sized animal. While Jacobs-Jenkins satirized the "antebellum melodrama," Suh satirizes the many stereotypes that have dominated the depiction of Asian Americans in popular culture, and specifically the dozens of movies from the '20s through '40s featuring detective Charlie Chan (played by a white man, natch). The result is a weird and trippy mash-up of stories, often told in exaggerated style, that effectively and poignantly exposes and skewers the stereotypes surrounding us while paying homage to the pioneers of Asian American theater.

"Flower Drum Song" by Mu Performing Arts and Park Square Theatre

The crown jewel of Mu Performing Arts' 25th Anniversary season is their gorgeous production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Flower Drum Song, with an updated book by Tony award winning playwright David Henry Hwang (who was in attendance opening night). A co-production with Park Square Theatre, it features a fantastic cast of 17 local Asian American actors (many of whom have grown up with and been trained by Mu), a timely story of immigrants in America, beautiful design, and a classic Rodgers and Hammerstein score played by a sparse and lovely five-piece onstage band. It's a production that is made possible because of Mu founder Rick Shiomi's decision to start an Asian American theater company in Minnesota 25 years ago, and the Asian American art and artists that Mu has supported and fostered over the past 25 years.