Our Free Speech program has provided a few of those opportunities. The Free Speech Salon series invites members from our community to speak on panels focused on particular themes and issues extracted from our productions.

We invite you attend a conversation about the Twin Cities' Theatre Scene, "Crashing the National Theatre Scene", on Monday, Feb. 27 @ 9:00 pm

When announcing our topics for Crashing the Party, we were very excited to host a conversation about the Twin Cities’ place in the American Theatre landscape. In light of articles that were part of HowlRound’s recent week-long focus on Twin Cities Theatre, we believe it’s timely to continue the dialogue.

Join us Monday, February 27 for our Salon “Crashing the National Theatre Scene: The Twin Cities’ Place in the American Theatre.” The Salon will immediately follow our 7:30 pm “Industry Night” performance of Crashing the Party, and we’re hoping to gather a critical mass of Twin Cities theatre-makers to enrich the conversation. The salon will begin at 9:00 pm and attendance of Crashing the Party is not required to take part. If you can’t make the Salon, you can still follow and participate in the live conversation on Twitter with #TCtheatre.

"Theatre and Politics: A Healthy Marriage?" is the topic for the Sunday, Feb. 26th Salon

Monday’s event will be preceded by Sunday’s Salon, “Theatre and Politics: A Healthy Marriage?”. Join us after the 3:00 pm matinee of “Party” as we discuss the inextricable bond between theatre and politics and the advantages/disadvantages of that union.  Slated to speak so far are: Judge Kathryn Quaintance and Laurie Carlos.

For video on last week’s Salon (“The American Dream: A Dream Deferred?”) click here or watch the embedded video below.

Tonight, Monday, February 20th, Mixed Blood will host a screening of a documentary inspired by our 2011 production of Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’ Neighbors. Produced and Directed by Ralph L. Crowder III, “Theater Arts & Black Imagery, In Post Civil Rights America” explores the role past-held racial stereotypes play in today’s culture. Join us at the firehouse starting at 7:00p. The film screening will begin at 7:30p and will be followed by an audience conversation facilitated by Producer Ralph Crowder. See you there!

"Neighbors" inspired documentary to be screened at Mixed Blood THeatre Feb. 20 @ 7:00PM

We sat down with Ansa to talk favorite activities, dream jobs, and the idea of an “artistic home.” Scroll down to get a better understanding of the man in the cop uniform.

Mixed Blood: What does Ansa like to do in his spare time?

Ansa Akyea: Ansa loves to spend time with his kids, workout, read, watch movies, and find new exciting acting projects! 

MB: In the show you play a cop. Did you ever want to be in law enforcement?

AA: Yes. Had I been born and raised here, I would have gone into the Army or Air Force. So, more military than anything.

MB: If you weren’t an actor, what would other profession would you have?

AA: I would be a personal trainer, a teacher, diplomat, professional soccer player/coach, or the president of a small island nation.

MB: There has been a lot of discussion recently about artists and their search for an “artistic home.” Do you see Mixed Blood as an artistic home? What contributes to that feeling?

AA: Yes. Mixed Blood was the first theater that hired me when I first came to Twin Cities with Take Me Out. They seem to always be doing great new work, that speaks and brings todays audiences closer to what theater should be about and look like.

The cast of "Crashing the Party" (Rich Ryan)

During Saturday’s performance, we had a few SpeakEasy Journalists in attendance who were asked to see the performance and offer up their own report about the show via social media. Keep an eye out for the reviews on Mixed Blood’s Facebook or Twitter. After the performance there was also a Free For(u)m chat with Producer-in-Residence, Jamil Jude.

After the matinee performance on Sunday, the first of our 5 Salons took place, focusing on the topic ‘Old-Fashioned New Plays.” The panel included playwright Josh Tobiessen, director Sarah Rasmussen, and Sally Wingert. Below is a screenshot of some of the comments made throughout the Salon:

We know Jack isn’t the only party crasher out there. In the comment section below, share your best “party crashing” story for a chance to win two guaranteed admission tickets to Crashing the Party. Drawing results will be announced on Wednesday, February 15.

C’mon party crashers! Let’s hear those stories!!!

This is not a new debate nor will this debate disappear (as much as some out there may like that) any time soon. The truth is the issue won’t go away until more theatres proactively employ more actors of color to work on their stages.

At Mixed Blood, we have the luxury of having a mission, vision and core values that push us to pursue equality and advocate for a multiplicity of voices. In order to answer this call, we select plays that call for a diverse cast of actors. There have been times, though, when we have selected a play that doesn’t necessarily call for a diverse cast of actors but, in accordance with our mission, we have decided to cast the play in a “non-traditional” way.

Jack Reuler says that was predominantly the Mixed Blood of the 80s-90s.  In that era, we were really focused on illuminating classic texts in new ways by casting actors of color to play roles traditionally cast as white. Today, we work specifically on new plays that explore culturally specific themes and ideas but we still maintain a commitment to employing actors of color in roles for which they may not traditionally be a “fit”.

Our production of Crashing the Party will feature a very diverse cast of actors. Sally Wingert (Caucasian) and Joe Minjares (Chicano) play the mother and father to two biracial children. Josh Tobiessen’s script does not call for this specificity.

We describe our work, especially in this case, not as “color-blind” but as “color-conscious” casting. Color-blind casting, in most cases, ignores the racial differences amongst individuals in the cast, essentially asking actors to play “race-less” characters. We, under no pretense, suggest our actors should check their races, and the experiences that may bring, when stepping on our stage. In fact, mainly because this is the world premiere, we were able to adjust the text to better contextualize our casting choices. With full understanding of what each casting decision means, we embrace and celebrate the diversity of this cast.

It is our hope that this doesn’t come off as “we do it right and the rest of you all are screw ups.” To know Mixed Blood is to know we make mistakes, and when we do, we look for ways to not repeat those same sins. We offer this post up as a conversation starter and testament to the value we have found in diverse casts.

We hope the recent conversations lead to wholesale changes in the American Theatre. We offer up this humble contribution.

To accompany the world premiere of Crashing the Party, Josh Tobiessen’s hilarious farce-style comedy, Mixed Blood will host five panel conversations as part of our Sunday Salon series. The Salon series features local scholars and professionals who discuss central themes and topics from the production. Salons are held every Sunday of the performance run and immediately follow the 3 PM matinee.

Crashing the Party Salon Topics and Dates:

• Old-Fashioned New Plays (Feb. 12)
• The American Dream: A Dream Deferred? (Feb. 19)
• Theatre and Politics: A Healthy Marriage? (Feb. 26)
• Crashing the National Theatre Scene: The Twin Cities’ Place in the American Theatre
• Musing from Joe Minjares, star of Crashing the Party

Hope to have you a part of the conversation!

Salon topic for Sunday, Feb. 12: Old-Fashioned New Plays

“Daughters of Africa”, one of this seasons’ 5 touring shows, will have 4 performances, on 4 different college campuses, in 4 different states, in 2 days! The show will perform at the College of St. Mary in Omaha, Nebraska Monday morning and will finish the day at Augustana College in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. On Tuesday the team will drive to North Dakota and perform at the North Dakota State College of Science in Wahpeton and conclude the day at the University of Minnesota, Crookston! Whew!

“Daughters of Africa” is a tour-de-force musical performance encompassing three centuries in the lives of African American women, from a slave woman right up to Oprah. Featuring songs from Bessie Smith to Aretha Franklin, Lena Horne to Beyoncé, it is an energetic commemoration of the accomplishments of a greatly under-appreciated segment of American society.

The show has a public performance at Mixed Blood on Saturday, February 11 at  3:00 PM as part of our 55454 Neighborhood series.

We hope you get a chance to see the show before the tour ends Feb. 18! Call Charlie Moore (612.338.0937) to book “Daughters of Africa” or any of our amazing touring shows!

Thomasina Petrus in "Daughters of Africa"

During our year-long partnership with local health-care service provider, Health Partners, we created four original films that revealed a range of health-care inequalities that members in our diverse community have experienced. The films will be shown in an upcoming series on Twin Cities Public Television’s MNChannel entitled “Healthy Acts: Setting a New Course”. The series will premiere on Sunday, February 5th @ 8PM. If you miss Sunday’s broadcast you can watch it on the web here or catch the program at the following times:

Our season-opening production of Neighbors attracted a lot of attention! One patron took our call to “actively engage in our work” to a new level by creating a documentary about the show. Ralph Crowder, director and producer of the docuementary, will air the film through his company Freedom Radio. Freedom Radio News & Culture Television Network is a new form of broadcast media directed at all aspects of art, education, dance, music, sports, poetry, fashion, film, headline news and events shaping Urban America’s local or national conversation. Freedom Radio Programming engages a diverse viewing audience primarily focused on issues concerning the African American Community.

Freedom Radio’s episode that includes the Neighbors documentary will be aired in Minneapolis (Comcast Cable, Ch. 17, MTN) starting today at noon and will repeat at various times (for program listings call 612-331-8575). The first St. Paul (Comcast Cable, Ch. 15, SPNN) broadcast will begin at 7:00 PM and will repeat Sundays at noon.

So set your DVRs and get ready to check out some really great programming!

On this day, 2-2,  at the age of 22, in 1976 I sat down and wrote the mission of the Mixed Blood Theatre Company, initially as a program of the Center for Community Action.  While the language has evolved and the programming matured and improved, its core purpose remains solid and true.  I am joyous to have been with Mixed Blood for this length of time because of the people who have invested their time and hearts into that which we hold valuable and for a just vision of our world.  Thank you all for letting Mixed Blood take the journey upon which it has embarked.  I truly believe that the best is yet to come.

Whether you’ve been with us for 36 years or 36 days, we thank you for joining us on our journey. We look forward to upholding the original mission, vision and values the organization and responding to the needs of an ever-changing society.

Still looking good at 36!