The 2000s

The 2000s saw Mixed Blood find its legs on all fronts.  The productions were on mission.  The new work was fully developed, with dramaturgy, before production.  Seasons were announced in advance and customized subscriptions were initiated.  Seasons had themes.  Approaches to audience development became prioritized, making the “who” as important as the “how many.”  Collaboration locally and nationally was pursued.  Disability was absorbed into the manifestation of the mission. Multi-playwright projects and multi-lingual shows as well as venue hopping became the norm. The theatre defined its place on the spectrum of culturally-specific theatre as modeling difference positively.

* denotes world premiere

** denotes regional premiere

^ denotes touring production

2000

Cut Flowers* by Gavin Lawrence

Haroun and the Sea of Stories* by Zaraawar Mistry from Salman Rushdie’ novel

La Nona by Roberto Cossa

Bee-luther-hatchee by Thomas Gibbons

Mixed Blood’s Silver Anniversary Season:  RE-BORN TO BE WILD.

City Pages names Mixed Blood Best Theatre for Drama

Mixed Blood dedicated the Alan Page Auditorium.

Polyglot play: La Nona (Spanish, English)

2001

Sola En La Oscuridad by Fredrick Knott

A Jew On Ethiopia Street* by Allan Havis

Spinning Into Butter by Rebecca Gilman

How To Improve Your Golf Game by David Babcock

Primary English Class by Israel Horovitz

Mixed Blood co-produces Spinning Into Butter with Park Square Theatre. The production played in three venues (Mixed Blood, Park Square, Ordway).

Polyglot play(s): The Primary English Class(Chinese, Spanish, German, French, English, Korean); Wait Until Dark (Spanish, English)

 

2002

League of Nations* by Ken LaZebnik

History of Bowling by Mike Ervin

I Don’t Need No Stinking Badges by Luis Valdez

Two Queens One Castle* by Jevetta Steele and Thomas W. Jones II

Mixed Blood premieres Two Queens One Castle, a runaway hit in Minneapolis that was also chosen for the National Alliance for Musical Theatre showcase festival in New York

Mixed Blood stages the first production of The Boys Next Door to feature actors with disabilities (co-produced with Interact Theatre), following The History of Bowling as the theatre’s first foray into theatre by, about, and for people with disabilities.

Polyglot play(s): League of Nations(Japanese, Spanish, Korean, English); I Don’t Have To Show you No Stinking Badges (Spanish, English)

 

2003

Topdog/Underdog by Suzan-Lori Parks

Sweet Nothing In My Ear by Stephen Sachs

Wonderful Ice Cream Suit by Ray Bradbury

Salt Fish and Bakes* by Gavin Lawrence

Mixed Blood co-produces the Pulitzer Prize-winning Topdog/Underdog with the Studio Theatre in Washington, D.C.

Expansion of mission to include yet another culture and language with Sweet Nothing in My Ear, produced in both spoken English and ASL.

Polyglot play(s): The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit (Spanish, English); Sweet Nothing In My Ear (ASL and spoken English)

 

2004

Permanent Collection by Tom Gibbons

Flags* by Jane Martin

Living Out by Lisa Loomer

Bill of (W)Rightsby Jeff Hatcher, Rebecca Gilman, Syl Jones, Jane Martin, Liz Wong, Kelly Stuart, Melanie Marnich, and Gavin Lawrence

City Pages names Mixed Blood Best Theatre for Drama.

Minnesota Council of Non-Profits presents Mixed Blood with its Mission Award for Anti-Racism Initiative.

American Theatre Critics Association deemed Flags a finalist for Best New Play in America outside of NYC.

World premiere of Bill of (W)Rights, ten one-act plays performed throughout Mixed Blood’s firehouse facility.

Polyglot play(s): Living Out (Spanish, English).

2005

Queen of the Remote Control* by Sujata Bhatt

Found* by Victor Zupanc

Mad Dancers by Yehuda Hyman

Dance On Widow’s Row by Samm-Art Williams

Indian Cowboy* by Zaraawar Mistry

The Deaf Duckling*^ by Aditi Kapil

Mixed Blood receives Access Award from VSA.

Polyglot play(s): The Deaf Duckling (ASL, spoken English), Mad Dancers (Ladino, Yiddish, Arabic, ASL, Amharak, English); Found (Spanish, English); Take Me Out (Spanish, English).

The Deaf Duckling added to touring repertoire. 

2006

Point of Revue* by Don Cheadle, Lynn Nottage, Kia Corthron, Gavin Lawrence, David Barr, Kirsten Greenidge, Tom Jones, Carlyle Brown, Dwight Hobbes, Syl Jones, Jevetta Steele, Eisa Davis, Robert O’Hara, and Warren Bowles

Ten Percent of Marta Solano* by Richard Strand

Yellowman by Dael Orlandersmith

Vestibular Sense* by Ken LaZebnik

Immigrant Dreams*^ by Gavin Lawrence

Jack Reuler receives Ivey Award for Lifetime Achievement.

Yellowman is the first production in the Guthrie Theatre’s Dowling Studio.

American Theatre Critics Association deems Vestibular Sense a finalist as Best New Play in American outside of NYC.

2007

Messy Utopia* by Naomi Iizuka, Seema Sueko, Aditi Kapil, & Velina Hasu-Houston

Pajama Game by George Abbott (adapted and translated by Mark Valdez)

The Clean House by Sarah Ruhl

Two Queens One Castle by Jevetta Steele and Thomas W. Jones II

Mixed Blood receives MetLife’s Access Award.

Messy Utopia receives Ivey Award for outstanding production.

Two Queens One Castle was performed in 480-seat Loring Theater.

Polyglot play: Clean House (Portugese, English).

2008

1001 by Jason Grote

Distracted by Lisa Loomer

Love Person* by Aditi Kapil

Esperando La Carroza* by Jacobo Langsner

Love Person is the first of seven world premieres by Aditi Kapil.

Polygot play: Esperando La Carroza (Spanish, English)

2009

Ruined by Lynn Nottage

Red Ink* by Rhianna Yazzie, Drew Hayden Taylor, Yvette Nolan, Tomson Highway, Arigon Starr, Darren Renville

The Poetry of Pizza* by Deb Bevoort

Pure Confidence by Carlyle Brown

Sweet 15: Quinceñera by Rick Najera

African America*^  by Warren C. Bowles

Theory of Mind*^ by Ken LaZebnik

Hijab Tube*^ by Seema Sueko

Mixed Blood receives the Ordway’s Sally Award for Vision.

Ruined receives Ivey Award for Outstanding Production.

Pure Confidence moved to eight-week Off Broadway run in NYC, garnering three AUDELCO Awards.

Polygot play: Sweet 15 (Spanish, English).