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)Rights* by 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.
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.
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).