the 1980s
The 1980s featured a slew of awards, the birth of our touring program, and national recognition.
* denotes world premiere
** denotes regional premiere
^ denotes touring production
1980
Wake by Leni Sloan and Charles Mills
Warp I, II, & III by Bury St. Edmond & Stuart Gordon
Bloody Bess by Bill Norris
I Have A Dream* by Warren C. Bowles and Ken LaZebnik
Mixed Blood wins Twin Cities Drama Critics Circle Award (Kudo) for best production for its science fiction trilogy WARP, featuring Geoff Ewing, Warren Bowles, Pat O’Brien, Steve Yoakam, Lia Rivamonte, Mike Kissin, Margaret McGrady, Sherri Brown, and Ken LaZebnik, among others.
Dr. King’s Dream is performed by Warren Bowles for the first of 2,000+ performances; it becomes the anchor for the theatre’s touring program.
First year of summer training program for low-income Minneapolis teens. Mixed Blood formally separates from Center for Community Action to be independent 501(c)(3). The second staff member was added (Beth Ann Connor) and the first board of directors was Syl Jones, Delroy Calhoun, Nigel Redden, and Doug Lennick.
1981
Cruel Tears** by Ken Mitchell
Accidental Death of an Anarchist** by Dario Fo
Tuesday by Jewel Walker
Strider by Leonid Tolstoy
They’re Coming To Make It Brighter by Kent Broadhurst
Mixed Blood wins Twin Cities Drama Critics Circle Award (Kudo) for best production for its American premiere of Accidental Death of an Anarchist, featuring Warren Bowles, Steve Yoakam, Pat O’Brien, Mike Kissin, Marvette Knight, and Ken LaZebnik.
Cruel Tears was produced in co-production with Chanhassen Dinner Theatre, directed by Howard Dallin with a large cast led by Steve Yoakam and Cynthia Simpson, but also included Warren Bowles, Edna Duncan, Marvette Knight, Joe Keyes, Gregory Williams, and many more.
Actor Pat O’Brien wins Twin Cities drama Critics Circle Award for his performance as title role in Strider.
1982
Black Magic* by Jack Reuler, Bob DeFlores, Ken LaZebnik
100 Years of Solitude* by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (adapted by Dale Wilson)
Basement Tapes* by Eric Brogger
Lemons* by Kent Broadhurst
Paul Robeson*^ by Phillip Hayes Dean
Warren Bowles adds Paul Robeson by Phillip Hayes Dean to Mixed Blood’s touring repertoire.
One Hundred Years of Solitude opened the day after Gabriel Garcia Marquez was given the Nobel Prize for literature.
1983
Holiday Inn* by Irving Berlin (adapted by Jack Reuler)
K2 by Patrick Myer
Mr. Motown* by Jack Reuler
Harlem Renaissance Revue* by Ken LaZebnik
Children of a Lesser God by Mark Medoff
Kabuki Spectacle by Leonard Pronko & Takao Tomono
Motown Opera* by Jack Reuler
Jackie Robinson*^ by Sharon Walton
Mixed Blood begins Midnight Series with Motown Opera, directed by Stephen Yoakam
Warren Bowles adds Jackie Robinson to the touring repertoire.
Holiday Inn, written and directed by Jack Reuler (and Irving Berlin), performed with Wolverines Classic Jazz Orchestra and starring Steve Yoakam, Leni Sloan, Marvette Knight, JoElleyn Geske in a cast of 25. (Additionally, Kasha Foster played Baby New Year in diapers.) It was also Sanford Moore’s first musical director job.
1984
Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand
Tango Fatale* by Jon Averill
Lady Soul* by Jack Reuler
I Cheng* by Maria Cheng and Mike Kissin
Motown Mademoiselles* by Jack Reuler
About Face* by Dario Fo
Jack Reuler is named to Esquire’s first “Register of People Under 40 Who Are Changing America”.
Charlie Moore joins the staff of Mixed Blood.
Lady Soul was Jevetta Steele’s first show at Mixed Blood.
1985
In the Belly of the Beast by Jack Henry Abbott
Beyond Therapy by Christopher Durang
Ohio Tip-Off by James Yoshimura
Rebel Without A Cause* by Jack Reuler (adaptation)
Baby Boomers’ Black Big Bands Meet The Great Falsettos* by Jack Reuler
Mixed Blood is awarded Twin Cities’ Mayors’ Public Arts Award
1986
Rap Master Ronnie by Garry Trudeau & Liz Swados
A…My Name Is Alice by Julie Boyd
Glengarry Glen Ross by David Mamet
A…My Name Is Alice opens for 520 performances over 5 years.
1987
The Mystery of Irma Vep by Charles Ludlum
The Colored Museum by George Wolfe
A…My Name Is Alice by Julie Boyd
How To Improve Your Golf Game* by David Babcock
A Map of the World by David Hare
1988
I’m Not Rappaport by Herb Gardner
The Boys Next Door by Tom Griffin
Calvinisms* by Ken LaZebnik
Happy Birthday Freddy* by Anton Hudek
Liquid Skin* by Doug Anderson
A…My Name Is Alice by Julie Boyd
Mixed Blood featured in Sports Illustrated.
23 year old Don Cheadle stars in Liquid Skin and The Boys Next Door.
1989
Speed The Plow by David Mamet
Only Kidding by Jim Geoghan
Buenavista* by Bernardo Solano
A…My Name Is Alice by Julie Boyd
Ali!* by Geoff Ewing and Graydon Royce
According to Coyote^ by John Kaufmann
According To Coyote by John Kaufmann is added to Mixed Blood’s touring repertoire
Buenavista marks the first annual show by, about, for, and/or with Latinos. This tradition continues through the work of our Latino Advisory Council.
Mixed Blood debuts EnterTRaining, an organizational development & training resource for corporations.
