Our latest version spotlights theatre staff within the Twin Cities space of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minn. If you want to advocate a theatre artist (from anyplace) for a future Position Name, fill out our open Google Type right here.
Addie Gorlin-Han (she/her)
Career: Director, producer, and educator
Hometown: Hopkins, Minn.
Present residence: Minneapolis
Recognized for: Gorlin-Han is the affiliate producer on the Guthrie Theater. She was the director for the 2022 Arkansas Rep manufacturing of Into the Woods that featured Hillary Rodham Clinton because the Large and he or she was the director of the Guthrie’s remount of A Christmas Carol final yr (whereas 9 months pregnant, it’s price noting).
What’s subsequent: On the Guthrie, Gorlin-Han is line-producing the 2024-25 season, which opens in September with The Lehman Trilogy. As a director, she is going to once more lead the Guthrie’s manufacturing of A Christmas Carol in November. Extra upcoming directing credit embrace The Root Beer Woman at Historical past Theatre subsequent January and Enjoyable House at Theater Latté Da subsequent April.
What makes her particular: When Tracy Brigden, senior creative producer on the Guthrie, seems to be at Gorlin-Han, she sees somebody on observe to “be a superb creative director” within the close to future. “Addie makes use of her function as an inventive chief to advocate for native artists, numerous voices, and inclusive practices,” stated Brigden. “She is a good instance of a proficient artist who grew up within the theatre scene right here, left for some time to achieve expertise in different areas, and returned residence to the Twin Cities to make nice work and help this group.”
Theatre and recreation: Gorlin-Han worships the founding moms of the regional theatre motion. “That means, I’m an enormous believer in theatres as very important civic and nonprofit organizations,” she stated. “My grad college classmates referred to as me the Leslie Knope of Minneapolis theatre. I’ve all the time been invested, and enthusiastic, about returning to my hometown. I like directing heart-forward performs for all ages and have developed a penchant for creating wacky, hyper-local, pop-up theatre—from a large-scale Halloween challenge in garages throughout New Haven to a theatre-for-the-very-young play on an island in my dad and mom’ yard. Plans are within the works for a pop-up ‘puppet stand’ for the households in my neighborhood. Ice cream or lemonade? I’m taking votes…”
Brandon Raghu (he/him)
Career: Director, theatre administrator, and producer
Hometown: Arlington, Minn. (“A really small city in rural Minnesota!”)
Present residence: Minneapolis
Recognized for: Raghu is the director of operations at Yellow Tree Theatre in Osseo, Minn. (“A small home with massive goals!” as he put it.) There he’s working to revive the corporate’s monetary well being by restructuring its monetary framework, a strategic overhaul that he stated has set the theatre on a path to attain its highest earned and contributed income yr for the reason that pandemic. His efforts have targeted on implementing sustainable monetary practices and progressive funding fashions. As an artist, Raghu directed Yellow Tree’s manufacturing of Lauren Gunderson’s Toil and Hassle, and he regularly works as an assistant director, together with on the Guthrie’s manufacturing of Dominique Morisseau’s Skeleton Crew earlier this yr.
What’s subsequent: As an administrator, Raghu is working towards an up to date strategic plan for Yellow Tree, protecting fiscal years 2025-28. As an artist, he just lately directed Wisconsin Shakespeare’s new works sequence, Unbelievable Fiction, and can quickly direct Jeffrey Hatcher’s adaptation of Dial M for Homicide at Yellow Tree. Early subsequent yr, he would be the assistant director on the Guthrie’s manufacturing of A Midsummer Night time’s Dream (Feb. 1-March 23, 2025).
What makes him particular: “Brandon is an distinctive artist and human being,” stated Austene Van, government creative director of Yellow Tree. “His brilliance as a director, administrator, and manufacturing supervisor is all the time cradled in pleasure, readability, and professionalism. He’s an unselfish, inventive downside solver and fiercely protecting of the ability arts wields to construct, heal, and convey collectively our communities.”
Hidden corners of the unknown: As a baby, Raghu was all the time captivated by the mysteries of the universe. His heroes have been astronauts, deep-sea explorers, and archaeologists—those that dedicate their lives to uncovering the unknown. Although his profession path by no means went down any of these avenues, he stated he discovered a parallel path in theatre. “The stage grew to become my spaceship,” Raghu stated. “Like an astronaut charting new territories, I’m pushed by the need to discover the complexities of the human situation and the world we inhabit. My journey in theatre is an extension of my childhood dream to uncover the unknown. By the magic of stay theatre, I try to light up the hidden corners of our existence, inviting others to hitch me on this countless journey of discovery.”
Cristina Luzárraga (she/her)
Career: Playwright, instructor
Hometown: Quick Hills, N.J.
Present residence: Minneapolis (although she famous she’ll quickly return to New Jersey to be nearer to household)
Recognized for: I Am Betty, the hit musical about Betty Crocker she wrote with Denise Prosek, debuted at Historical past Theatre in St. Paul in 2023 and will probably be returning once more this vacation season (Nov. 23-Dec. 29). She is a Core Author on the Playwrights’ Heart, the place she’s additionally been a Jerome and McKnight Fellow and was a visiting assistant professor at Macalester School this previous yr.
What’s subsequent: Luzárraga is at the moment within the analysis levels for a brand new musical about Cuba’s Marielitos refugees. She’s additionally engaged on a display challenge concerning the CIA’s covert funding of mid-century artists.
What makes her particular: “Cristina is among the most fun and good comedic playwrights to come back by Playwrights’ Heart throughout my 14-year tenure,” stated Playwrights’ Heart producing creative director Jeremy B. Cohen. “Her writing is so sharp and clear, and he or she’s grow to be an unbelievable a part of the Twin Cities theatre group.”
Survival of the artists: Luzárraga stated she merely needs what all of us need for theatre: for it to outlive, which begins with “strong theatre training for youths, season planning that prioritizes new performs for brand spanking new audiences, and making theatregoing an immersive group expertise, distinct from TV and movie,” she stated. “However let’s be sincere, it additionally simply means extra money, so right here’s to hoping for: 1) New funding streams, and a couple of) Extra appreciation for the sort of poor theatre that’s high-impact however comparatively low-budget.”
Jenny Morris Eisenbraun (she/her)
Career: Choreographer
Hometown: Grand Forks, N.D.
Present residence: Minneapolis
Recognized for: Eisenbraun began as an assistant instructor at her mom’s ballroom dance studio when she was 14. Over time, she’s worn many hats within the arts, from a people singer touring round america and Canada to performing, performing jazz gigs, and dealing as a choreographer. She has choreographed various productions throughout her profession, together with Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella, Annie, and Rattling Yankees. Most just lately she has choreographed Cabaret and The Rocky Horror Present with Orthogonal Productions.
What’s subsequent: Eisenbraun is at the moment choreographing Annie (for a second time) and her third yr of The Rocky Horror Present (run dates to be introduced). Subsequent spring she will probably be choreographing the realm premiere of Triassic Parq with Minneapolis Musical Theatre (March 22-April 13, 2025).
What makes her particular: Brandon Caviness, creative director of Orthogonal Productions, referred to as Eisenbraun a gifted choreographer with a information of traditional performing artwork that borders on encyclopedic. “She has a capability to show that’s digestible and repeatable,” Caviness added. “So whether or not you could have a long time of dance expertise otherwise you’ve by no means danced a step, she will be able to make you shine in all her numbers. She is my proper arm in all of the musicals I direct.”
All voices by motion: Eisenbraun credit her work together with her mom’s dance studio when she was youthful for serving to her develop as an teacher, studying to speak concepts in motion to individuals of all ages and talents. “I really imagine that dance will be for everybody, and I cannot gatekeep,” Eisenbraun stated. “I like to problem my solid, but in addition make them really feel assured and empowered, to point out them off to their biggest strengths so that they feel and appear their greatest! You will need to me that each one voices be heard by motion. It’s one small factor I can do.”
Sarah Bahr (she/her)
Career: Costume and scenic designer
Hometown: Darwin, Minn.
Present residence: Minneapolis
Recognized for: Bahr is understood for her enthusiastic collaboration fashion when designing costumes and surroundings for theatre, opera, and dance. She has labored with quite a few Twin Cities theatre corporations, starting from giant establishments like Minnesota Opera to smaller corporations specializing in new work like Trademark Theater.
What’s subsequent: Bahr will probably be collaborating with Trademark Theater because the costume and scenic designer on their new homicide thriller farce The Reunion, by Tyler Michaels King and Tyler Mills, working Sept. 19-Oct. 12 on the Gremlin Theater. Bahr’s costume and scenic designs will probably be featured within the remount of Luzárraga and Prosek’s I Am Betty. At present, she is engaged on operatic costume designs for the April 2025 opening of director Keturah Stickann’s reimagined Carmen on the Jacobs College of Music at Indiana College.
What makes her particular: Bahr is “a genius, a beautiful instructor, extraordinarily inventive” and “a complete rock star” within the eyes of Amanda Hinkle-Wallace, Strike Anyplace Efficiency Ensemble’s director of training, who attended the College of Minnesota Duluth with Bahr and labored with Bahr for years in New York Metropolis. Christina Baldwin, creative director of the Jungle Theater, added that Bahr is “a uncommon collaborator” primarily based on her innate means to grasp the whole thing of a manufacturing. “Whether or not it’s a deliciously over-the-top character costume—credit score to Sarah for getting a canine into Miss Bennet primarily based on her renderings!—or the supremely dynamic, adaptable playgrounds she creates in a set holding nice depth and delight (Redwood), I rely on Sarah to disclose truths to me that I hadn’t seen and nurture the themes that I hope to see realized within the piece as a complete.”
Working collectively: Bahr is a robust advocate for pay and labor fairness, breaking down boundaries of entry, and diversifying the theatre design and know-how fields within the Twin Cities. Bahr stated she takes these values into the lecture rooms, the place she teaches design programs on the College of Minnesota, Augsburg College, and Macalester School, coaching and mentoring the subsequent era of theatremakers. Bahr stated she’s impressed by her collaborators. She believes in early design course of conferences to collectively hone the imaginative and prescient for a bit and create the groundwork for her designs to develop from and evolve by the design and manufacturing course of.
Wariboko Semenitari (they/them)
Career: Actor
Hometown: Born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria (with household from Rivers State in Nigeria)
Present residence: St. Paul, Minn.
Recognized for: Semenitari was on the earth premiere of JuCoby Johnson’s How It’s Gon’ Be with Underdog Theatre/Combined Blood Theatre and Artistry Theater’s manufacturing of Godspell, directed by Vanessa Agness Brooks. Semenitari made their Guthrie Theater debut of their 2022 manufacturing of The Little Prince.
What’s subsequent: They’re at the moment engaged on a private solo present, Unhealthy Africans: A information to being oshey and hardest in a f*cked up world, which acquired a workshop presentation this previous July with Combined Blood.
What makes them particular: Quite a lot of fellow artists chimed in on Semenitari’s “sheer magnetism onstage,” as actor Grace Hillmyer put it. Actor Jay Alexander praised Semenitari’s work with the group, investing within the abilities of these round them, calling Semenitari “a drive to be reckoned with” who “fearlessly and unapologetically places their complete self into their roles.” For viewers member Hawa Turay, see Semenitari carry out was “the primary time I understood what it was like to look at somebody embody a task. It wasn’t like I used to be watching a present; I used to be watching the character come to life and present me who they’re.”
Forging their very own path: Semenitari stated Black queerness within the face of erasure impressed them to assume outdoors of the field and create their very own lane. “I feel theatre tradition has been rooted in whiteness,” Semenitari stated, “and that soil pushes so many individuals away from it. I’m interested by including new chapters within the canon that permit house for Black our bodies to be seen absolutely in all of our humanity onstage. I need to see extra Black trans individuals onstage. We shouldn’t be uncommon or a spectacle however moderately be seen absolutely in our gentle and rights on the stage.”