ARTS & CULTURE Also in Minneapolis, the Jungle Theater puts on shows in a cozy, glamorously lush space. Its artist cohort includes Native actress Isabella Star LeBlanc (from HBO’s “True Detective”) and Hmong playwright Katie Ka Vang. Also check out the Playwrights’ Center , nurturing titans of theater for decades, and the Children’s Theatre Company , the only children’s theater to win the TONY award for best regional theater. The Moving Company is the reincarnation of the TONY-winning Theatre de la Jeune Lune. Original company members carry on the signature style of highly physical, European-infl uenced, sensory-driven theater, and their shows are often presented by partner theaters like the Guthrie and the Jungle. Mixed Blood , founded as a multiracial theater (one of the nation’s fi rst), has long been an incubator for new Brave New Workshop Credit: Courtesy of Meet Minneapolis work. Its many world premieres include the play by Katori Hall that would later become the Starz drama series “P-Valley.” In St. Paul, the Penumbra Theatre is a pioneering Black theater company known for plays uplifting the Black American experience. Meanwhile, Ten Thousand Things puts on stripped down but superb performances, proving that the only thing you need to tell a story is actors, a script and an audience willing to go along for the ride. Ten Thousand Things employs top talent to perform for those who are currently incarcerated, unhoused or have other barriers to accessing the arts. Each production usually has a run that is open to the public, and these plays and musicals are some of the best in the state. In downtown Duluth, the Duluth Playhouse is one of the nation’s oldest non-profi t theaters and the city’s largest professional company. Enjoy musicals on their mainstage and contemporary plays in their underground space. In Winona, the Great River Shakespeare Festival is a star of the summer lineup. Head to the banks of the Mississippi for this epic month-long celebration of the Bard’s greatest works. Just outside of Minneapolis-St. Paul, Chanhassen Dinner Theatres does big, splashy musicals – think less dusty dinner theater of yore and more new-school Broadway classics (“Jersey Boys”, “The Prom”) with high production values and top talent. The behind-the-scenes team, including brilliant costume designers, are at the top of their game. The venue has a second space for comedy cabarets, drag shows and more. Children’s Theatre Company Credit: Glen Stubbe, Courtesy of Meet Minneapolis Scan to see the full lineup of performing arts events at exploreminnesota.com/ things-to-do/arts-theater-events Chanhassen Dinner Theatre Credit: InsideOut Studios #ONLYIN MN | 37
Explore Minnesota Travel Guide 2025 Explore Minnesota Travel Guide: Page 37
