AMERICAN THEATRE | Katie Bradley Named Theater Mu Interim Creative Director

MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL: Theater Mu, the Midwest’s largest Asian American theatre firm, has introduced that Katie Bradley would be the firm’s interim inventive director beginning in August, whereas the board seeks a successor to departing inventive director Lily Tung Crystal. On this place Bradley, who joins managing director Anh Thu T. Pham as a co-leader, will report back to the board of administrators, produce the 2024-’25 season programmed by Crystal, and oversee Mu’s ongoing outreach and neighborhood applications. Bradley has labored with Mu since 2006 as an actor, educating artist, producer, and director, most not too long ago directing the 2024 world premiere of Hells Canyon by Keiko Inexperienced. 

“Theater Mu has had an infinite inventive impression on my profession through the years, starting in 2006 when co-founder Rick Shiomi solid me in A Midsummer Night time’s Dream,” mentioned Bradley in an announcement. “Not solely did I’ve an area to coach and hone my abilities each onstage and behind the scenes, however Mu additionally gave me the chance to obtain mentorship from different Asian American artists within the firm, together with Lily. Lily is leaving Theater Mu in such a robust place, and as interim inventive director, my purpose is to offer as clean a transition as potential for the employees and the neighborhood.”

Bradley made her Twin Cities appearing debut in 2005 with the previous Theatre de La Jeune Lune, and through the years has carried out at Mu, the Guthrie Theater, Ten Thousand Issues Theater, Youngsters’s Theatre Firm, Full Circle Theater, Open Eye Theatre, and others. Regionally, she has been on stage on the Oregon Shakespeare Pageant, Indiana Repertory Theatre, Cincinnati Playhouse within the Park, Pacific Conservatory Theatre, and Wallis Annenberg Heart in Los Angeles. As a director, she helmed Anna Ouyang Moench’s Man of God (2022) and Hells Canyon (2024) at Mu, along with directing play workshops and readings, and assistant directing on the Guthrie Theater (Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner with Tim Bond) and Mu (peerless with Tung Crystal). 

Past Theater Mu’s mainstage productions, Bradley has had an element in all of Mu’s Education schemes, as a lead instructor for the Mu Tales faculty residencies. She has additionally taught a number of Mu Coaching Institute lessons, designed for aspiring or working BIPOC artists ages 16-plus, and he or she has taught at Mu Explorations Summer time Camp. 

“Katie has labored with Mu in some capability yearly since I’ve been managing director,” Pham says. “She’s been part of Theater Mu’s progress these final couple of years, and I’m wanting ahead to working along with her on this new position as we proceed to develop.”

Theater Mu is presently reviewing proposals by a number of search companies who will assist form the nationwide search course of for a everlasting inventive director. Mentioned Tung Crystal in an announcement, “I’ve a deep love of Mu, and whereas it breaks my coronary heart to go away, I’m thrilled that the theatre, in addition to the artists and work I’ve shepherded for our upcoming seasons, is in Katie and Anh Thu’s succesful and loving palms whereas the board launches a seek for my everlasting successor.”

Based in 1992, Theater Mu strives to inform tales from the guts of the Asian American expertise, presenting a fusion of conventional and modern inventive iJUKKzXYCjMMApzIFys4juences, which vary from classics to up-and-coming voices in our neighborhood. As of 2023, its price range was round $1.3 million.

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