Leadership and Change

The conversation with Jack prior to last Wednesday's performance was a unique and valued experience. He has been a leader in the Minneapolis theatre community for decades, moving forward with a vision for expanding the awareness of citizens to those who live around them.

His comment that traveling to the theatre itself -- through an immigrant neighborhood and parking in an area where my safety felt a bit challenged -- is an intentional part of the Mixed Blood mission. Their location is part of their mission, their vision, of connecting audiences with the community as well as providing throught-provoking theatre.

Commissioning specific playwrights to address social themes, and using focus groups to discuss community issues such as domestic violence, ethnic values, language differences, and accessibility speaks to the theatre's commitment to a shared vision that has served them well during the past 30 years.

I have visited Mixed Blood before and seen a variety of quality performances addressing a number of social issues. Those visits, infrequent as they were, changed me. They made me think in a new way, increased my level of empathy, provided fuel for conversation. That Mixed Blood has survived and impacted the Twin Cities when so many theatre groups flounder and fail is largely the result of a visionary leader. - nan