Forgive me readers for I have sinned, it has been a month since my last post. I spent 2 weeks since my last post at the hospital every night with my son keeping him company (not covid-19 related). That along with the fact there were no shows to attend and review, created the perfect storm of a lack of time and content. I had intended to use the downtime to work on the website and do some features. Somehow the first night home in my own bed and some evening time with my wife led to another two weeks of not sitting down and writing anything. Today that changes. While I have been idle, my fellow Twin Cities Theater Bloggers (TCTBers) have been doing what they can. On our facebook page we have started a new weekly feature called Theater Crush Thursdays. You can access our page by searching in facebook for @TwinCitiesTheaterBloggers I encourage you to pull it up now and follow the page. Along with Theater Crush Thursdays we are also posting events that are happening online so you can get your theater fix during this time of sheltering in place.
This week I wanted to focus Some attention on Mixed Blood Theatre. I saw six performances the last week theatres were open and three of them were at Mixed Blood Theatre. There is something special about a theatre that introduces you to something that comes to hold a special place in your heart. The three performances were all for their World Premiere Production of Interstate. You can read my review of Interstate here. I had actually previously attended only one other production at Mixed Blood Theatre which was Charm in 2016, long before I began reviewing shows. Charm was another production that like Interstate deals with the Transgender experience. The Transgender community is just one of those with whom they work in their mission to as their website says:
“USING THEATER TO ILLUSTRATE AND ANIMATE, MIXED BLOOD CHANGES ATTITUDES, BEHAVIOR, AND POLICY BY PAYING POSITIVE ATTENTION TO DIFFERENCE.“
Mixed Blood Theatre website.
My first experience with Mixed Blood as a reviewer was when I was invited as part of the TCTB to come and meet with the co-creators of Interstate prior to the opening of the show. For me, new to reviewing, it was an unprecedented invitation behind the scenes to get a chance to hear about the creation of a show I would be reviewing. What struck me was the welcoming we received from Tim Komatsu the Audience Engagement Manager and the creators Melissa Li and Kit Yan. We were lucky enough to also meet the three young leads who happened to swing through after catching dinner together. Of course they were all very nice and welcoming, they wanted us to review their production. But even after my review was published and I came back for as many performances as I could before they closed early, Tim and the theatre staff were always on hand to assist with accessibility concerns for my son who utilizes a walker.
Accessibility is another aspect that Mixed Blood Theatre take very seriously, whether it is physical or financial, mixed blood tries to remove any impediments it can. They call this initiative “Radical Hospitality” and it takes many forms. They have four advisory councils who help them identify and remove barriers for those who want to engage with Mixed Blood. For Transgender People bathrooms can be a huge issue, Mixed Blood has all single stall restrooms. They are on the second floor and there is an elevator right outside the restrooms for those for whom stairs are not manageable. In terms of economic accessibility, they have a policy of no-cost admission to anyone beginning two hours before every performance on a first come first served basis. For those with the economic resources to attend the theatre there is guaranteed admission, which means buying your tickets ahead of time through the box office online or by phone.
Mixed Blood Theatre focuses on works that address issues of social justice, inclusion, and the unseen and underrepresented in our communities. They tackle works that have social and cultural significance with an eye towards bringing us all closer together. They live up to these lofty goals through the works they perform the outreach programs they participate in and the way with which they utilize their space and treat their audience members.
In this time of uncertainty when every theatre has closed down it is important to remember the people who create these spaces and works. They cannot survive indefinitely without resources, remember when these shows closed early or were cancelled, many tickets needed to be refunded. Most theatre’s operate on very tight budgets and rely on that income for rent, utilities, and payroll. Mixed Blood Theatre is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and as such they rely on grants, donations, and ticket sales to survive. If this sounds like your kind of theatre and a worthy theatre to support (It is!!), please consider making a donation. Another option for supporting the theatre is the membership program. Becoming a member for just $9 a month or $13 for a duo membership gets you access to everything they do all year long. You can become a member by clicking here https://mixedblood.com/box-office/member/. To donate to Mixed Blood Theatre click here https://mixedblood.com/support/. Finally, there is an online event coming up called Radical Hope: A Benefit to Sustain Mixed Blood Theatre on April 25th from 5:00 PM to 5:45 PM. you can learn more about it and RSVP to attend at https://mixedblood.com/support/radical-hope/?mc_cid=3d5784f887&mc_eid=c38eb303cd
The Stages of MN 
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