UPCOMING DISCUSSIONS
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"This program is inspiring, both to students and to the rest of us. It's a great way to help them see how important and relevant (and vibrant) arts in their community are to the rest of their lives and to their own experiences."
Irene Faass -
Professor at MCTC
February 19 - March 15, 2026
Written by Jaclyn Backhaus
Directed by Joy Dolo
The American government sends a crew of explorers down a river to name and claim things that aren’t theirs to own– and they soon hit rough waters. Riffing on the history of the 1869 John Wesley Powell expedition through the Grand Canyon and played by a cast of people the first journey left out, Men on Boats is a raucous adventure that questions our mixed-up myths of masculinity and Manifest Destiny. While based on Powell's journals, the play takes liberties to create a modern narrative, often downplaying or omitting Powell's problematic aspects, such as his views on Native Americans, and giving the audience a psychological re-examination of manhood, leadership, and who gets to claim the title of "hero" in historical narratives.
NOTE: IN-CLASS DISCUSSIONS FOR MEN ON BOATS WILL TAKE PLACE FEBRUARY 16 - FEBRUARY 27, 2026.
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April 4 - May 3, 2026
Written by Hansol Jung
Directed by Addie Gorlin-Han
WOLF PLAY is about a young boy (played by a wolf) that asks the question: “What is a family, and what do we need from families today? Is it very different from what humans have needed from families before?” An internet chat room connects a family looking to ‘re-home’ their young Korean son to a lesbian couple--where one half is desperate for a child and the other half is fighting for their career. The boy’s original adoptive father was all set to hand him over until he realizes the boy would have no “dad.” Caught in the middle of this off-the-record adoption gone sideways, the child launches himself into a lone wolf’s journey to finding a pack he can call his own. Award-winning South Korean playwright Hansol Jung’s WOLF PLAY delves into questions about what constitutes a family, the complexities of international adoption, and the impact of cultural displacement. It also explores themes of identity, trauma, and the universal desire for connection and a "pack" (family).
NOTE: IN-CLASS DISCUSSIONS FOR WOLF PLAY WILL TAKE PLACE APRIL 6 - APRIL 17, 2026.
JuCoby Johnson and Stuart Gates at Normandale Community College facilitating an On Stage discussion about Actually
Miriam Schwartz, Lucas Erickson and Michelle O'Neill at Normandale Community College after facilitating an On Stage discussion about Actually
