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Mission Statement

Theater Mu is a professional Asian American theater company committed to giving voice to Asian Americans. We share our personal experiences, distinct cultures and Asian American vision, creating and producing theater works that can draw on both Asian and Western performing traditions. We focus on providing opportunity and development for Asian American theater artists, and we welcome other artists interested in our approach. Through the transformational power of our theater works, we aspire to redefine Asian American culture and community.

History and Background

Theater Mu was born in spring, an appropriate and auspicious time of year. Co-founders Dong il Lee, Rick Shiomi, Diane Espaldon and Martha Johnson met in May of 1992 to share ideas and dream aloud about creating a Twin Cities-based Asian American theater company that would incorporate both Asian and Western performing traditions, stand out among the country's Asian American theaters and gain international repute for unusual, inspiring work.

"We mulled over the exciting possibilities of mixing together personal stories, traditional Asian performing art forms, a communal work environment, different backgrounds. It sounded pretty good. All we needed now were some Asian American theater artists.

"Asian American theater artists in Minnesota? Looking around, it slowly dawned on us that we could not just found a theater company. We would have to create a community. We would have to grow our own artists. So we held our breath and jumped right in, announcing summer acting workshops for Asian Americans interested in theater, experienced or not.

"We were astonished by the response. Asian American artists came out of the woodwork, a few admitting they had never been in the same room with that many Asians at one time. This was when we realized that Theater Mu was not just an artistic adventure but had a wider effect of building Asian American community. The participants shared intensely personal stories, and at the end of the workshops, turned those stories into short performances. In the course of that first summer, Theater Mu created a community of Asian American theater artists where one had not existed before."

Structure of Theater Mu

Instead of the traditional vertical hierarchy, Theater Mu is structured as a series of concentric rings. At the core is a leadership of four people who provide leadership, vision and direction for the theater company. The core group works as a team with a highly consensual decision-making process in both artistic and administrative matters. The next ring outwards is a small working board which approves general artistic and managerial decisions made by the core group, monitors the financial health of the organization and guides the core group regarding mission, policy and ethics.

We are currently expanding the five-person board to eight. We also have a wider advisory board of artistic, business and community leaders whom we call on regularly for advice and assistance. The outer ring of Theater Mu is the largest, made up of a pan-Asian group of approximately 40-50 active artists and volunteers.

At all levels, Theater Mu is defined by a group-oriented working process. No single ego or personality dominates as is the case in many other organizations. In both the artistic and administrative process, there is a highly collaborative, familial structure The core group strongly encourages discussion and participation by company members. Because they help define the values of the organization, company members feel a sense of ownership and responsibility to Theater Mu. This ensures a shared vision, an inspiring exchange of ideas and a strong sense of community and camaraderie. The group ethic and a consensual decision making process are strong forces in Asian cultures, and most Asian Americans, whether newcomers or fourth-generation, are sensitive and responsive to this dynamic. We believe this is what has helped Theater Mu accomplish ambitious goals in such a short time.

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