The Jungle Theater

It may be only Wednesday, but it has been an eventful week at the Jungle Theater. We have been busy getting ready for this weekend's Jungle Cohort Summer Showcase with workshops, rehearsals, and even the preparations/painting of our new mural.

The Jungle Theater and our Artistic Cohort invite you to join us this Friday, Saturday and Sunday for a joyous weekend of play readings, food trucks, art, and community gathering. Learn more and get your PAY AS YOU ARE tickets at jungletheater.org/jungle-cohort-summer-showcase

TODAY: We are excited to have the very talented Pagnia Xiong take over our Jungle Theater Instagram!

Head over to instagram.com/jungletheater to follow along and take an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at our Jungle Cohort Summer Showcase workshops.

Coming to our Jungle Cohort Summer Showcase this weekend? Be sure to check out the awesome food trucks that will in our Jungle parking lot.

We are so excited to have Trickster Tacos LLC (Urban Native Cuisine, Friday) and Her Flowers Deli (Egg Rolls, Hmong Sausage & Rice; Friday & Saturday) in our Jungle lot available for our patrons to purchase food in between readings.

Learn more and get your PAY AS YOU ARE tickets for our readings today at bit.ly/jungleshowcase

Directed by Sara Pillatzki-Warzeha and starring cohort member Isabella Star LaBlanc, this intimate and exhilarating solo piece forces us to consider what it means to belong in an increasingly globalized world.

Part of our Jungle Cohort Summer Showcase, you can see this moving reading of Madeline Sayet's piece on July 26 at 7:30pm & July 27 at 7:30pm. PAY AS YOU ARE tickets: bit.ly/WWBShowcase.

OTHER WHERE WE BELONG WEEKEND HAPPENINGS:
In addition to the reading, we hope you join the WHERE WE BELONG team (director Sara Pillatzki-Warzeha and actor Isabella Star Lablanc) and Dakota language teacher and activist Rickymae Littlest Feather for a post-show conversation about Dakota language revitalization and the work that is being done to today to teach and reclaim the language.

Our previously announced Sunday event, An Evening with Marcie Rendon, highlights the writings local, award-winning author Marcie Rendon, an enrolled member of the White Earth Nation, author, playwright, poet, and freelance writer. RSVP for this free community event at bit.ly/Summer_Showcase_Sunday.

Did you catch yesterday's announcement? We are only ONE WEEK AWAY from our Jungle Cohort Summer Showcase and our FIRST LOOK at Katie Ka Vang's FAST FWD MOTIONS!

This world premiere follows a team of working-class Hmong-American women practicing and competing in their ferocious Volleyball League here in Minnesota.

This high-energy script introduces the teammates as they show up for practice—but the more time we spend with these women, what the sport and the team mean to them become clear as life circumstances pull them in different directions.

You won't want to miss this behind-the-scenes look at the development of this world premiere during our showcase. Play readings will be 4pm on Friday, July 26 and 7:30pm on Saturday, July 27. PAY AS YOU ARE ticket available at: https://bit.ly/FFMShowcase

Another shoutout to our season art! Created by Cassandra Xiong; find on Instagram:

The Jungle Theater is excited to announce its latest season! With the return of the critically acclaimed DINNER FOR ONE, the world premiere of FAST FWD MOTIONS, a full lineup of play readings and more, join us for a season of delightful and thought-provoking performances.

View our entire season announcement and learn how you can get your tickets today online at bit.ly/JungleSeason

The Jungle Theater is excited to announce that our LynLake theater is getting a new mural, helping celebrate our 25 years in this building and look forward to the exciting new things on our horizon.

Artists Christina Vang of La Bang Studio and Ka Oskar Ly of Ua Si Creative have put together a wonderful, colorful and meaningful piece that celebrates the Jungle Theater and our community.

The pair will be working on this new work throughout the next couple weeks with the community being invited to watch the transformation during our Summer Showcase July 26 & 27.

Check out our Jungle Blog to read more about this new project and hear from the artist behind our previous mural:

Jungle Welcomes New Mural to Transform Back Wall — Jungle Theater The Jungle Theater is excited to announce that our LynLake theater is getting a new mural, helping celebrate our 25 years in this building and look forward to the exciting new things on our horizon. Artists Christina Vang of La Bang Studio and Ka Oskar Ly of Ua Si Creative have put together a wond

If you can't join us all day, don't worry! Tickets to each individual readings are on sale now for our Jungle Cohort Summer Showcase!

Grab your seat for either WHERE WE BELONG (bit.ly/WWBShowcase) or a first look at FAST FWD MOTIONS (https://bit.ly/FFMShowcase) with our PAY AS YOU ARE pricing.

Learn more about the shows and all the weekend happenings at jungletheater.org/jungle-cohort-summer-showcase

Jungle Cohort Summer Showcase — Jungle Theater The Jungle Theater and its Artistic Cohort have put together a special weekend filled with play readings and other activities to celebrate and showcase local artists! Friday and Saturday will feature readings of FAST FWD MOTIONS (written by Katie Ka Vang) and WHERE WE BELONG (a solo piece by Madeli...

We are so excited to announce the cast for FAST FWD MOTIONS play reading and workshop! Following a team of Hmong-American women who play in a Minnesota volleyball league, this high-energy script explores how the sport and team empower our characters.

Learn more and get your tickets for the Jungle Cohort Summer Showcase at jungletheater.org/jungle-cohort-summer-showcase.

FEATURING:
Pagnia Xiong
Megan Kim
Melody Her
Michelle de Joya
Juanita Vang
Momoko Tanno
Phasoua Vang
Kaysone Syonesa
Sheena Janson Kelley

SAVE THE DATE! We are officially announcing our 2024/25 Season in JUST ONE WEEK! Check back next Wednesday, July 17 at 4:30pm to see what is coming to our Jungle Theater stage next year.

Our Box Office phones will be open ready for FlexPass Subscription orders that very day. Get ready for our announcement by signing up for our newsletter at: https://bit.ly/JungleNewsletter

Have you grabbed your free ticket to An Evening with local author, playwright, and poet Marcie Rendon, happening Sunday, July 28 at 7:30pm as part of our Jungle Cohort Summer Showcase?

Her latest script SWEET REVENGE was featured in our Play Reading Series this past March and we are so excited to welcome her back to the Jungle with a special evening highlighting her writings! Get your free ticket to this special evening at https://bit.ly/Summer_Showcase_Sunday.

ABOUT MARCIE RENDON:
Marcie R. Rendon is an enrolled member of the White Earth Nation, author, playwright, poet, and freelance writer. Also a community arts activist, Rendon supports other native artists / writers / creators to pursue their art, and is a speaker for colleges and community groups on Native issues, leadership, writing.

She is an award-winning author of a fresh new murder mystery series, and also has an extensive body of fiction and nonfiction works.

The creative mind behind Raving Native Theater, Rendon has also curated community created performances such as Art Is… Creative Native Resilience, featuring three Anishinaabe performance artists, which premiered on TPT (Twin Cities Public Television), June 2019.

Rendon was recognized as a 50 over 50 Change-maker by MN AARP and POLLEN in 2018. Rendon and Diego Vazquez received a 2017 Loft Spoken Word Immersion Fellowship for their work with women incarcerated in county jails.

Happy Monday!

We wanted to share an exceptional work of our Uptown theater by Jason Folkerts, who has been working on a whole series of Twin Cities theaters. Thank you so much for the lovely piece!

Take a look at the theater prints so far at www.polkadotstudio.biz/jasonfolkerts

Our SUMMER SHOWCASE is just around the corner! Get your Ticket Bundle by giving our Box Office a call today or Friday (see hours below), or at any time by visiting us online at jungletheater.org/jungle-cohort-summer-showcase.

JUNGLE BOX OFFICE HOLIDAY PHONE HOURS
Wednesday, July 3 -- 4:30pm - 7:30pm
Thursday, July 4 -- CLOSED
Friday, July 5 -- 4:30pm - 7:30pm

612.822.7063

Our JUNGLE COHORT SUMMER SHOWCASE is later this month, spanning the weekend of July 26-28. This special showcase will celebrate our Artistic Cohort's talents with script readings, food, fun, and more! Pay As You Are Ticket Bundles available now!

We are so excited for the play reading of Katie Ka's newest work FAST FWD MOTIONS. This public reading is just one more step in development of this new story by cohort member Katie Ka Vang. The script will be workshopped all week, and audiences will have a special opportunity to be a part of the play-working process.

Be sure to grab your Friday or Saturday Ticket Bundle today to reserve your seat for this show and the rest of the SUMMER SHOWCASE festivities, with tickets ranging from $40 to FREE. Learn more about the readings and our Ticket Bundles at jungletheater.org/jungle-cohort-summer-showcase.

We are only a month away from our JUNGLE COHORT SUMMER SHOWCASE! Spanning the weekend of July 26-28, this special showcase will celebrate our Artistic Cohort's talents with script readings, food, fun, and more! Pay As You Are Ticket Bundles available now!

You have seen her on the Jungle stage (LITTLE WOMEN, THE WOLVES, IS EDWARD SNOWDEN SINGLE?) and on screen in True Detective. Isabella Star LaBlanc brings to life the words of Madeline Sayet in a very special reading of WHERE WE BELONG.

In 2015 Mohegan theater artist Madeline Sayet goes to England to pursue a PhD in Shakespeare, despite her family's trepidation. Her experiences and reflections on the power of language, the significance of ancestors, and the impact of colonialism form this intimate and exhilarating solo piece that invites us to consider what it means to belong in an increasingly globalized world.

Be sure to grab your Friday or Saturday Ticket Bundle today to reserve your seat for this show and the rest of the SUMMER SHOWCASE festivities, with tickets ranging from $40 to FREE. Learn more about the readings and our Ticket Bundles at jungletheater.org/jungle-cohort-summer-showcase.

We are so excited to announce another General Audition Opportunity this summer!

Auditions will be held at the Jungle Theater Monday, July 8. We are seeking union actors for various roles in our upcoming 2024/25 Season and our popular Script Reading Series. Learn more at jungletheater.org/workwithus.

Today is our first day of summer phone hours for our Box Office.

Give us a call at 612.822.7063 between 4:30 and 7:30pm today to get your PAY AS YOU ARE ticket bundle for our JUNGLE COHORT SUMMER SHOWCASE!

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Box Office Summer Phone Hours

Wednesday - Friday:
4:30pm - 7:30:pm

SUMMER SHOWCASE ticket bundles are on sale now!

As part of our Pay As You Are ticket model, bundles are available at $40, $30, $20, $10, as well as free. While we see $20 as the market price for these tickets, we just ask you to pay what you can to support this work and our theater.

Each bundle includes an assigned seat at both readings, access to post-show talkbacks, and special discounts to participating LynLake restaurants, and more!

Learn more below!

Jungle Cohort Summer Showcase — Jungle Theater The Jungle Theater and our Artistic Cohort (Katie Ka Vang, Isabella Star LaBlanc) is proud to produce an exciting NEW WORKS SHOWCASE this summer. Spanning the weekend, this showcase will celebrate our cohort's talents with a workshop, script readings, food, fun and more!

We cannot wait for our Cohort Summer Showcase next month and PAY AS YOU ARE ticket bundles go on sale in JUST ONE WEEK! Learn more about our events and ticket bundles at jungletheater.org/jungle-cohort-summer-showcase

In addition to our script readings, the Summer Showcase will also include special events, local food, and add-ons to enhance these new works all weekend long:

Friday, July 26
FAST FWD MOTIONS 4:00pm | WHERE WE BELONG 7:30pm

Saturday, July 27
WHERE WE BELONG 4:00pm | FAST FWD MOTIONS 7:30pm

Sunday, July 28
An Evening with Marcie Rendon | 7:30pm

More LynLake neighborhood love! It is officially patio season and did you know that LynLake has some of the best rooftop patios in the city? Check out LynLake Brewery, moto-i, or Up-Down Minneapolis to enjoy the weather this weekend and some views of the Minneapolis skyline!

And a shoutout to the other amazing patios in our LynLake area: Iconos Gastro Cantina, Iron Door Pub, James Ballentine "Uptown" VFW - Post 246 , Bryant Lake Bowl & Theater, Lake and Bryant Cafe, Casablanca, and Lago Tacos.

13 Essential Rooftop Bars in the Twin Cities Pair lawn bowling, craft sake, or tacos with a sunset.

JUNGLE COHORT IN THE NEWS:

Kathryn Kovalenko and Indian Country Today sat down with Artistic Cohort member Isabella Star LaBlanc to talk about growing up acting in the Twin Cities, her recent role in HBO's True Detective, and the Native community that she carries with her through performance on set and onstage.

Representing generations Sisseton Wahpeton Dakota actor Isabella Star LaBlanc carries her community with her as she navigates the pressures of the film industry

SAVE THE DATE for July 26 through the 28 and our Jungle Cohort Summer Showcase! Tickets go on sale June 18th at 4:30pm.

JUNGLE COHORT SUMMER SHOWCASE | July 26 - 28
With Katie Ka Vang & Isabella Star LaBlanc | A weekend celebrating local artists & new work

We are so excited to present a weekend of script readings, new work, and special events that celebrate our Jungle Theater Cohort during our Summer Showcase.

Follow us online as we announce more special events and add-ons for the weekend: https://www.jungletheater.org/jungle-cohort-summer-showcase

A JUMPING-OFF POINT took its final bow this past weekend after its run on our Jungle stage.

Thank you to all those who joined us for this "smartly written, crisply designed, well acted, relevant and thought-provoking (Cherry and Spoon)" new production; the incredible and talented A JUMPING-OFF POINT team; our show's sponsor RBC Wealth Management; and to our Jungle supporters for investing in new work.

Coming to tonight's show? We wanted to send out a special reminder to come early for our special BlackOut Community Night: A JUMPING OFF POINT!

The evening will kick off with a pre-show conversation with the show’s director Shá Cage and Brettina Davis (Assistant Director) as they share their own experiences and also ask stimulating questions to prepare our audience for the performance. The Jungle will also be providing some themed snacks for participants!

The preshow conversation will start at 6:45pm so we encourage you to come early and celebrate this bold, new work!

There is still time to grab your tickets! Your PAY AS YOU ARE ticket includes both the show and preshow! Tickets start at just $10 by using promo code COMEEARLY5OFF to take $5 our PAY AS YOU ARE tickets for tonight's show and this special event.

Art comes in many forms; and on this Art-A-Whirl weekend of celebrating local artists, we hope you can also find time to support the performing arts.

With PAY AS YOU ARE tickets starting at only $15, and air conditioning to help you cool off after walking all over North East Minneapolis, join us at the Jungle Theater for the closing weekend of Inda Craig-Galván's A JUMPING-OFF POINT.

Learn more about the show and purchase your tickets at jungletheater.org/a-jumping-off-point.

Photos by Lauren B. Photography, ft Vinecia Coleman, Gabriel Murphy, Ashawnti Sakina Ford

GENERAL AUDITION OPPORTUNITY

The Jungle is joining theaters across the Twin Cities at Park Square Theatre June 3 & 4 for general auditions. We are seeking union and non-union actors for various roles in our upcoming 2024/25 Season and our popular Script Reading Series.

Learn more about the auditions and how to reserve your spot on Minnesota Playlist: https://minnesotaplaylist.com/audition/park-square-theatre-general-auditions-aeaemc-priority-and-non-equity

"Overall, A JUMPING-OFF POINT is a must-see production that resonates deeply with contemporary audiences. Its relevance, combined with superb acting and dynamic staging, makes it a compelling theatrical experience not to be missed."

Another review for the show's final week! Read more from Broadway World below. Get your tickets for A JUMPING-OFF POINT at jungletheater.org.

Review: A JUMPING-OFF POINT at The Jungle Theater What did our critic think of A JUMPING-OFF POINT at The Jungle Theater?

We are entering our FINAL WEEK of A JUMPING-OFF POINT performances. Our show must close Sunday, May 19th. Get your PAY AS YOU ARE tickets today for this "smartly written, crisply designed, well acted, relevant and thought-provoking 90-minute-no-intermision play" (Cherry and Spoon) at jungletheater.org.

Coming to tonight's show? Be sure to get here early for a special COME-EARLY with Shá Cage (Director), Brettina Davis (Assistant Director), AND Iris Luz Hernandez (Director/Dramaturg Youth Apprentice). This conversation about the creative process behind the Jungle's production of A JUMPING-OFF POINT will start at 6:45pm in our Jungle lobby.

Come prepared by checking out THE DRAMATURGICAL RESEARCH CORNER at jungletheater.org/the-dramaturgical-research-corner

Tickets are still available for tonight's show! Use promo code COMEEARLY5OFF to take $5 your PAY AS YOU ARE tickets to grab them for only $10: www.jungletheater.org/a-jumping-off-point