Lou Bellamy, the founder and artistic director of Penumbra Theatre Company, was today named the McKnight Foundation’s 2006 Distinguished Artist. I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the survival of small arts organizations like Penumbra, what with all the hoopla (and money) flooding the Guthrie and the Walker. When I remember the great theater I’ve seen in this town — the stuff that has really gotten to my head and my heart — I have to say that most of it has been at scrappy little places like Penumbra, the Jungle, and the sadly departed Eye of the Storm.
Lou Gets His Due
Jun 28 2006 — 2:00am
7 Reader Comments
3:14 pm
Hear! Hear!
3:49 pm
The worst theater production I ever saw here was the Macbeth the Jungle did right after it moved into its own expensive and expanded facility. The guy who played Macbeth had a really bad Minnesooootah accent.
He kind of sounded like:
“…that but this blooooow
Might be the be-all and the end-all here,
But here, upon this bank and shoooooal of time…”
4:26 pm
That would be Jim Stowell who played the Brainerd Macbeth, Ahmad, and I’m completely in agreement about the quality of his performance in that show.
4:29 pm
If this is going to be a general theater thread, I want to say some of the very best theater nights I’ve had in the Twin Cities have been at the Jungle. Recent Tragic Events, Hapwood, The Dazzle, and Betrayal come to mind immediately. Bain Boehlke in Mr. Sloan makes up for a hundred bad Macbeths.
4:44 pm
Some of the best theatre I’ve seen in the area has been at the Penumbra and Mixed Blood. I went to high school (DeLaSalle) with the son of one of Penumbra’s directors — I think the last name is Craven — and so we had the opportunity to see a number of great plays at the Penumbra. Admittedly, I graduated from DLS in 2000 and so it hasn’t been since Clinton that I’ve visited these smaller theaters; but nevertheless the smaller theatres in our area are true gems. I agree with the OP, we need to get area philanthropists to help out.
4:57 pm
Get thee to a theater, avehling!
I love the Jeune Lune. Love, love, love. In high school we would go there and we all called it “the weird theater.” Now I get it more than I did then.
5:04 pm
Lou deserves the award. Penumbra is consistently excellent.