Twin Cities Theater and Dance
Located in the Twin Cities, Macalester College is in the heart of a thriving arts community, with more theatre companies per capita than any other city in the country besides New York City. Students can attend performances at prominent companies such as The Guthrie; Jungle Theater; Children’s Theatre Company, the largest theatre company for multigenerational audiences in the United States; and Penumbra Theatre, one of the most influential African-American theatre companies in the nation. The Theater and Dance Department regularly brings its students to professional productions in the Cities.
Countless Macalester Theater and Dance alumni continue to work and produce art in the Twin Cities, where Minnesota State Arts Board provides crucial funding and support to artistic work. This allows for a wide range of unique organizations—including original musical theatre company Theater Latté Da, and The Playwright’s Center, which provides support for playwrights across the country. Macalester students often have the opportunity to meet influential local alumni, leading to exciting and unique opportunities for internships, mentorship, and collaborative projects.
A current, representative list of the Twin Cities professional theaters and dance companies that Macalester theater and dance alums regularly call “home” includes:
THEATRE COMPANIES
- Mixed Blood Theatre
Jack Reuler ’75, Founder and Artistic Director
Aditi Kapil ’94, playwright/director/actress - Guthrie Theatre
Steve Yoakam ’75, acting company
Kristen Larsen ’04, carpenter
Amber Brown ’04, costume/wardrobe - Pillsbury House Theatre
Faye Price ’77, Co-Artistic Director
James Williams III, Artistic Program Manager - Penumbra Theatre Company
James Williams III ‘77, actor and Company Member
Macelle Mahala ’01, former August Wilson fellow and dramaturg; author, Penumbra: The Premier Stage for African American Drama - The Playwrights’ Center
Julia Brown ‘15, casting director - Frank Theatre
Emily Zimmer ‘00, actor
Taous Claire Khazem ‘03, actor - Shuler Shook Theatrical Design Company
Paul Whitaker ‘97, lighting and scenic design consultant - Children’s Theatre Company
Genoveva Castaneda ‘96, associate production manager - Neighborhood BRIDGES Program of the Children’s Theatre Company
Emily Zimmer ’00, teaching artist
Rachel Bernstein ’09, company manager - STAGES Theatre Company
Katia Cardenas ‘10, teaching artist
DANCE COMPANIES
- Ragamala Dance Theatre
Tamara Nadel ’95, dancer - MadKingThomas
Theresa Madaus ’05, Tara King ’05, Monica Thomas ’05, founders and performers - Ananya Dance Theater
Alessandra Williams ‘07, Julia Gay ‘16, Toan Doan ‘19, dancers - Afoutayi Dance, Music, and Arts Company
Jonathan van Arneman ‘16, Nteranya Arnold Sanginga ‘19, dancers - Contempo Physical Dance
Rachel Lieberman ‘18, Mary Mailand ‘19, dancers