For immediate release.
May 18, 2007
Contact: Julie McGarvie
Marketing Director
Penumbra Theatre
651-288-6784
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Two Legendary Theaters Join Forces to Present the Regional Premiere of
Gem of the Ocean by August Wilson

Penumbra Theatre Company Production
Directed by Lou Bellamy
Presented at the Guthrie

May 9, 2007; Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN: Lou Bellamy and Joe Dowling announced today that the Penumbra Theatre Company production of August Wilson’s Gem of the Ocean will be presented by the Guthrie in the McGuire Proscenium Stage in April 2008.

“The collaboration between Penumbra and the Guthrie allows us to come together to create something neither of us could do alone,” Artistic Director Lou Bellamy said. “Penumbra has a strong history of developing work around African American themes including the first professional production of Mr. Wilson. Partnering allows our particular experiences and areas of expertise to join forces, offering the community a unique opportunity to experience Wilson’s work at its best.”

“When we first partnered with Lou and Penumbra on Fences in 1997, we learned that such collaboration could be a successful one,” Guthrie Artistic Director Joe Dowling said. “We’re thrilled that the Guthrie can serve as a community resource for other arts organizations, and this type of partnership will serve to strengthen both the Guthrie and Penumbra.”

Tickets for this regional premiere go on sale June 20, 2007 through the Guthrie Box Office at 612.377.2224, toll-free 877.44.STAGE and online at www.guthrietheater.org.

For Immediate Release
May 4, 2007

"BACKSTAGE WITH BELLAMY"
An Evening of Celebration

May 4, 2007; Minneapolis, MN: Penumbra Theatre Company and the Friends of the University of Minnesota Libraries are pleased to present “Backstage with Bellamy,” an evening of performance and celebration marking Penumbra’s 30 year history and the recent acquisition of Penumbra’s archive by the University Libraries. Free and open to the public, “Backstage with Bellamy” takes place Wednesday, May 16, 2007, at 7:30 p.m. at Willey Hall Auditorium, 225 19th Avenue South, Minneapolis, on the University’s West Bank campus.

The evening’s festivities offer a look behind the scenes in the making of award winning theatre. Bellamy will share personal and artistic highlights and memories and Penumbra favorites Benny Cannon, Shawn Hamilton, T. Mychael Rambo, Dennis Spears, and J.D. Steele will perform live as “The Doves,” smooth crooners of soul, from Penumbra’s upcoming show, Get Ready. Sanford Moore will accompany on piano. A special exhibition of materials from Penumbra’s archive will be on display in Elmer L. Andersen Library on the University campus. This exhibit will be up through May 25. A desert reception will follow the performance.

For immediate release.
February 27, 2007
Contact: Julie McGarvie
Penumbra Theatre
651-288-6784
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For immediate release.
January 26, 2007
Contact: Julie McGarvie
Penumbra Theatre
651-288-6784
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January, 26, 2007; St. Paul, MN: Penumbra Theatre Company, the nation’s preeminent African American theatre, proudly announces a series of workshops offered in conjunction with the RACE: Are We So Different? exhibit of the Science Museum of Minnesota. Meet Your Metaphor: Penumbra Theatre’s RACE Workshop Series is designed to be an active and creative forum for dialogue and discussion around issues raised by the exhibit.

The Workshops, a component of Art for Social Change, the Educational and Outreach Program of Penumbra Theatre Company, encourage thought, dialogue and action around issues of representation and social justice through the use of improvisation, story-telling, forum theatre and facilitated break-away sessions. Facilitators use theatrical techniques established by theorist and activist Augusto Boal to encourage participants to question, constructively criticize and problem-solve. By sharing experiences, participants empower one another and discover universal truths through the specificity of their own lives. The process does not try to make everyone equal; it strives for balance. It celebrates human difference, recognizes cultural nuance and invites everyone to participate in the creation of something none of us could do alone.