Mu Performing Arts
Mu Performing Arts is a Minneapolis based theater group formed in 1992 by Rick Shiomi, Dong-il Lee, Diane Espaldon, and Martha Johnson.[1] It is composed of Theater Mu, which features stage performances and Mu Daiko, a taiko drumming ensemble. Currently the third largest Asian-American theater company in the United States,[2] the company is known for its fusion of Asian history and ideas with western. Many productions go beyond a static staged presentation and add elements of music, dance and dynamic storytelling; their shows are an artistic blending of various Asian cultures.
"Mu is the Korean pronunciation of the Chinese character Mu for the shaman-artist-warrior who connects the heavens and the earth through the tree of life." [2]
New Eyes is an annual playwriting festival which was started by Theater Mu in 1993. The goal was to find and encourage new Asian-American writers.[1]
Sources
Rohan, Preston. (2008, March 13). Founder of Mu company honored with Sally Award. Star Tribune,B.2.
Royce, G. (2008) Minneapolis Star Tribune, OnStage: Theater Mu fishes for bigger things January 12, 2008