Photo credits: Sun Serpent, Childsplay 2011, Tempe AZ. Ricky Araiza, Andrea Morales, Andres Alcala. Photo by Heather Hill.

About a week ago, I was invited to join the Latino Advisory Council (LAC). LAC exists to advise Mixed Blood Theatre on ways of engaging Latino/a audiences in Minneapolis.  This volunteer group, comprised of members from diverse community organizations, guides efforts that make Mixed Blood Theatre the premiere stop for Latino theatre audiences.

I am honored to join such a respectable cultural organization. Prior to arriving in Minneapolis, I performed a general web search and found Mixed Blood. Instantly, I was struck by their commitment to postcolonial discourse through the arts, as well as their dedication to making the performing arts accessible to all members of the community. In particular,  their ongoing selection of polyglot shows and Radical hospitality is noteworthy. For example, their upcoming bilingual show, Sun Serpent, will be a refreshing addition to standard monolingual programming found in most places. Likewise, their approach to hospitality tumbles exclusionist models by providing obtainable performance experiences.  Simply put, all shows are free. If audience members desire a guaranteed a seat, all they have to do is pay in advance. Mixed Blood’s initiatives are truly respectable.