“beware the trail when the red planet shows…”

nimbus returns to the stage with The Red and the Bright

nimbus unveils its latest original work, their landmark 50th production, which also marks the group's 20th anniversary, at the Crane Theater in Northeast Minneapolis.

Written by Liz Neerland and directed by Josh Cragun.
Opening December 4th and performing through December 19th, 2021.

(Minneapolis, MN) November 19, 2021 The Red and the Bright takes us to another world, one where the trees tell time and an ancient horror has returned to ravage a small village.

The residents of Motherpine Station prepare for the Crossing - an annual ritual it is their ancient duty to lead. Only the pilgrims have stopped coming, and something more terrifying has arrived instead.

When the eyes in the woods get too close, will the strength of one young woman, armed with a horn and a story, be enough to help the village survive? Or will the return of an ancient beast mean the end of all?

Playwright Liz Neerland was originally inspired by historical tales of rogue wolves, especially the story of Lobo, a “killer wolf” that was stuffed and displayed for 80 years outside a store in Bemidji, MN.

“I became fascinated by the reputation of wolves across cultures and history,” Neerland said. “Many people have myths about wolves, and many places have stories of killer wolves, rogue wolves, dangerous wolves. But once you dig into the details, you start to realize how maligned these magnificent creatures really are.”

Rather than telling a historical story that ends badly for the wolf, Neerland pivoted towards a fictional tale, set in a fantasy world, where attitudes about wolves may be similar, but the outcome is quite different.

“As soon as I started thinking about a fictional story,” she went on, “I got excited about not just creating the story, but the whole world. It’s a place with humans and air and basically the same laws of physics, but it’s also alien in very many ways. It was fun to create an entire world from scratch.”

Originally scheduled for an April 2020 opening, nimbus is thrilled to finally bring their 50th production to life, two years after their previous show. Director Josh Cragun described the excitement of finally being in the rehearsal room again.

“We started developing this show in February, 2020, and were almost done creating the script when the pandemic shut us, and everything else, down. We’ve spent the last 18 months looking forward to the day we could safely bring this story to life on stage. We’re thrilled that day is finally here.”

Started at the MN Fringe Festival in 2001, this production marks nimbus’ 50th show in 20 years. The work nimbus creates is playwright-led devised theater, which means that a new script is created by a playwright in collaboration with an ensemble cast and design team, allowing the choices of the actors and designers to inform the script and the story. “50 is a big deal,” said Cragun. “We’ve done so much, and come so far across those 50 shows and 20 years. I can’t wait to see what comes next.”

Featuring Faith Culbertson, Mitchell Frazier, Brian Hesser, Ariel Pinkerton, Boo Segersin, Dana Lee Thompson

Design by Ursula K. Bowden, Forest Godfrey, Caitlin Hammel, Corinna Knepper Troth, Rubble&Ash, Tony Stoeri

Stage Managed by Alyssa Thompson

THE RED AND THE BRIGHT

Playing December 4-19, 2021 
Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 PM
Sundays at 3:00 PM
Industry Night Monday, December 13
Tickets $5 - $45 sliding scale

Performances at the Crane Theater
2303 Kennedy Street NE
Minneapolis, MN 55413

Tickets: nimbustheatre.com or 612-548-1380

nimbus has been creating dynamic original theater in the Twin Cities since 2001. Our unique process for the creation of playwright-led collaborative work combined with their passion for creating bold, eclectic theater has been dazzling audiences for 20 years. Founded and led by playwrights and run by the artists themselves, we are dedicated to creating theatre that crosses boundaries, promotes imagination, and ignites new conversations. 

For more information:
Contact: Liz Neerland
Phone: 612-618-9855
email: liz@nimbustheatre.com

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