Bedlam Theatre

29 December, 2010

Greetings all aquaintances new and old…

As the change-of-year approaches, we at Bedlam are feeling very grateful for our friend s and family, feeling nostalgia for the past (near 2 decades!), and brimming with anticipation and vision for our future.

2010 has been yet another roller coaster of amusement and thrills. INVEST NOW in a FANTASTIC BEDLAM 2011, click click.

A glance back at the first half of the year lists more Bedlam shows, guest productions, social events and community programming then any full year previous. We look back fondly at Channeling Carol curated by Jeffry Lusiak,  I Heart Hamas and other things I’m afraid to tell you by Jennifer Jajeh, and Welcome to Dystopia by Four Humors as well as Bedlam’s 2010 Fest, Queertopia, and Persephone: Reign of Fire with the Infiammati Fire Circus.  SEE the PAST YEAR IN THEATRE HERE

There were the Bomps, Romps, Full Moon Cabarets, over 100 bands, and of course, Fringe.  Alongside a busier than ever Fringe Central at Bedlam, our C.R.A.Z.Y (Cedar-Riveride Art Zone for Youth) had it’s first full length presentation Aniga, Adiga while a hilarious castperformed Josef Evans’ Superlatives of Excellence who puts it best: “Ah, Memories. I remember them well”. SEE the PAST YEAR of COMMUNITY & SOCIAL EVENTS HERE and MUSIC and CABARET HERE.

This amazing list of activity was eclipsed, of course, by our move out of 1501 S. 6^th St. in September. So many folks turned out to help with the move that we are still weepy with gratitude. The rest of the year we have spent settling into the Bedlam Community Design Center (BC-DC) at the Ivy Building and beginning to plan Bedlam NEXT.

While right now you may be missing a little Bedlam in your life, soon the days will  be back when you’re basically with us all the time  enjoying that special combo of socializing, art, and community.

HOW SOON???

Well, hell, here’s some details on 2011: Bedlam ON LOCATION

Jan 22nd - POSTPONED, MORE INFO TBA

• A Bedlam/Barebones PUPPET CHOMP at Heart of the Beast POSTPONED

Feb 4th-Feb 20th

• BRECHT-acle: Bedlam and Open Eye co-present The BRICKLAYERS (Chicago,IL) and their masked, spectacle production of Bertolt Brecht’s Mother Courage – in a new translation by TONY KUSHNER – starring Barbra Berlovitz at THE LAB, downtown,  with social events around Minneapolis.

April and May

• The 10^th Bedlam Community Ten Minute Play Festival
• A Bedlam/Walker Art Center co-presentation of  Improbable Theater‘s production of The Devil and Mr. Punch.
• A Bedlam/Northrup co-presentation of THE WHIZ: MONEYAPOLIS by NYC’s Nicolas Leichter & Monstah Black.

June

• Queertopia
• the Infiammati Fire Show

July

• Bedlam & Mixed Blood Theater presentVOICES OF CEDAR-RIVERSIDE a new play inspired by stories of East African residents of Cedar-Riverside, created by an ensemble of youth and young adults with playwright David Grant, ensemble leader Maren Ward and director John Bueche.

THE FUTURE!!!!!!

If you’ve read this far you may be hoping to read some news about a new space.  Yes. OMG SO MANY OPTIONS! Right now, we are focusing on our infrastructure in preparation for the friend & fundraising that will be required for acquiring a new permanent home and getting the input and advice we need to make solid decisions.

Meanwhile we intend for the programming above to bring a little Bedlam all over Minneapolis. Help us ascertain more information about where we should be, what our context might look like. Our current timeline shows us breaking ground on a new building or beginning renovation of an old building in January 2012.

So, please, raise a glass to that this NYE and to yourself. For all that you do.

Much Love,

John Bueche, Maren Ward and the gang at Bedlam.