The Bakken Museum, Open Eye Theatre Partner for Live Outdoor Theatre Performances
Open Eye Theatre presents LOG JAM! A Paul Bunyan Musical Spectacular
(Minneapolis, MN) May 5, 2021 — The Bakken Museum and Open Eye Theatre announce the return of live theatre season with LOG JAM! A Paul Bunyan Musical Spectacular on The Bakken Museum’s spacious green roof. This comic music-theatre contraption will have it all — including a trio of musical lumberjacks, a bouncing ice ball, and eight indie theatre superstars!
With script and music by Josef Evans, direction by Joel Sass, puppet madness by Steve Ackerman, costumes by Kathy Kohl, and featuring Open Eye favorite Maren Ward as Paul Bunyan, LOG JAM! is a witty and subversive riff on a local legend and perfect for a night out with friends and family. Antonio Rios-Luna makes their Open Eye debut as Babe the Blue Ox.LOG
JAM! runs May 27 – June 20 and is recommended for all ages. Tickets are $15-30 and include museum admission before the show—more info at openeyetheatre.org/log-jam.
When the logging town of Oakpine Falls falls victim to a polar vortex that quarantines the populace and freezes her mother in a ball of ice, young Betty Kensack sets out on a quest to bring the legendary Paul Bunyan out of retirement. Heartwarming hilarity ensues as Betty, Babe the Blue Ox, and a crew of rowdy lumberjacks joins Minnesota’s famous folk hero on a quest to melt the ice and bring back the sun.
This is Open Eye’s second production on the green roof of The Bakken Museum. Last fall’s BUG GIRL was a sold-out hit, and Open Eye is thrilled to continue this partnership with the museum. The theatre’s annual gala SPRING FOR SUMMER will also be held at the Bakken on June 3.
LOG JAM! Creative Team
Script and music by Josef Evans
Directed by Joel Sass
Puppet madness by Steve Ackerman
Costumes by Kathy Kohl
Featuring Maren Ward as Paul Bunyan and Antonio Rios-Luna as Babe the Blue Ox
With Jay Albright, Ellie Fregni, Anna Hashizume, Suzie Juul, Jared Mogan, Shandi Moretenson, Tom Reed, France A. Roberts & Eric Smedsrud
Performances
Thursday, May 27, 7:00 p.m.
Friday, May 28, 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, May 30, 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, June 2, 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, June 6, 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, June 9, 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, June 10, 7:00 p.m.
Friday, June 11, 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, June 12, 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, June 13, 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, June 16, 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, June 17, 7:00 p.m.
Friday, June 18, 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, June 19, 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, June 20, 7:00 p.m.
Run Time
40 minutes, no intermission
Age Recommendation
All ages
Location
The Bakken Museum
3537 Zenith Ave S
Minneapolis, MN 55416
Audiences will be directed to the roof of The Bakken Museum roof via the exterior stairs located through the museum’s parking lot off Zenith Avenue or through the courtyard on 36th Street. The museum will be open for visitors who need to use the elevator to access the roof or restrooms.
Health and Safety
Face masks are required of all guests, and social distancing will be observed between viewing groups. The rooftop safely accommodates 90 people.
Photos available soon.
Lead Artist Bios
STEVE ACKERMAN (Puppetry Designer) is a playwright and puppet artist who focuses on quick, crude, high-energy art-making. He has his BFA in Acting from East Carolina University and MFA in Playwriting from Southern Illinois University. Previous projects include Action Sequence, Kaboom, and Cartoon!.
JOSEF EVANS (Playwright: Book, Music, Lyrics) Constance marks Josef’s fourth work for Open Eye, following To the Moon!, Strumply Peter, and Nothing is Something. His plays have been seen on a variety of local and national stages, from the Minnesota Fringe Festival to the Guthrie Theater. Notable works include Love in a Time of Rinderpest and The Turducken. He is resident playwright with the Zamya Theater Project, holds a BA in Theatre from the University of Notre Dame, and is a graduate of the University of Washington Playwriting program. He is a member of the Dramatists’ Guild of America.
SUZIE JUUL (Betty Kensack) Suzie Juul is thrilled to be a part of this Spectacular show with this incredible and kind cast! Recent credits include: Theatre Latte Da: Johnny Schiici (Buffy). Ordway: Ordway Cabaret, Gotta Dance, Ordway Cabaret, A Brand New Day, The Sound of Music (Nun, u/sLiesel); Pirates of Penzance (Kate, u/sMabel); A Christmas Story. Chanhassen Dinner Theater: Grease, (Jan). Old Log Theater: A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder (Woman 2, u/sPhoebe) Artistry: Candide (Cunegonde), Mary Poppins (Katie Nanna, Valentine, u/sMary Poppins), Really Spicy Opera Co. The Last Five Years (Cathy). Walking Shadow: Marie Antoinette (Yaonde De Polignac). Frank Theatre: Threepenny Opera (Polly Peachum). Mu Performing Arts: The Sex Show (Lead Actor); A Little Night Music (Anne Egerman); Into the Woods (Little Red Riding Hood). Casting Spells Productions: Disenchanted (Sleeping Beauty). Second Fiddle Productions: Titanic the Musical (Alice Beane), Daleko Arts: She Loves Me (Ensemble)
ANTONIO RIOS-LUNA (Babe the Blue Ox) is a non-binary theatre artist from Minneapolis, MN, by way of Los Angeles, CA. A recent grad from the University of Minnesota BFA / Guthrie Actor training program. They have worked in the twin cities at Open Eye Figure Theatre, Pillsbury House Theatre, Tiger Lion Arts, Red Bird Theatre, and Orchard Theatre Collective. They are passionate about making art that centers Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, emphasizing intersectionality, multi-directional thinking, social consciousness, power-sharing, and queering the future.
JOEL SASS (Director) serves as Open Eye Theatre’s Producing Artistic Director, after having first joined the company as Associate Producer in 2017. He has been based in the Twin Cities since 1991, working as a producer, stage director, designer, and adapter, specializing in the creation of new multi-disciplinary work for the stage and devising imaginative reinterpretations of classic texts. Before joining Open Eye Theatre, Joel served seven seasons at the Jungle Theatre as Associate Artistic Director, producing, directing, and designing over 15 award-winning productions. Joel has also directed and/or designed numerous productions at the Guthrie Theatre, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, California Shakespeare Theater, Theatre Latte Da, Theatre de la Jeune Lune, Arizona Theatre Company, Park Square Theatre, and many others.
MAREN WARD (Paul Bunyan / Okra Tonks) joyfully returns to Open Eye after many years as Father Winter in the Holiday Pageant, as Jackie into The Moon, and most recently as the Fairy Godmother in Constance In The Darkness. Maren has collaborated previously with playwright Josef Evans on Million Dollar Museum, Hole at the Bottom of the Holiday, The Turducken, Hot Corn, Superlatives of Excellence, Love in a Time ofRinderpest — all with Bedlam Theatre, which Maren co-founded and operated from 1993–2016. Maren recently portrayed Carrie Nation/Frances in Hatchet Lady at Walking Shadow Theater. Other credits include In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theater, Theater Novi Most, Theater Unbound, Footprints/Wonderlust, Frank Theater, and Ten Thousand Things. Maren is artistic director of zAmya Theater Project, a theater company that makes plays about homelessness with people who’ve experienced it.
ABOUT THE BAKKEN MUSEUM
The Bakken Museum inspires a passion for innovation by exploring the potential for science, technology, and the humanities to make the world a better place. Located in Minneapolis, the museum features a world-renowned collection of artifacts, exceptional education programs, exhibits exploring the wonders of invention, plant medicine, technology, and science, and the Florence Bakken Medicinal Garden. For more information, visit thebakken.org. Find @thebakkenmusem on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
ABOUT OPEN EYE THEATRE
Open Eye Theatre serves artists and audiences by advancing adventurous and imaginative programming that strengthens our communities. Open Eye is nationally recognized as a vibrant home for artists who create profound experiences that open eyes, hearts, and minds through the power of amazing stories and unforgettable performances. Experience a thrilling array of original theatre, inventive puppetry, live music, and world-class storytelling from local, national, and international artists year-round in our cozy 90-seat theater in South Minneapolis, or find us in neighborhoods throughout the Twin Cities with our summer Driveway Tour! More information is available at openeyetheatre.org.
Media Contacts:
Laura Whittet
Associate Director of Marketing & Communications
The Bakken Museum
Whittet@thebakken.org | 651-242-0779
Amy Danielson
Marketing & Public Relations Manager
Open Eye Theatre
amy.danielson@openeyetheatre.org | 612-245-2020
