Intersectionality and Education Become a Focus for Theater Mu

Fran de Leon takes on the role of artistic director for the theater, bringing an ambitious vision with her.

Fran de Leon has always had a passion for theater. From acting to playwriting to directing, she became accustomed to the roles that make up a theater production.

After spending most of her career traveling with a theater education company, de Leon knew there was more out there for her when it came to teaching people about theater and the importance theater can represent in a community.

So, when Theater Mu reached out to ask if she was interested in being the company’s next artistic director, the answer seemed uncomplicated.

De Leon fell in love with what Theater Mu could offer her because of the people who make up the theater, meeting them for the first time when she visited Minneapolis in February. She says they supported her artistic vision and were willing to help her obtain the goals she had for the company.

Education is important to de Leon, and at Theater Mu, she wants to train artists and theater goers by going to the younger crowds and showing them that theater is for them. Theater Mu does not have its own space, so the company can bring shows anywhere around the city.

“Theater can be done anywhere,” de Leon says. “Theater is about the presentation and the connection with the audience, and you can do that anywhere.”

Community connection is another goal de Leon wants to reach with Theater Mu. She says she’s looking forward to representing different communities in the area and creating shows together that the surrounding communities can be part of, whether that be on stage or behind the scenes.

But de Leon’s main goal contains two major themes: inclusivity and intersectionality. She says she wants the AAPI communities to come together and find a way to represent everyone, no matter what culture or gender.

Although she declined to name the shows, de Leon says she has shows in mind that she wants to do where intersectionality is a core theme. She added that she is excited to play around with new show ideas for the theater to tackle.

Her first year, though, she says she wants to take a step back and absorb the lessons she can learn from the Twin Cities community.

“My first year there, I’m going to be a student so that I can learn the culture of the Midwest,” de Leon says. “That way, I can see what it is that is asking to be told, to be presented here. I’ll bring what I’ve gleaned over 30 years and take us all up together.”

Mu continues to be an institution of integrity and artistic value, de Leon says, and she looks forward to widening circles from a cultural viewpoint while in her new position.

De Leon acknowledged the challenges that come with being truly and totally inclusive, saying that not everything is going to be obtainable in one season, but says she will always be looking to the next season to see what else can be done.

“Theater can be done anywhere and in any way, and we will always be open to seeing what other community events Mu can have,” de Leon says.

De Leon is not one to shy away from asking for help, and she says she hopes those she is working with will adopt the same mentality because “we’re all in this together and it’s how we get better as a theater.”

Fostering the theater community and bringing seasoned vets out to see what Theater Mu can do is what de Leon says she is looking forward to the most. She says she’s been spending time getting to know other directors in the Twin Cities and connecting with them regarding potential partnerships and projects.

When asking de Leon what she wants the Twin Cities community to know about her as she enters her new role with Theater Mu, she says she will always have an open door as an artistic director.

“We’re all just humans trying to figure our way around this world, and certainly this world right now, and I want people to know that theater is my way of activism,” de Leon says. “It’s what I feel called to do, and any theater maker can be called to action in that.”