Walking Shadow readies fundraiser, new season

​Operating a small theater group is never easy, so John Heimbuch, one of the creative folks behind Walking Shadow Theatre Company, is pleased to say that the they ended last season in the black.

Of course, there's still the next season to think of. To help keep the young, innovative group on solid footing, they will hold a fundraiser at Moto-i this Sunday.

The event is "as much about raising funds for our 2011-2012 season as it's a chance to get together with our audience and artists to celebrate the work we're doing," Heimbuch says. "Since Walking Shadow started, we've been surrounded by an incredibly supportive network of people, and the fundraiser is a great opportunity to connect with those people, build new relationships, and celebrate our company's history and future."

He adds that the 2010-11 season (See You Next Tuesday, The Crowd You're In With, Drakul, and after the quake) "was a lot of fun. The shows really stretched our skills as artists, and yet managed to hit some really nice benchmarks in terms of personal accomplishment."

Drakul. Photo by Elise Rosen

​Each piece gave the theater a chance to stretch itself, from the Minnesota Fringe Festival favorite See You Next Tuesday to Heimbuch's own adaptation of Dracula. "I'd wanted to stage an epic version of Dracula since 1997, and couldn't have asked for a better ensemble, or audience response," he says. 

Heinbuch and his Walking Shadow collaborators, David Pisa and Amy Rummenie, have already begun the 2011-12 season with July's site-specific Saboteur. (If you took part, or are just curious, a full walk through of the show is now available on the company's website.)

The play took off in ways the creators hadn't expected. "It developed a big following among gamers and puzzle geeks--even getting a review on GameInformer.com--proving that this sort of work can be both theatrically and financially viable," he says.

Two of the other shows, An Ideal Husband and Compleat Female Stage Beauty, "are both incredible scripts that we've been wanting to do for years." First up, is reasons to be pretty, which will be presented at the Guthrie's Dowling Studio in September. "We had our first rehearsal on Monday and it's going to be great," he says.

IF YOU GO:

Walking Shadow Benefit Party at Moto-i
Sunday, August 28
$25 donation
5:30-9 p.m.

Location Info