In the Twin Cities art scene this weekend, experience a classic horror story with a historical twist as a group of friends grapple with the haunting of a forgotten massacre in a secluded cabin.
Explore the works of local Afro-Latine artists and discover how local Asian American artists celebrate Lunar New Year. Additionally, don’t miss the return of the Twin Cities Jazz Festival’s annual Winter Jazz Fest in St. Paul.
Horror-comedy play explores Asian American history
Theater Mu is producing “Hells Canyon,” a horror-comedy centered around a group of friends who find themselves trapped in a remote cabin in eastern Oregon. Against the backdrop of the secluded cabin, tensions mount, relationships fray, and unsettling truths emerge as the ghosts of a historical massacre begin to haunt the friends.
Drawing inspiration from classic horror films like “Rosemary’s Baby” and “The Shining,” along with the directorial styles of Jordan Peele and Ari Aster, “Hells Canyon” explores the significance of the Hells Canyon massacre of Chinese miners in the late 1800s.
“We don’t know most of the names of the people that were killed,” said playwright Keiko Green. “It made me think about the power of remembering someone that’s gone and how you can’t actually remember these people if we don’t even have a name to say.”
While reading the script, Director Katie Bradley said she was struck by her lack of knowledge of the massacre despite her academic background in history.
“I know so much about white European and white American history, but I barely know anything about Asian American history,” Bradley said. “I firmly believe that our history is always present and that everything that we do is affected by things from the past, and there’s ancestral trauma that we carry with us whether we know it or not.”
Through “Hells Canyon,” Green and Bradley uncover the hidden connections between people of color and their ancestral history.
“We are affected by things in our natural world and I’m very interested in that behavior and how that plays out,” Bradley said. “So, this play is just an example of how history has come back to haunt us.”
As the land itself begins to wield its influence over the cabin, the lead character, Ariel, is forced to confront her Asian American identity, heritage, and the weight of unresolved rage.
“I think women of color especially can sometimes be forced to carry around all this rage and not really have a release for it,” Green said. “So, I wanted to explore this historical atrocity and how it connects to the microaggressions and straight-up aggressions that happen in everyday life, and how all of this is brewing inside our bodies until it bursts.”
The production’s stage design captures the sense of isolation and confinement experienced by the characters. As simultaneous action unfolds across various areas of the cabin, audience members may find themselves witnessing different scenes depending on their vantage point.
“What’s cool about plays is that something so tense and uncomfortable can happen and then, instead of moving on to the next scene of action, you get to sit in the consequences,” Green said. “We just have to sit there with the characters and agonize until it ramps up again, and I think there’s something excruciatingly beautiful about having to sit in it.”
Date: Friday, February 23 to Sunday, March 17.
Time: Shows at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on various dates. Find the schedule here.
Location: Jungle Theater, 2951 Lyndale Ave. S., Minneapolis
Cost: Tickets start at $10.
For more information: Visit theatermu.org.
Multimedia exhibit spotlights Afro-Latine artists
CLUES, a Latino-led nonprofit organization, is celebrating Black History Month with “Afrofusión,” an exhibit highlighting the creative endeavors of five Twin Cities Afro-Latine artists.
Author Pamela Mercado Michelli’s children’s book “Daniela y Mateo Viajan a Puerto Rico,” provides insight into the culture of the Afro-Puerto Rican community. Grover Hogan’s paintings examine queer, Black and Mexican identities. Yunior Rebollar’s portrait drawings and clothing collection explore contemporary and futuristic representations of Blackness. Maelo Cruz’s cartoons offer perspectives on his upbringing in Puerto Rico. Raye Cordes’ textile sculptures delve into interpersonal and ancestral connections.
Additionally, CLUES is hosting a family-friendly event from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, February 24, at Midtown Global Market, celebrating the queer and trans-Latine community. The event features live performances from drag queens and kings, including Priscilla Es Yuicy and Mikko Blaze, music by DJ Queen Duin, and art workshops focused on painting, letterpress poster creation, and zine-making.
Date: Friday, February 23 to April 12.
Time: Gallery hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Location: Exhibit at CLUES Art Gallery, 797 E. 7th St., St. Paul. Event at Midtown Global Market 920 E. Lake St., Minneapolis.
Cost: Free
For more information: Visit clues.org.
Asian American artists share how they celebrate Lunar New Year
The Xia Gallery & Cafe is hosting “Celebrating Lunar New Year Together,” an exhibit bringing together 12 Asian American artists in a collective homage to the diverse traditions observed during Lunar New Year across various Asian cultures.
Among the featured artists is Vivian Tran, whose photographs shed light on the participation of women in lion dancing, historically a male-dominated activity. Annie Chen’s fiber art explores the symbolism behind eating jiaozi (dumplings) as an indication of good fortune in the new year. Ryan Stopera’s photographs honor the year of the dragon and pay tribute to Hong Kong film director Wong Kar-Wai’s “In the Mood for Love.”
Date: Friday, February 23 to Sunday, March 10.
Time: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Location: Xia Gallery & Cafe, 422 University Ave. W., St. Paul
Cost: Free
For more information: Visit xiagallerycafe.com.
Winter Jazz Fest heats up St. Paul
The Twin Cities Jazz Festival, in collaboration with Park Square Theatre and KJ’s Hideaway, returns with the annual Winter Jazz Fest for a day of diverse music. Drummer and composer Abinnet Berhanu will open the festival with performances of Ethiopian folk and pop music. Headlining the festival at Park Square Theater’s main stage is Cuban pianist Jorge Luis Pacheco, showcasing Cuban jazz and Afro-Cuban rhythms. Emerging artists will deliver jazz classics, alongside original compositions. Meanwhile, over at KJ’s Hideaway stage, the lineup includes the Lila Ammons Jazz Group, Stablemates, the Steve Kenny Quintet, and more. For those unable to attend in person, a livestream will be available here.
Date: Saturday, February 24
Time: 3 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Location: Historic Hamm Building, 408 St. Peter St., St. Paul
Cost: $50. Buy tickets here.
For more information: Visit twincitiesjazzfestival.com.
Clarification: An earlier version of this story mischaracterized Theater Mu’s producing role on “Hells Canyon.”
