The Brontide

Dramatis personae

The production runs 130 minutes including one intermission.

This show contains flashing lights, and loud and throbbing sound effects

Is this show appropriate for children?
Sure! There are a few swears, and a couple of moments might be spooky for the littles, but overall there’s no only-for-adults content.

Biographies

Aleya Berry (she/they) was born and raised in Minnesota. She has done theater since middle school and has kept a passion for it ever since. She also has a passion for writing and painting and she is a professional muralist in the Twin Cities. Her art is a powerful reflection of her storytelling along with her kind and empathetic nature infused with a deep sense of community concern. In her free time she enjoys snuggling with her chonky Siamese cat, Nelly.

Ernest Briggs (he/him) is the Artistic Director of Turtle Theater Collective and a proud Anishinaabe professional actor and director from the Twin Cities who has done film, TV, stage and commercial work for over 10 years. Briggs was director/assistant director at History Theater (Christmas of Swing, Beyond the Rainbow), Great River Shakespeare (The Thanksgiving Play); nimbus (The River Becomes Sea, Redemption) and was a directing consultant on nimbus’s The Burning of Greenwood. As an actor, Briggs has been seen onstage at the Guthrie Theater, Park Square Theatre, Mixed Blood Theatre, Teatro del Pueblo, Pangea World Theater, CTC, nimbus, Turtle Theater Collective, Artistry, Sidekick Theatre, History Theatre, South Coast Repertory, Tilted Windmills Theatricals, Pittsburgh Irish and Classical Theater and Native Voices at the Autry, to name a few. He has also played supporting roles in independent feature films, including Sony’s Downtown Owl, Sold Out, and Nina of the Woods. He has written several plays for the MN Historical Society and has been a contributing writer for the History Theater’s Christmas of Swing. He teaches acting at the Guthrie Theater. Briggs received his M.F.A. in Acting from the University of Florida and attended The American Academy of Dramatic Arts.

Josh Cragun (he/him) is a writer who fell into the company of theater artists at a young and impressionable age, and fortunately, has never been quite the same. This led to a series of questionable decisions, one of which took place in 2001 when he formed nimbus with a fellow writer known as Cockroach. He has been creating new theater with the company ever since, with a focus on evolving the company’s approach to the collaborative creation of original work. In that time he has served as playwright for thirteen original works of theater for the company. In addition he has directed, as well as designed video, costumes, properties and sets for the company over the years. In one way or another, he has contributed to all of the company’s productions.

Alice Endo (she/her) is a lighting designer and theater technician around the Twin Cities dance and theater scenes. Recent work includes They Wear Teal Ribbons Around Their Tongues with Full Circle Theater Company, and The Name Jar with Stages Theatre Company and Theater Mu. Upcoming work can be seen on Devoured, by Liqing Xu at the Southern Theater, and Red Eye Theater's New Works 4 Weeks Festival. The Brontide is her first production with Nimbus.

Alice has a long term interest in taking things apart to see how they work, whether that be the stories we tell ourselves about the world, or the toaster oven. She believes a good story is a well tuned machine, made possible by and yet entirely other than the sum of its parts. Much love to all the trickster gods, forever.

Wasima Farah (She/Her) is a Somali actor and graphic designer born and raised in Minnesota. With an early love for art, film and theater, she started her career in 2017 in high school plays, short films, comedy skits, extra background work and voice acting. Interested in exploring different creative mediums and working with local creatives, Wasima hopes to continue serving as an artist to her community by sharing work inspired by our everyday stories. In her spare time, she loves watching sunsets, painting, martial arts and spending time with family and friends.

Mitchell Frazier (he/him) has been an independent lighting designer in the Twin Cities for three decades. He is the Co-Artist Director for nimbus theater company, Technical Director for the Minnesota Fringe Festival, Technical Director at Roseville HS and resident lightning designer at St. Paul Academy, Youth Performance Company, and Morningside summer theater camp.

Mitchell is also a martial artist, actor, and director. He enjoys painting scenic watercolors and has recently tried glass blowing. His favorite past time is painting with his granddaughter Maya.

Nina (Dylan) Gourley (they/them) is a recent graduate of the University of Minnesota. They are primarily known for their work with puppets and a cappella. Alongside this, with their sense of whimsy and their sunny disposition, they enjoy creating in many different artistic disciplines. They seek to continue to learn, create, and connect with others as they develop as an artist and a theatre professional.

Erin Carol Gustafson (they/she) has previously worked with nimbus as a stage manager for The Burning of Greenwood. They are excited to be the scenic designer / builder for this production!  Most recently Erin has been found stage managing for Youth Performance Company, being a Co-Technical Director for Theater Mu's production of Hells Canyon, and being the builder and Technical Director for They Wear Teal Ribbons Around Their Tongues with Full Circle Theater. 

Kirby Hoberg (she/her) is an actor, dancer, and playwright hailing from Dallas, Texas by way of the San Francisco Bay Area. She was most recently seen in BRUTUS in the Minnesota Fringe Festival. Other credits include Belles and Fools (Fridley Community Theater), Dracula and Scrooge and the Ghostly Spirits (Northern Starz), and Human Combat Chess. Enrolled member of the Ponca of Oklahoma. She spends her free time working on a circa 1866 farmhouse and garden in Plymouth where she lives with her husband and four children.

Starla Larson (she/her) is returning to the stage from a long break that stated with the lockdown. Previously, she worked with many companies including Savage Umbrella, Raw Sugar, Little Lifeboats and Gadfly Theater. She has enjoyed being a part of the collaborative process in creating many new plays in the Twin Cities area. While in Houston, TX, Starla took on-camera acting classes with Crystal Martinez, and she also studied Meisner at Drama Inc and Viewpoints with Eliana Marianes in Atlanta, GA. In the Midwest she has taken on camera classes with Cynthia Uhrich, Bill Cooper and Michelle Hutchison.

Starla utilizes her artistic abilities in many ways. She has been commissioned to create bold and colorful mosaic art pieces in Minneapolis, Georgia and Houston. She has taken over 10 years of Jazz and Modern dance classes at Zenon Dance School. Her choreography has been seen in many venues throughout Minneapolis. She is looking forward to her next adventure on stage and off.

Peyton McCandless (she/they) is an actor, singer, director, teacher, and devising physical theater artist from Saint Paul, Minnesota. She has worked with Transatlantic Love Affair (These Old Shoes, Ash Land, 105 Proof), the Winding Sheet Outfit (Marie-Jeanne Valet Who Defeated La Bete du Gevaudan), Theatre Pro Rata (The Good Woman of Setzuan, Twelfth Night), and Theatre Unbound (Silkworms: A Nun Play). While living in Portland, Oregon, she worked with Oregon Children's Theater, Speculative Drama, and Enso Theatre Ensemble. Peytie has taught children and teens with Ashland Productions in Maplewood, Minnesota and Northwest Children's Theater and School in Portland. She is also a somatic movement educator and coach certified in the Global Somatics(TM) Process. When not onstage, you can find her hugging a tree, singing to the river, or watching one of the Lord of the Rings movies for the twentieth time.

Rubble&Ash is the name that captures the collaborative design and production work of Andrea M Gross and Barb Portinga. For the past dozen years they have challenged and supported one another as costume designers, pattern makers, and storytellers. As Rubble&Ash, their work has been seen at nimbus in A Very Electric Christmas, Nimbus Presents: A Count Up to Christmas, The Red and the Bright, A Life of Days, The Pathetic Life and Remarkable Afterlife of Elmer McCurdy the Worst Robber in the West, The River Becomes Sea, and The Kalevala; at Park Square Theatre in Jefferson Township Sparkling Junior Talent Pageant; at Interact Theater in We're Still Here and Hell is Empty and All the Devils are here…Again! and the History Theater with Superman Becomes Lois Lane and The Boy Wonder.

Barb and Andrea are founding members of The Costume Collective in Northeast Minneapolis; a costume rental house supporting artists across the state and country with costumes compiled from some of the largest stocks in the Twin Cities. The company is founded in the values of resource conservation, accessibility and inclusion.

Rubble&Ash melds pieces from existing stocks of costumes; thrift, antique, and fabric stores; and purpose builds garments to combine elements in unexpected ways. The intention is always to support the story and creation of character with collaboration, skill and ingenuity.

David P. Schneider (he/him) is a performer and fight choreographer based in Minneapolis. After receiving his BA in Theatre at Southeast Missouri State University, he has trained in stage combat since 2001 and is recognized as an Advanced Actor-Combatant by the Society of American Fight Directors. He has choreographed over forty local productions with companies like Classical Actors Ensemble, Tedious Brief Productions, Walking Shadow, Wayward Theatre, and Pangea World Theatre. He has been an active performer working with Green T Productions, Off Leash Area, Six Elements Theatre, and MN Opera, but has only recently returned to performing after a 6 year hiatus. He enjoys strange and dynamic movement styles and dramatic or creepy subject matter.

David also runs Northern Edge Armory, supplying theatrical weapons to local shows and workshops.

Kolie Shaw (xe.xem) is a director, deviser, and performance artist in the Twin Cities who is passionate about new theater works, avant-garde performance art, and theater education. Kolie graduated from North Dakota State University with xyr BFA in performance and an emphasis in directing, and currently works at Northern Starz Center for the Performing Arts as their Production Manager. Kolie’s most significant projects include imagine a u.s without racism at Mixed Blood Theatre, The Laramie Project at Northern Starz, Peer Gynt at The Cowles Center, What Takes Who at Minnesota Fringe 2021 with Sugar Throw Theatre, and Far Away with Jackdonkey Productions. Kolie has been awarded the Achievement in Directing from The Kennedy Center and is ecstatic to continue zyr education this summer with Pig Iron Theatre Company in Philadelphia, PA. Kolie hopes you enjoy the show and notices the next time you find a bit of trickery in yourself!

Dameun Strange (he/him) is a sound artist, multi-instrumentalist, and award-winning composer of conceptual electronic and improvised electro-acoustic works focusing on the African diaspora's stories and themes, often exploring surrealist and afro-futurist ideas with unique impressionism. He believes that theater is a modality that can connect to people of any age, any background. Theater is a place for wild imaginings and untold stories to thrive.

Theater: The Last Firefly (Steppingstone Theater), Parks (History Theatre), Neighbors (History Theatre), Bull Jean Experience (Pillsbury House and Theater); Dance: Lost in My Mind (Alternative Motion Project) HeartBeatRed (Alternative Motion Project), On the Verge (Alternative Motion Project), Shaatranga (Ananya Dance), Minotaur (Off Leash Area), Call to Remember (Leslie Parker Dance). He is a 2018 recipient of the ACF | Create Award and 2019 Jerome Hill Fellowship.

Dameun lives in Saint Paul, MN with his wife, Corina, and their 4 yo, Ezra. Like any good nerd, he enjoys a good sci-fi story and has a soft spot for anything related to cosmology.

Jon Stentz (he/him) is super excited to be returning to the nimbus stage. He appeared in Where The River Becomes Sea in 2018 and ranks it as one of the most artistically fulfilling experience of his theatrical journey. Jon has worked with a variety of theatre companies around the Twin Cities including Wayward Theatre, Theatre X, and Hang Fire. Jon received a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre from Hamline University. He would love to thank everyone at nimbus for their amazing work and process. He would like to thank his fellow actors for making this show so interesting and fun.  Lastly he would like to thank his amazing family for their continued support for him in all areas of life.

Alyssa Thompson (she/her) has been working as a Stage Manager in and around the Twin Cities for over a decade. She is the Company Stage Manager for nimbus, and along with her trusty ASD (Assistant Stage Dog) Moose loves the devising process and creating new work with this team. Her stage management credits outside of nimbus include Pioneer Suite and Mrs. Charles among others with Freshwater Theatre and four years as a technician with the Minnesota Fringe Festival. She also fosters dogs through No Dog Left Behind Rescue.

From the Playwright

The Brontide, like all of our work at nimbus, starts with an idea, an ensemble, a production team, and nothing more. This idea was about Tricksters: those shape-changing intermediaries that have made themselves manifest to humans in many cultures across the globe. When delving into trickster lore, the first thing one notices is how there are some common themes that persist across cultures throughout the world, often in cultures with no conceivable contact with each other.

Themes like the origins of fire, the origins of story or knowledge, and helping humans understand how to interact with the natural world seem almost universal. So universal, in fact, that western ethnologists who often lacked cultural context attempted to build a ‘universal trickster’ archetype. In doing so, they often erased important context and meaning that was specific to many of these cultures. For example, as figures like Anansi and Legba were transported to the New World through the brutal practice of slavery, these figures and their tales became figures of resistance, and their tales instructions about how to manage and resist captivity. Eventually, they became figures for rebellion and liberation.

It turns out that the Trickster, that ultimate shape shifter, evolves with the world, and makes itself manifest to cultures to explain things that culture needs. Some of those needs are universal, some more specific to a place, an ecosystem, or a people. All of them shift and evolve, just as our world does. As an ensemble, we possess a diverse set of backgrounds and perspectives. But we also share a common world. One that is increasingly global, increasingly reliant on technology, and also increasingly aware of its dependence on the earth as a whole.

And so, we asked ourselves, how might this trickster make itself manifest to us, here in the here and now? How might we make these themes and stories relevant to a modern audience? What do we need to hear? Our answer is the play you see tonight. We believe that stories are meant to be retold, that they exist to change, just as we are. That they, like the trickster, must shift, change, and evolve, just as the world does. That evolution doesn’t erase who they were before. Like humans themselves, that change needs to be not erasure, but growth. We hope you enjoy our story. As an Anansi story teller might say: whether you find it bitter or sweet, take some of it away, and let some of it come back to us.

One more thing: during the development of this show, we lost a dear friend, Rob Roberts. He and his wife Ursula are long time members of the nimbus family. Rob and Ursula met many years ago during a show we made called TV Men. One of the characters was Icarus, and in the search for a maker of wings, Ursula, who was designing the show, found Rob, a gifted engineer, cosplay artist, and future father. We’ve named one of the places in our story after him, Daedalus Labs, as he was the father of our own Icarus. Over the years, Rob became a vital supporter of our company and his engineering skills and support helped as we grew into our first (1517 Central) and second (The Crane) venues. Rob lost a long valiant battle to cancer, and we are all saddened by his passing. He lives on in all of us, and in this work as well. Thank you for taking some of him with you by sharing this work with us.

Special thanks

About nimbus

nim-bus, n.

1. a : A bright cloud, or cloudlike splendor, imagined as investing deities when they appeared on earth.
b : a cloud or atmosphere about a person or thing

2 : A bright or golden disk surrounding the head of a drawn or sculptured divinity, saint, or sovereign

3 : a rain cloud

nimbus has been creating original theater in the Twin Cities since 2001. Their unique process for the creation of playwright-led collaborative work combined with their passion for creating bold, eclectic theater has been dazzling audiences for over 15 years. A company founded and led by playwrights and run by the artists themselves, we are dedicated to creating theatre that crosses boundaries, promotes imagination, and ignites new conversations.

How we create our work

All of our work is created collaboratively using a process we have been refining since 2001. Our casts and design teams work with a director, dramaturg, and playwright to create original theater together. Often starting with a simple idea or concept, the entire team participates in researching and discussing the ideas, characters, and locations the play will focus on.

After several weeks of intensive research, the team enters a period we call ‘script work.’ During this time, the cast and director improvise and work with text provided by the playwright. Over time, a script takes form. After a staged reading as well as editing and finishing work by the playwright, rehearsal begins.

Unlike traditional American theater, our process allows the design concepts, characters, and narrative to develop together. Although our process is new, it is not extremely different from the way that Shakespeare or Moliere created their work. Our work is always evolving and changing, and we welcome your input in improving it.

The nimbus Company

Artistic Directors
Josh Cragun, Mitchell Frazier, Liz Neerland

Company Members
Andrea Gross, Brian Hesser, Jill Hoeft, Alex Meyer, Alyssa Thompson

We are looking for dedicated nimbus fans who would be interested in serving on our Board of Directors. For more info email Josh Cragun.

Thank you to all of our financial contributors:

FY 2024 DONORS

As of May 15, 2024

3M
Elizabeth Andrus
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Josh Cragun & Liz Neerland
Penny & Rodger Cragun
Karen Crouch
Catherine Dooley
Walter Duffy
Doran Edwards
Nancy Eustis
Matthew Everett
Nancy Feldman
David & Mary Grace Flannery
Meri Golden
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Dr. Daniel C. Hartnett Family Foundation
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Shell Jiang
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Alyssa Thompson
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Marsha Wagner
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Laurelea Williams