Randy Reyes to Succeed Rick Shiomi as Artistic Director of Mu Performing Arts

Rick Shiomi will remain at the helm of the company through August 31, 2013. Reyes currently serves as Mu's Community Liaison and Artistic Associate and will begin his new position as AD on September 1, 2013.

(Minneapolis/St. Paul) Mu Performing Arts today announced the results of a national search for its next Artistic Director. Randy Reyes will succeed Mu co-founder Rick Shiomi in the company's first leadership transition since 1993. A native of Toronto, Ontario, Shiomi arrived in the Twin Cities in the early 1990s. Under his guidance the company has grown from a handful of theater artists to one of the largest Asian American performing arts organizations in the nation. Mu Performing Arts' business model is unique in North America as it is composed of Theater Mu, a professional theater company as well as Mu Daiko, a nationally recognized taiko drumming ensemble. During his tenure as Mu's Artistic Director, Shiomi has been instrumental in developing the local pool of Asian American actors, directors, playwrights and designers, as well as an entire generation of taiko players. Shiomi received the 2012 Ivey Award for Lifetime Achievement and will step down as Artistic Director on August 31, 2013.

From current Artistic Director Rick Shiomi: "Over the past six years, Randy has been deeply dedicated to Mu as an actor, director, administrator, and member of our Core Artistic Group. A critical player in Mu's success, he is blessed both with great artistic talent and organizational skills. It is my great pleasure to see him take Mu Performing Arts to the next level."

Randy Reyes is an award-winning multi-disciplinary theater artist who has called the Twin Cities home since 2005. He trained as an actor at The Juilliard School, The University of Utah, and with Anne Bogart's renowned SITI Company. As a performer, Reyes has worked at theaters across the nation. In the Twin Cities, he makes regular appearances at Mu Performing Arts, Guthrie Theater, Ten Thousand Things Theater, and Workhaus Collective among many others. As a director and teaching artist, Reyes has directed Mu's productions of Cowboy Vs. Samurai and Circle Around the Island (both in the Guthrie's Dowling Studio), and at many other theaters around the Twin Cities. In 2006 Mu was awarded a TCG New Generations grant. This funding provided the basis of Reyes' administrative mentorship under Rick Shiomi for the following two years.

From incoming Artistic Director Randy Reyes:

"I am truly humbled and exhilarated to be asked to serve as Mu's next Artistic Director. Rick Shiomi has been my mentor for over seven years and I've had the honor of seeing firsthand how his leadership has raised the company to its highest level of artistry and professionalism. I can only hope to build on that strong foundation. I feel ready to take on this wonderful challenge and I look forward to working with Mu's artists, staff members, board of directors, funders, and all of our loyal supporters."

Mu Performing Arts will pay tribute to Rick Shiomi's work at Mu Gala 2013 on April 27th at The Varsity Theater in Minneapolis. Advance tickets are on sale now by calling the Mu office at 651-789-1012. Single tickets start at $125.00. Table prices will be announced shortly. Visit us online at
www.muperformingarts.org for more details.