Photos By Erika M Loen

About Spirit in the House

Spirit in the House is pleased to announce its annual 10-day performing arts festival running from May 23 to June 1. The festival brings together 30 different shows, for a total of 150 performances, tackling a variety of ethical issues and celebrating a diverse cross-section of spiritual traditions.

Spirit in the House is dedicated to exploring questions of inner life and outward action through theater, film, dance, drumming, music, spoken word, poetry, and storytelling.

“It’s not just entertainment–it’s entertainment plus meaning,” says Dean J. Seal who serves as Artistic Director and is a former Executive Director of the Minnesota Fringe Festival.

“The Spirit in the House Festival offers an opportunity to gain insight from other traditions, laugh at jokes from other cultures, and hear voices from other perspectives and experiences,” says Seal. “What the shows have in common is that they deal with matters of substance–life and death, joy and pain, comedy and tragedy.”

This year’s offerings range from a group playing out the Hawaiian spiritual roots of the Hula, to traditional Hindu dance from India; from an ethically prophetic show about voting rights to a seriously funny story about surviving date rape; from Dr. Kings’ Dream to a musical version of The Book of Daniel. The variety can be seen even in shows out of the same religious tradition with titles from What Would Jesus Laugh At? to Jesus at Guantanomo.

Participating groups include Mixed Blood Theater, Nautilus Music-Theater, and Ragamala Dance Company; nationally-known storytellers such as Kevin Kling, Jim Stowell and Nancy Donoval; Larry Yazzie’s Native American drum group, Northstar Storytelling League, playwrights Elizabeth O’Sullivan, Holly Davis, plus many more. The farther you get into the line up, the more excited you will be!

The Spirit in the House Festival is being hosted by Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church located at the intersection of Lyndale and Groveland in Minneapolis - across from the Walker Arts Center. Parking is ample and refreshments will be available for purchase between shows. Tickets may be purchased singly, as a five-show discount punch card or an all access pass. Advance tickets are available through Community Tix.

Spirit in the House also produces events year-round including staging two weekends at Patrick’s Cabaret (in January and September). Patrick is the person who came up with the name when he invited Dean J. Seal to curate a weekend there three years ago. Mr. Seal also works in church drama year round with several other collaborators.