Meet Mad Munchkin Productions!
Eclectic Edge Ensemble
EEE's Snow Bound Collaborators!
Mad Munchkin Productions was co-founded in 2005 by Laura Wilhelm and Alan Pagel, with a mission to collaboratively create theatrical works of imagination and imagery that touch the humanity, humility, and humor in all. The company prides itself on creating collaboratively and providing an avenue for artists to express their visual musing in a theatrical format. Puppetry is often a main medium of MMP shows, but mask, clowning, music, and plain old acting all find their way into the productions which are all scripts written by the company members or collaboratively created in the rehearsal process.
Laura Wilhelm has an MFA in Directing from the University of Memphis, TN and has been creating and directing works of puppetry for 18 years, 11 of which have been in the Twin Cities. She works for small and large theaters in the area such as The Guthrie, CTC, Mixed Blood, Theatre Unbound, serves as Propsmaster for the Chanhassen Dinner Theater, and is co-director of Technical Tools of the Trade, a training program for technical skills in the performing arts. Alan has been working in the Twin Cities as a theater technician and carpenter, for the the past 14 years. He is currently Associate Technical Director for Stages Theater in Hopkins, and continues to freelance as a scenic and sound designer.
Laura first conceived of Snow Bound! while in Memphis, TN getting her Master's Degree. "I actually proposed it as my Master's thesis project. There was a dance department there I could work with." Though, in the end, she changed her mind. She recalls, "Memphians just would not have really understood the journey- they have never lived through a winter like we do in Minnesota!" She kept the project her back pocket for someday. That someday came when she saw her first Eclectic Edge Ensemble show. " I knew right way that EEE was a great fit. The theatrical work that Karis was creating was the kind of storytelling that would flow right in with what I was hoping to create. I was thrilled when I pitched to project to Karis and she said yes! Five years later, I am still thrilled and so proud of the work we are making together with this remount!"
Snow Bound! A Journey from Autumn to Spring
March 18-20 at The Lab Theater