Join us in thanking Anh Thu T. Pham for her tenure as managing director!
Anh Thu T. Pham. Photo by Rich Ryan.
Today, and with bittersweet emotions, we are announcing Anh Thu T. Pham’s decision to step away from her role as Mu’s co-leader and managing director. Under Anh Thu's stewardship, Mu’s finances and operations have reflected its mission to support the Asian American community and to increase representation in the theater industry. The Mu staff and board are grateful for all she has done for us.
Community member Rose Chu, Mu artistic director Fran de Leon, playwright Marlina Gonzalez, & Anh Thu T. Pham
Under Anh Thu's financial stewardship, Mu has lived its mission of supporting the Asian American community and transforming the theater industry to be more accessible and representative.
"These past six years have been full of joy and solidarity,” Anh Thu says. “It has been a privilege to help make Mu more intersectional, accessible, and financially sustainable, and I have loved working with Fran as Mu enters its next chapter. Please know this is not a goodbye—I was a fan of Mu long before I was on staff, and you can still expect to see me at its events."
With her support, Mu weathered the COVID-19 pandemic and has navigated a changing funding landscape while still prioritizing our Pay As You Are ticketing, emerging artist training and paid fellowships, and accessibility services. We have also risen to greater national prominence through grant programs such as the Regional Cultural Treasures program by the McKnight, Ford, Bush, and Jerome foundations; the national playwright residency program through the Mellon Foundation and HowlRound Theatre Commons; and the Wallace Foundation's Advancing Well-Being in the Arts initiative.
We have been honored to have Anh Thu as our managing director, and we will miss her unwavering commitment to Mu and to our communities.
Mu will be launching a search for its next managing director soon. In the meantime, responsibilities of the role will be shared among the staff and board. We look forward to sharing more updates.
For now, though…
Join us in celebrating all Anh Thu has done for Mu!
From Theater Mu artistic director Fran de Leon: "Co-leading Theater Mu and forming a friendship with Anh Thu has been an honor and a privilege. Her conviction to create a more equitable and representative world has grounded Mu’s operations these past six years, and I am grateful to have worked alongside her in my first year. Mu will always value her service to the organization, artists, staff, and all of the Twin Cities' intersectional communities."
From Theater Mu board chair Ruthie B. Johnson: "We appreciate all that Anh Thu has done to grow Mu's work and reflect our values for diversity and equity throughout all parts of the organization. She has led Mu through many transitions and changes; we support her in making this decision and will continue to do so in whatever comes next."
From Theater Mu board member and co-founder Rick Shiomi: “In the history of Mu, Anh Thu played an important role in its rise to a nationally recognized status. We thank her for her work and wish her the best in her future endeavors."