Mia Angelica Onia Guzman, Dexieng “Dae” Yang, and Hope Nordquist. Still courtesy Spiritfolk.

Thank you for seeing Kung Fu Zombies vs Southeast Asian Girl Scouts by Saymoukda Duangphouxay Vongsay and directed by Mu Artistic Director Fran de Leon. Check back for a PDF version of the playbill, scroll down to read, or use our table of contents.

Samoa Dexieng “Dae” Yang*

Do-Si-Do Hope Nordquist*

Thin Mint Mia Angelica Onia Guzman

Mama Lia Rivamonte

Gary Benjamin Dutcher*

ensemble Finn Buffington, Chandler Clement-Oja, Elijah Virgil Hughes, Lance Krohn^, Nami Lee, Cody Manh Do, Kai Nguyen, Sri Peck, Thomas Phetmeuangmay, Logan Bret Sapp, Quinn Tran, Duabhli Vang-Ly

understudies Morgan Kempton (Mama/Thin Mint), James J. Ruth (Gary), Katelin Shum (ensemble)

CREATIVE & PRODUCTION

playwright Saymoukda Duangphouxay Vongsay

director Fran de Leonº

violence director Mason Tyerº

stage manager Miranda Shunkwiler*

assistant stage maangers Becca Kravchenko*, Elijah Virgil Hughes

production manager Jessica Swanson

scenic designer Mina Kinukawa+

lighting designer Karin Olson+

costume designer Eleanor Schanilec

properties designer Madelaine Foster

puppet designer Kris Muas

sound designer/composer Akiem Scott

zombie mask & wig designer Jamie Kalakaru-Mava

dramaturg Alejandro Tey

technical director Will Rafferty

sound supervisor Kelsey Heathcote

head electrician Kurt Jung

directing fellow Katelin Shum

costume fellow Grace Maijala

properties fellow Avery Sinclair

technical theater fellow Hannah Buss

associate sound designers Bevibel Harvey, Aaron Newman

electricians Alan Donahue, Lindsay Fulton, Andy Glischinski, Bevibel Harvey, Molly Pelkey, Kate Peters, Asa Rallings, Buo-en Wee, Andrew Young

carpenter Ei Malachite Carlson, Erin Carroll Gustafson

scenic charge Emerson Stenbeck

scenic painter Ei Malachite Carlson

stitcher Lily Turner

laundry/show notes Sydney Lin, Hannah Buss (cover)

ASL interpreters Jenae Farnham, Alyssa Hill

audio describer Laurie Pape Hadley

*Appearing through an agreement between Theater Mu and Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States

+Member of the United States Scenic Artists, Local USA 829, IATSE, a labor union and professional association of designers, artists, craftspeople, and department coordinators

º member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, the national labor union representing professional stage directors and choreographers across the United States

^ fight captain

SHOW INFORMATION

RUN TIME: approximately 90 minutes, no intermission

CONTENT WARNING: This show contains depictions of blood, violence, gore, zombies, and adult language, as well as atmospheric haze and flashing lights.

NEED A MOMENT? If you need to exit the production at any point, you can access the lobby to find a seat, get water, ground yourself in our quiet space, or relate your needs to the front-of-house staff.

ACCESSIBILITY: Accessible seating, sensory kits and large-print playbills are available at all performances.

SPECIAL THANKS

Sandy Agustin, Michael Anderson, Mik Bode, Jesse Cogswell, the Costume Collective, Kieran Cox, Stella Dalupan, Rick Faye and Stef Hruby of the Minnesota Kali Group, Shannon Fitzgerald, Alex Galick, Girl Scouts River Valleys, Kalue Her, Melody Her, the Kaboodle, Meghan Kreidler, Emily Kuroda, Mixed Blood, Monkeybear’s Harmolodic Workshop, Sara Ochs, Sara Pillatzki-Warzeha, Ray Steveson, the Swap Closet, Eleanor Sylvan, Theater Latté Da, Tamlyn Tomita, Erica Warren, Tiffany Xiong, Hli Xyooj, Mai M. Yang

LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT

The earth we are standing on, Mni Sota MaKoce, is the ancestral and contemporary homelands of the Dakota people whose creation story began at the confluence of the Wakpá Tháŋka and the Mnísota Wakpá, also known as the Mississippi and Minnesota rivers. As Asian Americans, our history in this land has, at times, walked in solidarity with Native peoples. We have also benefited from their displacement. Because of this, in addition to a land acknowledgment, Theater Mu is working to honor the Indigenous community through these practices:

Starting in 2025, we provide free mainstage tickets for Native/Indigenous community members. Head to bit.ly/mu-ap if you’d like to partner with us.
We intentionally invite Native and Indigenous artists to join our training and mentorship opportunities to share knowledge, deepen relationships, and support Native theater artists.
We amplify Native arts and cultural events in our newsletters and social media.
We commit to continuing our education on the history of this land and our responsibilities to it.
We continuously examine further ways we can support, engage, and amplify the Native community.

We invite you to join us in reflecting on your own relationship to Indigenous sovereignty. Find resources and learn more about Mu’s living action plan by visiting our website.

Thank you to the Native Governance Center for their guidance in assembling these resources.

FROM THE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

For too long, AAPI writers were handed a narrow lane of what stories we could tell, and the genres in which they would be told. This play unapologetically busts through those lanes through horror, camp, and dystopia, embraced by Saymoukda’s Southeast Asian American refugee existence. Mu exists to champion this kind of bold, unruly work.

In our play, you’ll see three teenage girls step up after authorities abandon their community. They check on elders, make medicine runs, and restock food shelves. Sound familiar? Their apocalypse came as sun fires, destroying the earth. Ours came as thousands of federal immigration agents, disappearing our neighbors.

Just like these girls, we jumped to action. Volunteers built rapid response networks, delivered groceries, and passed out red cards and whistles. We took care of our own, and that is the spirit of these Girl Scouts. I couldn’t ask for a more meaningful Minnesota directorial debut.

Thank you to Saymoukda for entrusting me with her trilogy’s finale, to our artists, crew, and staff, to our ancestors, and to you.

Enjoy our love letter to the Twin Cities, get home safely, and check on your neighbors. We all deserve a badge for this.

FRAN DE LEON, artistic director & production director

FROM THE PLAYWRIGHT

What a relief. My era as the playwright who made Kung Fu Zombies her entire personality is coming to an end. Fifteen years ago, the first play in the Kung Fu Zombies play cycle was born. Theater Mu took a major risk commissioning and producing (3x!!!) a poetry-trained non-MFA genre-writing playwright whose favorite question is, “Why can’t we?”

It’s our story; we can tell it however we want. It’s our story; we should be the ones telling it.

Last year we celebrated 50 years in the United States, but by December, we endured the violent military-style sweep of Operation Metro Surge. My neighborhood looked, felt, and sounded like the aftermath of an apocalyptic event. For a naturalized citizen like myself, I felt both afraid and emboldened. More urgently, my work needed to insist that we belong and that our community will not back down without a fight.

Attention and platforms can be luxuries. I wanted to make my new play unwavering in its message. In May 2026, I threw out over 2 years of work and started what you’re seeing tonight.

As you engage with these survivors, ask yourself: When it matters most, will you save yourself or your community? When the old world no longer serves us, what parts of it do we carry forward? What do you want tomorrow? Why can’t we? What’s stopping us?

I hope you’ll let me know.

This story is for my late mother Sanouthith, my father Saykham, and my tomorrow, Rahsan.

SAYMOUKDA DUANGPHOUXAY VONGSAY, playwright

CAST BIOS

Finn Buffington (Dennis, Zombie)

Finn (he/him) is excited to make his Theater Mu debut! His past credits include A King For All Time, Three Muskteers, Julius Caesar (Hopkins Theatre Company); Legally Blonde (Eden Prairie Players). He graduated from St. Olaf this June and studied history and played football. He would like to thank the entire production team for making this entire show possible. As always, he would also like to thank his parents and brother.

Chandler Clement-Oja (Jim, Zombie)

Chandler (he/they) has been performing live and hosting events in the Midwest for 12 years, and is delighted to be making their debut with Theater Mu. This past year he was seen onstage with Novagrex as the two Dukes in As You Like It and Lucifer in their tour of Doctor Faustus; Hopkins Theatre as Sir Bors in the premiere of A King For All Time; and Local 574 as Vincent "Ray" Dunne in their award-winning sell-out premiere of Hell on Wheels: The Winter Strike of 1934 for the MN Fringe festival. He sends his love and gratitude to his partner Taylor and the four furry beasts that keep them company, as well as all the incredible artists he has been blessed to work with this past year. Solidarity Forever! | @joblesslowlife on IG

Benjamin Dutcher* (Gary)

Benjamin (he/him) is a Twin Cities based singer, actor, and educator who has been seen on stages across the country. Previous engagements include work with Theater Latté Da, History Theatre, Asolo Repertory Theater, Frank Theatre, Artistry Theater, Trademark Theater, the Playwrights' Center, Six Points Theater, Frosted Glass Creative, Opera Columbus, Out of the Box Opera, Skylark Opera, Mill City Summer Opera, Overdressed Opera, St. Croix Valley Opera, and Minnesota Opera. Benjamin was part of the Drama Desk award-winning cast of All is Calm presented Off-Broadway, can be heard on Spotify in South Dakota Symphony Orchestra's Giants in the Earth, often performs a Glen Campbell tribute show, and especially loves being a dad. | benjamindutcher.com

Mia Angelica Onia Guzman (Thin Mint)

Mia (all/any) is a Filipino American actor, singer-songwriter, collage and sculpture artist, and aspiring research scientist who is excited to be making their professional theatrical debut with Theater Mu! A recent graduate from Macalester College with BAs in neuroscience and music, Mia is thrilled to return to theater following her roles in Holmes and Watson, Hair, and countless staged readings of student plays. He is an alumnus of the Young Adult Council at Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago.

Elijah Virgil Hughes (Kevin)

Elijah is making their return to Theater Mu for this world premiere!

Lance Krohn^ (Shadow, Zombie)

Lance (he/they) is excited to make his Theater Mu debut! Previous productions include Sherwood at Theatre in the Round, The Three Musketeers at Lakeshore Players Theatre, She Kills Monsters with Six Elements Theatre, as well as Julius Caesar and King For All Time with Hopkins Community Theatre. Lance began stage combat training with Art in Arms in 2018 and has recently been given the rank of advanced actor combatant with the Society of American Fight Directors. Lance is also an alum of the National Theatre Institute (also known as the Eugene O'Neill Theatre Center) acting intensive program.

Nami Lee (Imani)

Nami (she/her) is 10 years old and lives in the Twin Cities. She enjoys drawing and crafting, reading books, especially anime, and listening to music. She is also learning how to play piano, viola, and clarinet. Nami participated in Theater Mu Explorations Summer Camps in 2025 and 2026. This will be her first time acting in a play!

Cody Manh Do (Tao, Zombie, Do-Si-Do’s Dad)

Cody (he/him) is a Viet-Chinese American actor based in the Twin Cities. He previously collaborated with Theater Mu back in January for the New Eyes Festival, but this play marks his first full professional production with the company! He was most recently seen as Ezekiel Cheever in The Crucible with Uncharted Theater back in July. Other credits include Stupid Fucking Bird, Art, The Tempest, Cabaret (UMD), and Rent, La Ronde (Zeitgeist Theater). Cody thanks the cast and crew and all his friends for their support and would like to dedicate this to all of the unheard and unsung Asian and Asian American voices. Đi một ngày đang học một sàng khôn.

Kai Nguyen (Kumiko)

Kai (she/her) is very excited for this opportunity as this is going to be her first ever theater performance. Being able to showcase her martial arts ability and mix it with performing arts is something she never expected to do but is glad she gets to.

Hope Nordquist (Do-Si-Do)*

Hope (she/her) has most recently been seen as Vanda in Venus in Fur as a co-production with the Hive Collaborative and Kathryn in Cruel Intentions: the 90s Musical at LUSH Lounge & Theater. She has been seen in the Twin Cities at Theater Latté Da, Artistry, History Theatre, Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, and Park Square Theatre. She spent several years in Duluth working as a theater artist at the Duluth Playhouse and played several roles that felt unattainable as an Asian American actress. She has also served as a cast member and emcee at several drag and burlesque shows across the Twin Cities area. She is so excited to be back at Mu for KFZ!

Sri Peck (Lani, Zombie, Do-Si-Do’s Mom)

Sri (she/they) is a Minneapolis based actor and digital creator. She holds a BFA in acting through the University of Minnesota/Guthrie Theater BFA actor training program. Her professional credits include Dina & Clarenza (Trinacria Theatre Company - Pezzolo, Sicily), The Ferryman (Park Square Theatre/UMN BFA), The Mother (Black Label Movement/Sod House Theater), Karina & Anzhelina (New Musical Theater Initiative), Salomé (the Modern Rep), and A Christmas Carol (Guthrie Theater). Sri is certified Level 1 in unarmed combat, broadsword, and rapier for stage through Dueling Arts International, and cannot wait to throw some punches. She is absolutely thrilled to make her Theater Mu debut! | sripeck.com, @sripeck on IG

Thomas Phetmeuangmay (Mr. Kee, Kunthea)

Thomas (he/him) has been active in theatre since his youth but has only started being a part of the Minnesota theatre community within the last three years since moving up here. He has been a lead for performances such as Gomez in Addams Family: The Musical, Audrey II in Little Shop of Horrors, and various community theatre projects. His most recent performance was as an extra for Preah Mai Thorani: an Earth Goddess Musical during the 2026 MN Fringe Festival.

Lia Rivamonte (Mama)

Lia (she/her) was active in the early ascendence of Mu having participated in New Eyes Festivals, writing and directing the play Filipino Sisters, and being a member of the earliest iteration of Mu Daiko. As an actor, she has performed at Mixed Blood Theatre, the Guthrie, and in the SF Bay Area. She served for 13 years as executive director of the Banfill-Locke Center for the Arts, and has been a development consultant for a number of arts nonprofits. She has received individual artist grants from MRAC and the MN State Arts Board for her writing projects. In May 2026, she presented excerpts and visual art from No Woman Is an Island, inspired by a trip to the Philippines. She is gratified and beyond excited to be included in KFZ.

Logan Bret Sapp (Martin, Zombie)

Logan (he/they) is an Actor/Choreographer/Clown/Educator based out of Twin Cities. Logan originally hails from Owensboro, Kentucky. He currently holds a Masters Degree in the Arts from Louisiana Tech University. Logan has been fortunate to be able to spread his love of theatre to classrooms and stages all across the country. This will be his first production with Theater Mu. Past roles of his include Mr. Bennet from Kate Hamill's Pride and Prejudice, Ed Carmichael from You Can't Take It With You, and Cert from Soul Samurai. He thanks his family and loved ones for their continued support so that he may continue to share his art with the world. S,D,B,L,K.

Quinn Tran (Autumn)

Quinn is making her Theater Mu debut!

Duabhli Vang-Ly (Ella)

Duabhli (she/her) has always loved acting, dancing, singing, and being on stage. She played a young Nala in a Lion King short with a local community theater and recently participated in her second year with Theater Mu Explorations. She is in the Cypher Side Junior Hip Hop dance team and performed at the 2026 Hmong Freedom Festival and the Minnesota State Fair. She was a part of the choir at Cottage Grove Elementary School. She has also walked the runway as a model in the SoWashCo Hmong New Year fashion shows.

Dexieng “Dae” Yang* (Samoa)

Dexieng (she/her), or "Dae," is an emerging Hmong American playwright, actor, and teaching artist located in the Twin Cities. She has worked with Theater Mu in The Korean Drama Addict’s Guide to Losing Your Virginity, The Last Firefly, Man of God, and Again. Her other works include Neighbors at History Theatre, Shul at Six Points Theater, Mercutio Loves Romeo Loves Juliet Loves at the William Inge Festival, Sounds Inside at Red Eye Theater, The Humans at Park Square Theatre, and Sixpack at Jungle Theater. She is a recurring cast member of the Island of Discarded Women podcast and has performed at the Ordway with touring show Lalo’s Lunchbox.

Morgan Kempton (Mama/Thin Mint understudy)

Morgan (she/her) has acted at Theater Mu (Swingposium, Blended 和 (Harmony): The Kim Loo Sisters w/ History Theatre), Lyric Arts (Something Rotten!, A Chorus Line, Mamma Mia), Straw Hat Players (Guys and Dolls, The Last Five Years [u/s], Disaster), Minnesota State University Moorhead (The Who's Tommy, Reefer Madness, Noises Off, Women of Troy), Fargo Moorhead Community Theatre (Hairspray). Education: BFA in musical theater, Minnesota State University Moorhead. Morgan would be remiss if she did not thank Merritt, her pops, mom, Chris & family, precious delightful friends, team EDU/WFD for all their love and support. "A fun fact is my Mom was in the very first Kung Fu Zombies show. If you're reading this, Mom, please don't cut my ear off and eat it... We both know kung fu now..."

James J. Ruth (Gary understudy)

James (he/him) has come full circle! Theater Mu's 2023 production of The Kung Fu Zombie Saga was the first piece of Minnesota theatre James ever attended. A lover of new works, devised theater, and puppetry, James recently enjoyed teaming up with Phantom Chorus Theatre on Fighting Unicorns and workshopping Wonderlust Theatre's Values Play Project. Before Minnesota, James was a guest artist with New York groups including the Juilliard School and SITI Company. His current passion is the intersectionality of folk art and role-playing games. Up Next: Puss in Boots (Sidekick Theatre). | jamesruth.com

Learn about Katelin Shum (directing fellow, ensemble understudy) in her bio under the Company section.

Company BIOS

Saymoukda Duangphouxay Vongsay (playwright)

Saymoukda (she/her) is a Lao American poet, essayist, and playwright. Her work focuses on creating tools and spaces for the amplification of Southeast Asian refugee voices through poetry, theater, and experimental cultural production. The Smithsonian APAC, Theater Mu, Theatre Unbound, InterAct Theatre Co., and Mixed Blood Theatre have presented her plays. She has received fellowships from the Bush Foundation, McKnight Foundation, Center for Cultural Power, Jerome Foundation, Playwrights’ Center, among others. She has received grants from the Knight Foundation, Forecast Public Art, Metropolitan Regional Arts Council, MAP Fund, Andy Warhol Foundation, and dozens more. Accolades include being the former Mellon Foundation playwright-in-residence at Theater Mu; a core writer at the Playwrights' Center; a Jerome Foundation AIR at Camargo Cassis, France; and a MN State Arts Board grantee. BA: English, UMN. MLS: public policy + arts and cultural leadership, UMN. | refugenius.net

Fran de Leonº (director, Mu artistic director)

Fran (she/her) joined Theater Mu as artistic director in spring 2025. Fran began producing at 19, including her one-person show, Faces of America, which toured to over 500 venues. She has also served as co-artistic director of Will & Company, director of new talent for Playfair, an ensemble member of Critical Mass Performance Group, and as adjunct faculty at USC. Fran is a 2025 Drama League directing fellow and a finalist for the Barb Whitman Award. Selected commissions from: Segerstrom Center’s Arts Teach, TreePeople, Twelfth Night Rep, and Center Theatre Group. Selected TV credits: For All Mankind, For the People, Criminal Minds, Speechless, and The Brothers Sun.

Mason Tyerº (violence director)

Mason (he/him) is a stunt coordinator and violence director in Minneapolis. He is a fight director, certified teacher, theatrical firearms safety instructor, and the secretary for the Society of American Fight Directors. An associate member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, Mason has worked with Minnesota Opera, Chanhassen Dinner Theatres, Children's Theatre Company, Duluth Playhouse, Paul Bunyan Playhouse, Journey North Opera Company, GREAT, Open Window Theatre, Theatre in the Round, and numerous high schools, community theatres, and local film productions. Mason has taught at Children's Theatre Company, the Guthrie, North Hennepin Community College, and at stage combat specialty workshops across the country. He runs public classes through Rogue Action Dynamics. | musesfire.com

Jessica Goldade Swanson* (stage & production manager)

Jessica (she/her) is excited to join Theater Mu for another season! Besides Mu you can find her at Mixed Blood as their NNPN producer-in-residence and production manager. Previous productions include HMong Futures, Maybe You Could Love Me, and Stop Kiss with Theater Mu; Waitress, Pajama Game, Shrek, and Memphis with Artistry; and A Unique Assignment and The Boy Wonder at History Theatre. She has also worked in production, operations, and administrative positions at Ordway, Artistry, Children’s Theatre Company, and the Old Log Theatre.

Miranda Shunkwiler* (stage manager)

Miranda (she/they) is thrilled to be back for her second Kung Fu Zombies with Theater Mu! Born and raised in the Twin Cities, they have been blessed to be part of the theater community, stage managing for companies such as Six Points Theater, the Jungle, Prime Productions, History Theatre, Artistry, Yellow Tree Theatre, New Native Theatre, Stages Theatre Company, Minneapolis Musical Theatre, and many more. She couldn’t do it without the support of her wonderful partner, friends, family, and of course her four cats.

Hannah Buss (technical theater fellow)

Hannah (she/her) is thrilled to return to Theater Mu as the technical theater fellow, having previously worked as a teaching artist and assistant stage manager. Recent backstage credits include Fancy Dancer (History Theatre), Maybe You Could Love Me (Theater Mu), The Music Man (Lyric Arts), and Matt & Ben (the Hive Collaborative). She received her BA in theatre from the University of Northwestern - Saint Paul and BA in political science from St. Cloud State University. | hannahbuss.com

Madelaine Foster (properties designer)

Madelaine (she/her) is excited to be working with Theater Mu for the first time on Kung Fu Zombies vs Southeast Asian Girl Scouts. Madelaine is a Minneapolis-based properties designer most often found at Theater Latté Da where she is their resident properties designer and supervisor (recent favorites Fun Home, My Fair Lady, The Glass Menagerie). Prior to moving home to Minneapolis, she was the assistant prop supervisor at the Indiana Repertory Theater in Indianapolis.

Bevibel Harvey (associate sound designer)

Bevibel (they/she) has worked in about a zillion mostly-tiny theater spaces in the Twin Cities since 2015 as a video/sound/lighting designer/programmer/technician, finding themselves increasingly drawn to radical, queer, BIPOC- and disability-led, liberation-focused work over time. Highlights have included RRRiot: Race and Rape Culture (Phoenix, 2016), MN Fringe (2017-present), Controlled Burn (20%, 2018), Queertopia (Red Eye, 2018; Heart of the Beast, 2019), Interstate (Mixed Blood, 2020), Star Keeper (Red Eye, 2024), and Lesson in Love (Pillsbury, 2025).

Kurt Jung (head electrician)

Kurt (he/him) is a freelance lighting technician throughout the Twin Cities, and was also head electrician for Theater Mu's productions of Maybe You Can Love Me, 50 Boxes of Earth, and Stop Kiss. Kurt lives with his wife Molly, their two kids, and their menagerie of animals, including a cat, a dog, a chicken, a ball python, and a Russian tortoise.

Jamie (Schumacher) Kalakaru-Mava (zombie mask & wig designer)

Jamie (she/her) is a Polish/Sri Lankan American visual artist, author, and community organizer based in the Twin Cities. She got her start in special effects and mask making in California, becoming an award-winning monster-maker for Knott’s Scary Farm’s Halloween Haunt. She is the author of It’s Never Going to Work (2018), Butterflies and Tall Bikes (2021), and Half a World Away (2024). Her public art appears across the metro, and she writes for several publications. By day, she supports creative and cultural districts at LISC Twin Cities and teaches graduate students at the University of Minnesota. She’s thrilled to wade back into the bloody waters of monster making and thanks Mooks for her creative vision. | purenoumena.org

Mina Kinukawa (scenic designer)

Mina (she/her) has designed for MN theaters including: Penumbra, MN Opera, Theater Mu, Theater Latté Da, Jungle Theater, Full Circle Theater, New Native Theatre, and Pillsbury House + Theatre. She has also worked in film & TV productions in Los Angeles, and designed scenery for regional theaters such as East West Players, EchoTheatre Company, Company of Angels, Milagro Theater, Profile Theatre, and Northwest Children’s Theatre Company. Most recently, she designed scenery for PREM and Swapnō Jhnāp (Ananya Dance Theatre), Maybe You Could Love Me (Theater Mu), and Cambodian Rock Band (East West Players). She is excited to work on another KFZ with this incredible team! Coming up next: Toni Stone (History Theatre). She is an associate professor in the theater and dance department at Macalester College in Saint Paul, MN. Mina is a member of the United Scenic Artists Local 829.

Grace Maijala (costume design fellow)

Grace (she/her) is a Minneapolis-based costume designer and technician and a graduate of the University of Minnesota's theatre design and technology program. Recent credits include The Crucible with Uncharted Theatre Company and Sideways Stories from Wayside School with Phipps Center for the Arts. She is most at home when working in the worlds of horror, camp aesthetics, and upcycled materials, so she is thrilled to be making her Theater Mu debut with Kung Fu Zombies!

Kris Muas (puppet designer)

Kris Muas (he/they) is a multidisciplinary artist and environmental educator based in Saint Paul. His works are heavily influenced by his love of nature, cultural upbringing, and through the queer/trans lens. He is the puppet program supervisor at Eagan Art House, and currently in Monkeybear’s Harmolodic intensive workshop. Kris recently co-starred in a MN Fringe show where he designed and built his Ganesha puppet. Kris produced their first puppet show last fall with Full Moon Puppet Arts called Where Flowers Bloom. He is honored and excited to see his zombie puppets come to life in KFZ vs Southeast Asian Girl Scouts!

Aaron Newman (associate sound designer)

Aaron (he/him) is a Twin Cities-based audio engineer and sound designer and has worked with several theater companies over the past 15 years including the Gremlin, the Jungle, Yellow Tree Theatre, Minneapolis Musical Theatre, Park Square, Dark & Stormy Productions, and more. This is his first time working with Theater Mu, and he is thrilled and grateful to be a part of the team with so many amazing artists.

Karin Olson (lighting designer)

Karin (she/her) has designed over 20 productions with Theater Mu, including The Song Poet (w/ Minnesota Opera), Stop Kiss, Fifty Boxes of Earth, Hells Canyon, and both previous incarnations of Kung Fu Zombies. Other recent designs include A Chorus Line at Park Square, In the Heights at Artistry, The Snowy Day with Minnesota Opera at the Ordway, I Am Betty at the History Theatre, and Johnny Skeeky with Theater Latté Da. Upcoming designs include Billy Elliot at Artistry and Minnesota Opera’s Falstaff at the Ordway. Karin is a 2023/24 McKnight theater artist fellow. | karinolsonlighting.com

Will Rafferty (technical director)

Will (he/him) has recently returned to freelancing after nearly five years at Artistry Theater and Visual Arts. At Artistry, he had the opportunity to serve as technical director on several wonderful productions including Newsies, Waitress, Once on This Island, and In The Heights. Will is excited to be working with a lot of different theaters and new people. He has especially enjoyed working on such an iconic show as Kung Fu Zombies, and with such a wonderful group of people.

Eleanor Schanilec (costume designer)

Eleanor (she/her) is a Twin Cities-based costume designer, stitcher, and crafts artisan. She is thrilled to be making her debut at Theater Mu! Working on KFZ with so many dedicated creative collaborators has been a dream as a huge horror fan. Her previous designs can be seen at Lyric Arts, Hamline University, Shakespeare Youth Theatre, Minneapolis Musical Theatre, and more. Some of her recent favorites have been Fab-u-land, Head Over Heels, Urinetown, Kinky Boots, and Heathers The Musical! She’s a member and co-founder of the Costume Collective MN. Special thank you to her cat assistants Zoe and Dani!

Akiem Scott (sound designer/composer)

Akiem has created tracks and sonic atmosphere for every iteration of Kung Fu Zombies!

Katelin Shum (directing fellow, ensemble understudy)

Katelin (she/her) is a playwright, actor, and arts administrator from San Diego, California. This is her Theater Mu debut! Select playwriting credits include Robber for Cheese and Turtle, which have been developed and shared locally on the West Coast, and BJORN AGAIN, an interactive, autobiographical play in which she also starred. Other accomplishments include: Cancelina by Beth Hyland, Hamlet at LAMDA, and the new musical, The Lunchbox. Katelin has worked regionally at theatres such as La Jolla Playhouse, Berkeley Rep, and the Ojai Playwrights Conference. She is currently an inaugural member of the 2026/27 BIPOC Critics Lab cohort at the Old Globe, in collaboration with the Public.

Avery Sinclair (properties design fellow)

Avery (they/them) is an aspiring designer as well as a carpenter, sewist, welder, and poet in the Twin Cities. Their work often explores queerness, girlhood, and love in all its forms. They are a recent graduate of Macalester College where they studied mathematics and women’s, gender, & sexuality studies, and worked in the theater department. They are thrilled to be working with Mu for their first show out of college. Avery is passionate about storytelling, community building, and leading with curiosity in all that they do.

Alejandro Tey (dramaturg)

Alejandro (he/him) is a theatre maker, facilitator, and teaching artist whose artistic practice focuses on collaborative creation, narrative immersion, and participation. Alejandro is the associate artistic director of Mixed Blood, where he led Upstream: a devised, participatory play about climate change for and with middle schoolers. Tey directed the world premiere of Fallenstar, about Native teen superheroes produced by New Native Theatre; and Willmar, about the interlocking communities of Willmar, MN, produced by The Neighborhood Theatre Project. Alejandro is the creator of The Isle of Sugar, a hybrid roleplaying game/theatrical event based on his grandparent’s experience of the Cuban Revolution. He’s also a huge fan of Mouks and KFZ and is geeking out to be here!

Thank You

Because of you, we are able to provide Pay As You Are ticketing, paid mentorships, and more. Thank you for supporting Mu! View the complete list of our donors by visiting theatermu.org/donors.

2025/26 MU CHAMPIONS CIRCLE

designs by Fuechee Thao/KNOCK, inc.

SEA TURTLE ($1,000-$2,499)

Gregory & Penny Anderson, Gail & Richard Bohr, Jeffrey D. Bores & Michael Hawkins, Rachel Brown, Theodore F. Cornwell, Jack & Linda Fei, Valerie Meyer & Mitchell Dejong, Ruby Pediangco & Matt Shumway, Nonoko Sato & Ted Johnson, Rick Shiomi & Martha Johnson, Stabile Drueding Charitable Gift Fund, Nelson Williams

2025/26 Monthly Mu-Vers

Juan Chanco, Kelly Condit-Shrestha, Dian Dewi, Grace Fogland, Jesse Dong, B. Inman, Jon F. Jee, Su-Yoon Ko, Maypahou Ly, Alicia Mady, Hyun Joo Oh, Kim Park Nelson, Daniel Pinkerton, Evan Ramstad, Logan Rodgers, Adam Sinley, Debbie Thompson, Sara Van Norman, Tiffany Xiong

KUNG FU ZOMBIES VS SOUTHEAST ASIAN GIRL SCOUTS digital playbill

CAST