NEWS: Christina Baldwin to Take Reins at Jungle Theater

Christina Baldwin, the Jungle Theater’s newest Artistic Director.

Christina Baldwin has been appointed as permanent Artistic Director of the Jungle Theater, a storied theater located on Lyndale near Lake Street in Uptown Minneapolis. Baldwin is the company’s third permanent Artistic Director, succeeding Sarah Rasmussen and founder Bain Boehlke.

Baldwin is no stranger to the Jungle, having served as its Resident Director since 2018. She was named Associate Artistic Director after the Jungle received the BOLD Theater Women’s Leadership Circle grant, and has worked with Managing Director Robin Gillette throughout the intervening period.

One of the first projects on Baldwin’s plate is a restructuring – in the works for some time – of the company’s artistic leadership. According to this plan, 3-4 new artists will be added to the Jungle’s year-round
staff and given full access to the theater’s decision-making process, including show selection, budget creation, and management activities. These artists will also develop their own, independent projects using the Jungle’s financial and production resources. One of the end goals of this restructuring is to shorten the path of working artists into artistic leadership.

“My experience at Theatre de la Jeune Lune and other collaborative environments in the Twin Cities arts community showed me the immense value in having many perspectives at the table,” said Baldwin. “This is a model of mutual aid—sharing experiences, knowledge and the work. We want to be generous with our resources, and we know we’ll benefit from new perspective.”

Christina Baldwin in the stage left box at the Jungle Theater in Minneapolis.

Baldwin’s long engagement with the Jungle – as an actor in five productions, and as a director for four – promises a smooth transition. “Christina’s varied background, her observations during the past difficult year, and what the Jungle has learned about leadership during our commitment to the BOLD Circle has inspired her to devise a new artistic cohort model for the Jungle,” said Craig Ashby, chair of the Jungle board of directors. “We’re excited about expanding the number and diversity of the voices in the
room.”

The Jungle Theater’s current virtual production is The Catastrophist by Lauren Gunderson, which plays through May 2.

About
Latest Posts

Amy Donahue

Amy Donahue is a staff reviewer at the Twin Cities Arts Reader. She interned with the magazine during the summer of 2017, served as a guest contributor while studying abroad in Europe that fall, and has moved up to regular old reviewing. She served as interim Editor-in-Chief in 2023.

She admits to being at least 50% terrified of contemporary German opera.