Walking Shadow Theatre Company is a Minneapolis-based company with a history of producing well-staged and carefully researched work. We are drawn to shows that are smart, exciting, savvy—and often a little quirky or subversive. Walking Shadow has been called “a company that deserves attention” by the Star Tribune and praised by Minnesota Monthly for its “polished productions of incisive modern works.”
Walking Shadow Theatre Company has performed at a variety of theaters in the Twin Cities since 2004, including the Dowling Studio at the Guthrie Theater, Minneapolis Theatre Garage, Pillsbury House, Red Eye, Open Eye Figure Theatre, and many others. The company also has appeared several times at the Minnesota Fringe Festival and occasionally produces site-specific, interactive Plays-with-Puzzles.
“The region’s most ambitious theater company.” — City Pages
Production History
Feast (2024 return)
by Megan Gogerty
directed by Allison Vincent
performed by Isabel Nelson
at Black Forest Inn
March 2024
Cabal – a play with puzzles
puzzles and design by David Pisa
written and directed by John Heimbuch
at the White Stag Lodge
June 2019 – July 2023
Red Speedo
by Lucas Hnath
directed by Natalie Novacek
at Hamline University Bush Center Pool
June – July, 2023
Feast (initial 2023 run)
by Megan Gogerty
directed by Allison Vincent
performed by Isabel Nelson
at Black Forest Inn
March – April 2023
REBOOT: An Online Play with Puzzles
written by Derek “Duck” Washington
puzzles by David Pisa
directed by John Heimbuch
Performed over Zoom
June – September 2021 and January – February 2022
Gilgamesh and Beowulf in the park
written by Charlie Bethel
directed by Amy Rummenie
performed by John Heimbuch
Wood Lake Nature Center, Richfield MN
October 2021
Walking Shadow’s Week of Sharks
Original Shark-themed short plays
Created by Claire Alexander, Sean Dillon, Jeffrey Hatcher, Gemma Irish, Sam Landman, David Pisa, Kory LaQuess Pullam, Savannah Reich, Crystal Skillman, Saymoukda Duangphouxay Vongsay, and Duck Washington.
Directed by John Heimbuch & Amy Rummenie
June 2021
2020-21 archival streaming season
Hatchet Lady by Savannah Reich & Luc Parker
The Odyssey by Charlie Bethel
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by John Heimbuch & Jon Ferguson
21 Extremely Bad Breakups by Mark Leidner & Amy Rummenie
Gilgamesh by Charlie Bethel
November 2020 – March 2021
Beowulf – a virtual performance
by Charlie Bethel
directed by Amy Rummenie
performed by John Heimbuch
On Facebook Live
March – April 2020
The Ugly One (original title: Der Häßliche)
by Marius von Mayenburg
translated by Maja Zade
directed by Amy Rummenie
at Open Eye Theatre
February 2020
Open
by Crystal Skillman
directed by Amy Rummenie
featuring Allison Witham as “The Magician”
at the Art Box Theatre
October – November 2019
Equivocation
directed by Amy Rummenie
at the Gremlin Theatre
June 2018
21 Extremely Bad Breakups
from the book by Mark Leidner
adapted and directed by Amy Rummenie
at the Red Eye Theatre
February 2018
Hatchet Lady: Carry Nation, Angel of Destruction
written by Savannah Reich, music by Luc Parker
directed by John Heimbuch
at the Red Eye Theatre
December 2017
Minnesota Theater Award for Maren Ward as Carry A. Nation
Red Velvet
written by Lolita Chakrabarti
directed by Amy Rummenie
at the Southern Theatre
May 2017
Marie Antoinette
written by David Adjmi
directed by John Heimbuch
at Red Eye Theatre
February 2017
The River
written by Jez Butterworth
directed by Amy Rummenie
at Open Eye Theatre
September 2016
The Christians
written by Lucas Hnath
directed by Amy Rummenie
in association with Mixed Blood Theatre
May – June 2016
Star Tribune’s 7th Best Show of the Decade
Lasso of Truth
written by Carson Kreitzer
directed by Leah Cooper
produced by Workhaus Collective in association with Walking Shadow
March – April 2016
The Aliens
written by Annie Baker
directed by John Heimbuch
at Red Eye Theater
February 2016
A Midwinter Night’s Revel
written by John Heimbuch
directed by Amy Rummenie
at Red Eye Theater
December 2015
The Coward
written by Nick Jones
directed by Amy Rummenie
at Red Eye Theater
February 2015
The Whale
written by Samuel D. Hunter
directed by Amy Rummenie
in association with Mixed Blood Theatre
November 2014
Gabriel
written by Moira Buffini
directed by Amy Rummenie
at the Minneapolis Theatre Garage
September 2014
IVEY Award for Overall Excellence
The Three Musketeers
written by John Heimbuch
directed by Amy Rummenie
at the Guthrie Theater
May 2014
The Odyssey
An Epic One Man Story
written and performed by Charlie Bethel
at Open Eye Theatre
March – April 2014
Schiller’s Mary Stuart
by Peter Oswald
directed by John Heimbuch
at Red Eye Theater
February 2014
The Sexual Life of Savages
written by Ian MacAllister-McDonald
directed by Amy Rummenie
at the Minneapolis Theatre Garage
October – November 2013
Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde
written by Moisés Kaufman
directed by Amy Rummenie
at the Minneapolis Theatre Garage
May 2013
IVEY Award for Craig Johnson as Oscar Wilde
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
written by John Heimbuch
directed by Jon Ferguson
at Red Eye Theater
February 2013
Eurydice
written by Sarah Ruhl
directed by Amy Rummenie
at Pillsbury House
September 2012
Compleat Female Stage Beauty
written by Jeffrey Hatcher
directed by John Heimbuch
at the Minneapolis Theatre Garage
May 2012
IVEY Award for Overall Excellence
An Ideal Husband
written by Oscar Wilde
directed by Amy Rummenie
at Red Eye Theater
February 2012
Reasons to be Pretty
written by Neil LaBute
directed by Amy Rummenie
at the Guthrie Theater
September 2011
Saboteur: A Play with Puzzles
story and puzzles by David Pisa
directed by Amy Rummenie
July – August 2011
After the Quake
from the novel “After the Quake” by Haruki Murakami, adapted for the stage by Frank Galati
directed by Amy Rummenie
at the People’s Center Theatre
May 2011
Drakul
written and directed by John Heimbuch
inspired by Bram Stoker’s Dracula
at Red Eye Theater
February 2011
The Crowd You’re In With
written by Rebecca Gilman
directed by Amy Rummenie
at the People’s Center Theatre
October – November 2010
See You Next Tuesday
written by Steve Moulds
directed by Brian Balcom
in the Minnesota Fringe Festival
August 2010
The Transdimensional Couriers Union
written and directed by John Heimbuch
at the People’s Center Theatre
May 2010
Mojo
written by Jez Butterworth
directed by Amy Rummenie
at Red Eye Theater
February 2010
Some Girl(s)
written by Neil LaBute
directed by Brian Balcom
at Pillsbury House
November – December 2009
Squawk
written by John Heimbuch
directed by Amy Rummenie
in the Minnesota Fringe Festival
August 2009
Robots vs. Fake Robots
written by David Largman Murray
directed by Steve Moulds
at the People’s Center Theater
June 2009
Caligula
written by Albert Camus, translated and adapted by David Greig
directed by Amy Rummenie
at Red Eye Theater
February 2009
Amazons and Their Men
written by Jordan Harrison
directed by Amy Rummenie
at Pillsbury House
October 2008
William Shakespeare’s Land of the Dead
written by John Heimbuch
directed by Amy Rummenie
in the Minnesota Fringe Festival
August 2008
Best attended production of the 2008 Minnesota Fringe
The American Pilot
written by David Greig
directed by Amy Rummenie
at the Minneapolis Theatre Garage
May 2008
36 Views
written by Naomi Iizuka
directed by John Heimbuch
at Red Eye Theater
February 2008
Mr. Marmalade
written by Noah Haidle
directed by Brian Balcom
at Red Eye Theater
November – December 2007
Fat Pig
written by Neil LaBute
directed by Amy Rummenie
at the Playwrights’ Center
May – June 2007
The Cryptogram
written by David Mamet
directed by Annelise Christ
at the Minneapolis Theatre Garage
February – March 2007
Seventy Scenes of Halloween
written by Jeffrey M. Jones
directed by John Heimbuch
at Old Arizona Studios
October 2006
1926 Pleasant: A Play with Puzzles
developed by David Pisa and Amy Rummenie
in the Minnesota Fringe Festival
August 2006
10-Speed Revolution
written by John Heimbuch
directed by Amy Rummenie
in the Minnesota Fringe Festival
August 2005
The Lives of the Most Notorious Highwaymen
written by John Heimbuch
directed by Amy Rummenie
in the Minnesota Fringe Festival
August 2004