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http://www.startribune.com/printarticle/?id=164103506 8/2/2012
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<br /> Article by: ANNA PRATT
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<br /> Special to the Star Tribune
<br /> August 1, 2012 -4:45 PM
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<br /> Writing "Twist of Fate" playwright and director Tyler Olsen
<br /> imagined two groups of teenagers stranded on a tropical island as �
<br /> a result of a cyclone and tornado.
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<br /> The final product from the Rosetown Playhouse, a community
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<br /> theater group in Roseville, is about navigating cultural and
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<br /> personal differences to find common ground.
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<br /> It brings together 25 teenagers. Some were born in America. II�..:clllliitiicaIll i�-�efugee:.,,
<br /> Others are political refugees from Myanmar and Thailand who II &�,]Iiin III,,,,,,,,e lii�:.Min, St&�,v r,i,Jill ane
<br /> belong to an ethnic group known as the Karen (pronounced Ka-
<br /> REN).
<br /> IF YOU GO
<br /> Rosetown is preparing "Twist of Fate”for its run at the Mixed Blood
<br /> What: "Twist of Fate,"a play from Rosetown Playhouse
<br /> Theatre in Minneapolis. The play begins Thursday and goes community theater,the Karen Organization of
<br /> through Aug. 12 as one of 165 shows in the Minnesota Fringe Minnesota and the Roseville Parks and Recreation
<br /> g g g Department.The play is part of the Minnesota Fringe
<br /> Festival. Festival.
<br /> When:Thurs. 7 p.m.; Fri.8:30 p.m.; Sun.,4 p.m.;Aug.
<br /> To pull it off, the theater group partnered with the Roseville parks 9, 8:30 p.m.;Aug. 12, 1 p.m.
<br /> system, which provided rehearsal space at Villa Park, where the Where: Mixed Blood Theatre, 1501 S.4th St.,
<br /> group also performed last week. Minneapolis
<br /> Cost: Single tickets for adults$12 and children$4
<br /> Rosetown connected with refugees through the Karen (Fringe Festival ticket packages also are available.)
<br /> Organization of Minnesota (KOM), a St. Paul-based nonprofit that To order tickets or to find out more about the play and
<br /> the Rosetown Playhouse, check out
<br /> provides assistance to local Karen. The Karen "have long been http://www.rosetownplay house.o /.
<br /> subject to persecution and ethnic cleansing by the Burmese
<br /> government," according to KOM information that refers to
<br /> Myanmar by its previous name, Burma.
<br /> Although Olsen had a basic framework for the play from the outset, the idea was to make "Twist of Fate"a collaborative effort
<br /> with the actors. This was a unique challenge considering that some of the Karen people have been in the country for less
<br /> than a year, and speak little English, he said.
<br /> It helped to have dance instructors who doubled as translators, he said.
<br /> Tapestry in words, action
<br /> As a part of the creative process, Olsen questioned the teenagers about everything from their favorite foods to sad and
<br /> happy memories. He wove many of their comments and individual quirks into the script, alternating lines in English and
<br /> Karen.
<br /> Everything from one actor's love of yoga to another's incessant singing ended up in the play.
<br /> Behind the scenes, the cast members have grown closer, playing in the rain and sharing food. This bonding is reflected
<br /> onstage.
<br /> "It's been great seeing kids open up on both sides," Olsen said. "It gives a taste of what life is like for people."
<br /> Personal history
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