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Cast members of "The Balcony," Nimbus Theatre's first production in its new home

Marching in the streets, revolution, power and the illusion of power... it's no wonder that every time Josh Cragun reads the news these days, he's reminded of the play he's directing: "The Balcony" by Jean Genet.

The show is a perfect fit for a company whose motto is "Theatre for a world gone mad."

Josh Cragun and his wife Liz Neerland are the co-artistic directors of 

, which has been for the past decade an itinerant company, renting spaces in which to perform.

But tonight marks Nimbus' first performance in its new home, a warehouse space in the Nordeast neighborhood of Minneapolis.

Cragun says the company decided to lease a permanent space for a number of reasons, not the least of which was financial.

Plus the building has the potential to become a source of income; Cragun says they intend to make it available for rental, just as Nimbus has rented space from places like Intermedia Arts and the Minneapolis Theatre Garage in the past.

Neerland adds the space gives them increased flexibility when staging productions:

The stage is indeed impressive, with 900 square feet to move around on. The warehouse space, which is in the shape of a large shoe-box, has been broken down from front to back into lobby area, seating area, stage, and backstage/storage/office.

Cragun says while they were motivated in part by finances and flexibility, the move is in large part about finding, and building community:

"The Balcony" opens tonight at Nimbus' new home - 1517 Central Ave NE, Minneapolis - and runs through March 6.

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The decade-old theater company has decided to put down some roots

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