Fran de Leon Named Theater Mu Artistic Director

Updated June 05, 2025

Minneapolis-St. Paul’s Theater Mu has announced Fran de Leon as its next artistic director. ​De leon will assume the ⁤role on‍ June 2, ‍with a complete transition expected by the end of 2025. She succeeds Lily Tung Crystal, becoming the fifth artistic director ‌in ‍the theater’s 33-year history.​ This appointment continues Theater ⁣Mu’s co-leadership model, with de Leon working alongside managing director Anh Thu T. Pham, who joined the ​company in 2020.

As artistic director, ⁤de Leon will oversee mainstage productions and artistic programming. This includes play reading festivals, ⁢playwright ⁤cohorts, and the Trame Institute ⁢courses, which are designed for Black, Native,‍ asian, and latine artists. Theater mu, the largest Asian ⁤American theater company in the⁣ Midwest,⁣ is known for ‍its artistic excellence and community engagement. Founded ⁤in 1992, the​ organization operates with a budget of approximately $1.4 million as of 2023.

Fran de Leon brings extensive experience‍ in theater and performance to⁢ theater Mu. She previously served as co-artistic director of Will ​& Company and director of new talent for Playfair.‍ She was also‌ an ensemble member⁤ of Critical Mass performance Group and an adjunct faculty member at the University of Southern California’s School for Dramatic ⁤Arts.

De Leon’s background includes work at East West Players, Geffen playhouse, South Coast Rep, playmakers’ Rep, Artists at Play, Playwrights’ Arena, the ‍garry Marshall Theater, and pasadena playhouse, where she directed Into the Woods ⁤ in 2023.‌ Her TV ⁣credits include roles in for All Mankind, ⁤ For the People, criminal Minds, Speechless, and The ⁣brothers Sun.She‍ was recently named a 2025-2026 Drama League‍ futurenow directing fellow⁣ and a finalist for the Barbara Whitman Award.

“At‌ a time when the arts are in a most ⁤precarious ⁣position,I’m ready to roll up my sleeves and work even harder to ensure we retain the essential ⁣experience of humanity and community ⁢that theater provides,” de Leon said. “I was ⁤schooled by the rebel nuns of Vatican ‍II. ⁣Art and activism are in my DNA. my purpose in the ‍theatre world is to engage,⁣ enlighten, disrupt,​ and sometimes enrage—I’m okay with that too.”

The search for a new artistic director began in 2024 and was managed by Evolution Management Consultants (EMC), led by al Heartley. Katie Bradley served as ⁣interim artistic⁤ director from ⁢September 2024 through March 2025, co-leading with⁤ pham and programming the 2025-26 season. Bradley will​ continue to produce Stop Kiss and direct ⁣the world​ premiere of Maybe You Could Love ‍Me as⁢ de Leon transitions into her new role.

“In my‍ conversations with Fran, I was struck by our shared ​value of wanting to highlight the complexity of the Asian‍ American experience,” Mu managing director Anh Thu T. Pham said.‌ “Our own experiences are‌ not only in the Filipino or Vietnamese⁢ communities, so why can’t our art contain the multitudes of all our communities? I’m excited for Mu to continue widening circles in the stories that are told. In a country that feels very divided politically,theatre can be a space of healing and a reflection of the world we want⁢ to build.”

What’s ​next

De Leon’s vision for theater Mu involves expanding the scope of Asian American ⁣stories and​ fostering a space for healing and ​reflection through theater. her leadership is​ anticipated to bring fresh perspectives ⁣and ⁤further‍ national ⁣recognition to the company.