In 2007, the Science Museum of Minnesota premiered the exhibit RACE: Are We So Different? The exhibit drew more than 245,000 people during its five-month run at the Science Museum, including more than 66,000 students, most of them middle- and high-school-ages. Penumbra Theatre was invited to curate workshops to deepen the impact of the exhibit, providing a safe space for reflection, dialogue and action around issues of race and social justice. The sold out workshops were met with great enthusiasm.
"I learned to be unafraid to confront my sometimes misguided perceptions and challenge myself to change them."
"We may not be able to change other people, but we have the power to change ourselves."
"I learned I’m not too old to learn."
"It was both difficult and satisfying to listen to the experiences people shared, and to share my own. It was deeply impactful to connect faces—of new and old acquaintances and friends—to the inequalities and prejudices that I already knew existed in the world."
"What I walked away with from the RACE Workshop with was the realization that one of the greater things that people have in common is that we all care for someone. This general emotion of love and caring is something that connects us no matter where we live in the world."
"I’ve done a lot around anti-racism education and work. There was a different end to this. Usually people leave thinking, ‘yeah, but what can I do about this?’ Penumbra offers an opportunity to walk out and do something."
Penumbra Theatre Company now offers the workshop as an opportunity to engage
in dialogue in your community. For more information or to book a RACE workshop
please email Benjamin Hanna at
In 2007, the 