Downtown Minneapolis’ Cowles Center opened its doors over the weekend to South Asian Arts and Theater House’s production of “Made in INDIA,” which runs through August 29. The performances felt almost like a grand re-opening of the venue, which has been closed since 2024. 

SAATH’s high-energy show features a youth-heavy cast exploring transracial adoption through a mix of theater and movement. The audience, from the main floor and balcony, provided buoyant energy that fed back to the performers onstage.

“We have four more shows to go,” said Madhu Bangalore, the production’s co-director, after Saturday’s performance. “This is a massive theater. It’s got 500-plus seats. We would love to have 2,000 more people watch it.”

Given its track record of hosting large-scale productions and drawing crowds, SAATH seems an ideal fit for the venue. And yet the strong turnout masks a significant challenge for Cowles’ future: More than a year after the city selected Arts’ Nest, in partnership with Zenon Dance, to manage the facility, the lease agreement remains unsigned. While the future remains in limbo, “Made in INDIA” hints at what the Cowles could be.

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The flagship venue opened in 1910 as the Shubert Theatre, designed by William Albert Swasey. Inside, designer John S. Bradstreet installed two balconies and a trap door stretching across the entire stage. Since then, the marquee was replaced with an Art Deco design and the lobby remodeled three times. 

In 1999, the 5.8 million pound building was famously rolled across downtown from 7th Street to Hennepin Avenue. It reopened in 2011 as the Cowles Center, funded in part by $12 million in state money. But by 2024, in the wake of the pandemic, financial woes led to its abrupt closure.

The troubles facing the Cowles Center reflect a struggling scene in the Twin Cities. Elsewhere, Minneapolis’s prominent Jungle Theater – which earlier this year canceled its season and put its Lyndale Avenue building up for sale – is about to auction off everything from set-shop tools and dressing-room furniture to theatrical supplies.

It’s not exactly a hopeful time for the arts. And yet, the energy at the Cowles over the weekend struck a chord of resilience.

“Made in INDIA” was written by Kristen Marx about her own experiences as a transracial adoptee. It follows two Indian-born sisters raised by their white adoptive single mother in the U.S. With a mix of dance styles, including South Asian martial arts, classical Indian dance, Bollywood, and hip hop, the show explores the sisters’ divergent experiences and the ways they support one another.  

While the majority of the cast members aren’t professional actors or dancers, “Made in INDIA” offers earnest storytelling and high-energy dance numbers that bring infectious joy. Meanwhile, Surya Saathi’s lighting design, utilizing the Cowles’ large theater and equipment, made the dancing pop and highlighted emotional moments.

At intermission, the lobby was brimming with a festive air as caterers served chai and samosas. The names of former corporate sponsors were still visible on the walls, despite no longer funding the space.

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For Divya Maiya, SAATH’s executive director, performing at the Cowles had been a longtime goal even before a previous engagement in September 2023. “It was very exciting to have that access to so much more tech and staging and options,” she said. “It almost felt like a big growth for us, so we were pretty sad that went away” in 2024.

Maiya and her colleagues saw a flyer earlier this year advertising the Cowles as a rental venue. “We were like, wait a minute,” she said. 

While the sheer number of performers inevitably adds to SAATH’s audience numbers, Maiya said the company has also built a loyal following. In their 2023 performance, the group presented a work exploring transgender joy. They’ve also taken on topics of race, neurodiversity and immigration.

“I think it’s also really fun for them to see a big production being staged here after such a long time,” Maiya said. “And just going down to the basement and finding all those things that they haven’t used in a while.”

And yet Arts’ Nest, the theater’s new operator named by the city over a year ago, hasn’t fully taken control. Instead, it is acting as a liaison between the city, which currently controls the venue, and renters like SAATH, while its lease agreement is finalized and state approvals are secured. Arts’ Nest manages bookings and covers the cost of technical staff, using a portion of the rental income, while the rest goes to the city.

Earlier this year, the venue announced a grand opening for this fall, but later removed it from its website.

“We probably won’t have a grand opening,” said Arts’ Nest acting executive director Jenny Moeller. “Mostly that has to do with just the timeline of state approval and the next steps after that. Everything’s been taking longer. It’s like we’re having a very soft opening.”

Besides facility improvements, which are being handled by a city contractor, Moeller’s main job is raising money. “Arts’ Nest needs to do a little more fundraising,” she said. “We need a few more backers behind us.”

“Made in INDIA” runs August 26, 28 and 29 at 7 p.m. at the Cowles Center, 528 Hennepin Ave. S., Mpls. ($25-40, $15 students, kids under 5 free. The performance on Wed., Aug. 26, is pay what you like). More information here. 

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