Only Ugly Guys

A modern romance for the guy inside all of us.

Depravity and enlightenment, protection and liberation, love bombing / situationships / ghosting / et al – ONLY UGLY GUYS delivers a stark reflection on how affection manifests in a non-committal, algorithm-fueled culture. 

Placing the audience in the role of voyeur, confidante, enabler, and friend, these scenarios interrogate, “When you have access to anything, what do you really want?”

AGE RECOMMENDATION / CONTENT AWARENESS: Ages 17 and up.
The characters, like people in real life, are complicated. The characters swear, have sex, use recreational drugs, and are sometimes not very nice.

ACCESSIBILITY
Contact us at 612-874-6338 or [email protected] for accessibility information and requests.

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
Friday, June 21, 7:30pm PREVIEW
Saturday, June 22, 2:00pm PREVIEW
Saturday, June 22, 7:30pm OPENING
Sunday, June 23, 2:00pm*
Monday, June 24, 7:30pm
Thursday, June 27, 7:30pm
Friday, June 28, 7:30pm
Saturday, June 29, 2pm
Saturday, June 29, 7:30pm
Sunday, June 30, 2:00pm CLOSING

*The Sunday matinee performance on June 23 is masking-required. All other shows are masking-optional.

CREATIVE TEAM
Writer/Producer – Kurt Engh
Director – Grant Sorenson
Poster Designer – Ian Barbineau
Actors – Alex Cavegn, George Kleven, Jack Oleg, Leo Rossmiller
Co-Technical Directors – Ian Olson and Erik Paulson
Poster Designer – Ian Barbineau
Photographer – Jacob Olson

BIOS
Kurt Engh (Writer/Producer) is a Minneapolis-based theater producer. He is obsessed with internet culture, obscure YouTube videos, the Midwest and how people get through their day. He transposes experimental practices to narrative stories, addressing how contemporary audiences consume live performance. He has worked onstage at the Guthrie Theater, Theatre Latté Da, Children’s Theatre Company, The Playwrights’ Center and the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts. He has worked offstage at The Great Northern, The Public Theater, the Guthrie Theater and the Contemporary American Theater Festival. Engh was awarded grants from the Minnesota State Arts Board (2024-2025), Metropolitan Regional Arts Council (2023-2024), and Tri-M Foundation (2023).

Grant Sorenson (Director) is currently pursuing his MFA in Directing at Boston University, where he has directed The Hot L Baltimore and anon(ymous). Originally from Minneapolis, MN, his directing credits include work at the Guthrie’s Dowling Studio, Open Eye Theatre, Crane Theater, Maison Bodega, 7th House Theater, Everwood Farmstead, Wayzata Theatre, Minnesota Fringe Festival, and more. Prior to his career as a director, Grant studied and worked as an actor for over 20 years (he started very young.) His work as an actor has been seen at the Guthrie, Theater Latté Da, Children’s Theatre Company, Yellow Tree Theater, The Playwright’s Center, New Epic Theater, and many more. He is thrilled to return to Minneapolis to collaborate on this new play! Upcoming: Julius Caesar at Boston University. grant-sorenson.com

Alex Cavegn (Brad) (they/them) is a recent graduate of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, including an exchange semester at Carnegie Mellon University. Alex guest teaches at their alma mater, Saint Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists. They are particularly passionate about work that is new, Queer, and socio-political. Their recent credits include The World is Ending and Maybe That’s Kinda Hot (Melancholics Anonymous); Attempts on Her Life, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Human Animals (Royal Conservatoire of Scotland); News of Growing, Your Boyfriend May Be Imaginary (Carnegie Mellon); Angel Wings (On The Verge Festival). www.alexcavegn.com

George Kleven (Ciprian) (he/him) is a Twin Cities-based actor pursuing his BFA at the University of Minnesota Actor Training Program. He most recently appeared in As You Like It. Other shows and roles that George has enjoyed include Hamlet (Hamlet), The Winter’s Tale (Leontes), Big Love (Constantine), Naïve.Super (Performer) and many others. He is absolutely fiendish about heightened texts, historical coincidences, and RuPaul’s Drag Race!

Jack Oleg (Adam) (they/he) is a Chicago-based actor and producer. Professionally they have worked with American Players Theater, The Gray Mallard Theater Company and Citadel Theatre. Jack holds their undergraduate degree from the UMN/Guthrie BFA Training Program. Jack co-produced Foaming at the Mouth Festival, a three-week event that featured two original works and one adapted Shakespeare play. They want to express their gratitude for your support of new work about queer people, and send their love to Mom, Dad and their cat, Bettie.

Leo Rossmiller (Dean) (they/he) is a recent graduate from the UMN/Guthrie BFA Training Program. Most recently, Leo has done two separate performances of Troilus and Cressida (Dowling Studio and BARd Shakespeare). Leo is represented by Moore Creative Talent.

Ian Olson (Co-Technical Director: Video/Audio) (he/him) is a multifaceted local artist with dreams for the big screen whose experiences include working as a Photoshop painter, videographer, actor, and model. He has worked both behind- and in-front of the scenes at Hamline University (Love and Information; Sonder; Father’s Kitchen; 365; 2020: What We Saw, What We Said; Robin Hood ), the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (Native Gardens; Origin Story), and The Great Northern (Untitled Night). Currently, Ian spends his time expanding his art practice over on instagram @ianolson_art, where he has consistently created and posted a new art piece every day for over 1,400 days!

Erik Paulson (Co-Technical Director: Set/Lighting) is a Scenic and Lighting Designer for Twin Cities and regional theatre companies. He has designed for companies including The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis (The Comedy of Errors), Great River Shakespeare Festival (A Midsummer Night’s Dream, King Henry IV Part I), Theater Mu (Hells Canyon), Madison Opera (The Turn of the Screw), History Theatre (2009 Ivey Award-winning production of Tyrone and Ralph), Park Square Theatre (The Humans), Nautilus Music-Theater (Carousel, Man of La Mancha), and Minnetonka Theatre (Phantom of the Opera, Dracula).  Erik is also a founding member of the Great River Shakespeare Festival and was recently the Resident Scenic and Lighting Designer for Old Log Theatre in Excelsior, MN (A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder). He resides in Minneapolis with his lovely wife, Michelle, and amazing son Rhys. eepaulson.com.

Ian Barbineau (Poster Designer) is a designer and art director out of Saint Paul, Minnesota and remote. He is currently working at Walker Art Center. ianbabineau.com

Jacob Olson (Photographer) IG@olsonjacob

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Kurt Engh is a fiscal year 2024 recipient of a Creative Individuals grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board. This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.

This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.