We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Zach Christensen. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Zach below.

Zach , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

I explored my youth with an active imagination and creative mindset. As I got older, I was uncertain about any path that excited me, in which those tools could be applied. When I was a senior in high school, I auditioned for my first play, OUR TOWN, by Thornton Wilder. When I chose to audition, it was for an exciting change of pace that I had longed for towards the end of high school. The production also came at a time when I was unsure about what to pursue after high school. By the end of that production’s process, I knew I wanted to dedicate my life to the arts.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am a Minneapolis-based Theatre Artist and the Founding Artistic Director of Jackdonkey Productions. As a director and performer, I’ve collaborated on an expansive body of work. Most recently performing in RICHARD II, HENRY IV, and HENRY V at the Guthrie Theater under the direction of Joseph Haj, as well as THE RESISTIBLE RISE OF ARTURO UI at Frank Theatre, and SURVIVORS at Six Points Theater. Last summer, I directed a critically acclaimed production of THE DUMB WAITER by Harold Pinter, which received the 2024 Audience Choice Award at the Minnesota Fringe Festival and was commissioned for an extension at the Phipps Center for the Arts. I’m also a recipient of the 2024 and 2025 Minnesota State Arts Board Creative Individuals Grant, used towards directing productions of THE COMPLETE WORKS OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (abridged) and HENRY V.

I’ve worked with the Guthrie Theater, Playwrights’ Center, Children’s Theater Company, Theatre Latté Da, Six Points Theater, Frank Theatre, Flying Foot Forum, and Zephyr Theatre, among other theaters in the artistically rich Twin Cities community.

In 2022, I launched Jackdonkey Productions, a Twin Cities-based theatre company dedicated to telling working-class stories through the lens of experimentalism, absurdism, and surrealism. Since its inception, Jackdonkey Productions has elevated bold artistry through a diverse range of original, published, and devised scripts. The work of Jackdonkey Productions has been featured in the Star Tribune, Minnesota Public Radio, and Pioneer Press, as well as independent bloggers, journalists, and critics in the Twin Cities and beyond.

In addition to direction and performance, I’ve served as an assistant director for world-class directors in the industry, including Meredith McDonough, Justin Lucero, Lonny Price, and Matt Cowart. As an educator, I serve as a Community Education Coordinator at Minneapolis Public Schools and as a freelance Teaching Artist.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

A global pandemic began in my final year of undergrad, so instead of waiting for an opportunity, I created one.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

In theatre, we share stories with audiences from diverse walks of life, yet we often mainly interact with people who are also in our industry. For an artist, I find it essential to put in the labor of learning as much as possible about the journeys outside of our own, if we create an expectation for people to understand ours.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://zachchristensen.com
• Instagram: @zach_christensen_