An original play adapted for radio
The Story: A long running, outdated radio show produced in the city and about rural Minnesota comes to town and the actors find a very different reality than the community they’ve been spoofing. Residents of the town take over the show and tell more realistic stories.
“It’s a spoof of Prairie Home Companion but also a spoof of urban artists trying to present a mythical, stereotypical version of what they think rural America might be. We have fun with that idea in a way I think audiences can really laugh at and enjoy!” — Playwright Josef Evans
A Prairie Homeless Companion is both humorous satire and a serious look at housing instability in Southwest Minnesota.
Storytelling Circles
zAmya collected stories from community members in SW Minnesota and created a play based on the experiences of those most affected by housing injustice.
Rural homelessness is an invisible issue.
Housing insecurity is often seen exclusively as an urban problem. Yet a third of the states homeless population lives in rural areas. Data is showing homelessness is rising in greater Minnesota at a disproportionate rate compared to the Twin Cities. Between 2015-2018, there was a 9% increase in the 7-county Twin Cities metro area and a 20% increase in central Minnesota.
art can change perceptions of homelessness
After a successful tour in 2019, we’ve created a radio show version of A Prairie Homeless Companion to reach even more people.
"Homelessness in most instances is not a choice. We have a definite need for affordable housing and that the wage disparity gap needs to close.”
—Audience Member