>> ERIC: STATE CAPITOL POLITICS CAN HAVE PLENTY OF DRAMA, AS LOCAL THEATER PRODUCERS DISCOVERED WHEN THEY STAGED A PLAY AT THE CAPITOL.

NOW THE SAME PEOPLE ARE BACK WITH A PODCAST THAT WILL KICK OFF AT AN EVENT AT THE MINNESOTA HUMANITIES CENTER ON THURSDAY.

POLITICAL REPORTER MARY LAHAMMER TAKES US INSIDE THE PRODUCTION THAT ATTEMPTS TO GO BEHIND THE SCENES AT THE CAPITOL.

♪♪ >> Mary: THE PEOPLE'S HOUSE IS HOME TO SO MANY RICH STORIES.

FIRST, THIS PLAY.

♪ ELCOME TO THE PEOPLE'S HOUSE ♪ >> Mary: NOW THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE PLAY HAVE A PODCAST.

"OUR OUSE," INTENT ON PEELING BACK THE CURTAIN TO HOW CHANGE HAPPENS AT THE CAPITOL.

>> I'LL TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT YOU'VE GOTTEN YOURSELF INTO.

>> WONDERFUL.

>> WE'RE NOT HERE TO TRICK YOU INTO SOMETHING SOMETHING PUBLICLY.

>> I'M EXCITED ABOUT THE CONVERSATION, I FEEL LIKE WHERE I AM IN MY OWN POLITICAL JOURNEY.

>> Mary: THIS FINAL EPISODE OF THE SEASON FEATURES A PERSON WE FIRST FOUND IN THE CAPITOL PATHWAYS PROGRAM YEARS AGO, WHO WENT ON TO RUN FOR OFFICE AND BECOME AN IMPORTANT PLAYER IN PUBLIC POLICY AND STATE, FEDERAL AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT AFTER DELIVERING HER COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS.

>> IF YOU HAVE PEOPLE THAT WANT TO BE THERE FOR YOU, LET THEM.

>> WHAT GOT YOU INTERESTED IN POLITICS AND ADVOCACY?

>> Mary: CONFESSING SHE BUNK HE WOULD HER FIRST JOB INTERVIEW IN PUBLIC POLICY WORK, SUBJECTS IN THE PODCAST SEEMED TO DROP THE FACADE THE CAPITOL IS FAMOUS FOR, MAYBE THE GOLDEN MORE HOVERING NEARBY.

>> MAKING A PLAY IS INCREDIBLY TIME-CONSUMING AND SUSPENSIONIVE SO WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR WAYS IN WHICH TO SHARE THE STORIES IN MORE PEOPLE AND MORE WAYS BECAUSE THEY'RE SO AMAZING THE STORIES THAT WE HEAR.

A PODCAST MAKES SENSE ECAUSE GETTING INTO THE INFLUENCE OF HOW THE CAPITOL REALLY WORKS REQUIRES SITTING DOWN AND CONCENTRATING ON ALL THE DETAILS THAT PEOPLE PROVIDE.

>> Mary: HOW DIFFERENT IS A PODCAST FROM A PLAY?

>> OH, IT'S COMPLETELY DIFFERENT.

I'M JUST HEARING PEOPLE SAY, OH, I HAD NO IDEA HOW MUCH SHOWING UP COULD AFFECT HOW MY LIFE IS IMPACTED BY GOVERNMENT.

>> Mary: THEY DEAL WITH ISSUES OF ACCESS AND EQUITY IN THE PLAY AND PODCAST.

>> NO JUSTICE!!

>> Mary: WHEN WE LAST TALKED TO THE PRODUCERS FIVE YEARS AGO, THAT WAS BEFORE A PANDEMIC, RACIAL RECKONING AND CHANGE AT THE CAPITOL, SO NEEDLESS TO SAY, THIS PODCAST COMES AT A VERY DIFFERENT TIME THAN THE PLAY.

>> DEMOGRAPHIC CHANGE, RIGHT?

THERE'S MORE PEOPLE OF COLOR AND WOMEN WHO ARE IN THE LEGISLATURE THAN EVER BEFORE, AND REPRESENTATION MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE.

SO SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT WERE KIND OF IN THE PLAY IN TERMS OF ACCESS AND IN TERMS OF EQUITY ARE ACTUALLY IN SOME WAYS BEING ADDRESSED.

BUT THEN THERE IS A LOT THAT STAYS THE SAME BECAUSE IT IS -- THERE IS A LOT OF ENTRENCHED CULTURE HERE.

>> IT'S CHANGED IN TERMS OF WHO'S HERE.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE GET INTO IN THE PODCAST EPISODES IS TALKING TO PEOPLE WHO ARE NEWLY HERE ABOUT HOW DIFFERENT IT IS THAN WHAT THEY WERE TAUGHT IT WOULD BE.

BECAUSE YOU CAN BE IN THE ROOM BUT THAT DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN YOU KNOW THE UNSPOKEN RULES OF CULTURE.

>> THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.

>> Mary: WANDERLUST PRODUCTIONS IS A THEATER-SPACED COMPANY THAT ATTEMPTS TO TELL STORIES IN COMMUNITIES THAT ARE OFTEN IGNORED OR MISUNDERSTOOD.

>> WE ACTUALLY TRY NOT TO MAKE IT PARTISAN SHIPP, WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE IT HOW THE GOVERNMENT WORKS.

THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE WE TALK TO ARE NON-PARTISAN STAFF.

WHY IS IT LIBERAL?

HE SAID BECAUSE IT'S ART.

AND THEY WERE LIKE, SO THERE ARE CERTAIN BIASES AND ASSUMPTIONS THAT PEOPLE HAVE, EVEN THOUGH WE VERY MUCH TRY TO MAKE IT AS NEUTRAL AS WE CAN.

>> Mary: IS ART LIBERAL?

IS IT ONLY FOR LIBERALS?

>> WOW, THAT'S A REALLY TOUGH QUESTION.

I THINK THERE IS A BIAS AMONG SOME FOLKS THAT ASSUMES THAT ART IS EXCLUSIVELY ELITE FOR THE EDUCATED, FOR RADICALS.

OUR ART DEFINITELY IS NOT.

OUR ART IS BASED ON STORIES GATHERED FROM PEOPLE ALL ACROSS THE SPECTRUM OF LIFE EXPERIENCE, SO WE'RE ALWAYS TRYING TO BREAK IT DOWN THOSE BIASES AND STEREOTYPES.

I DON'T THINK ART IS INHERENTLY LIBERAL OR CONSERVATIVE UNLESS YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE LIBERALISM OF CURIOSITY.

>> Mary: IN THE EN, THEY SEE THEMSELVES ENGAGING ND EDUCATING THE PUBLIC ABOUT POLITICS AND POLICY THROUGH ART.

>> HOW MUCH YOU CAN DO BEYOND VOTING, HOW MUCH UMM COME SEE HOW PUBLICLY AVAILABLE IT IS, HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE WORKING BEHIND THE SCENES TO SERVE THE INTERESTS OF MINNESOTANS.

I THINK IT HAS BEEN A WILD FIVE YEARS IN WHICH I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE ASKING THEMSELVES, WHAT MIGHT THEY DO TO BE MORE POLITICALLY INVOLVED.

WHAT MIGHT THEY DO TO AFFECT CHANGE LOCALLY, AND IT FEELS LIKE FOR SOME PEOPLE THE PODCAST ANSWERS THAT QUESTION, IT SAYS YOU CAN DO A LOT MORE THAN VOTE, YOU AN DO A LOT MORE THAN WATCH TV OR SOCIAL MEDIA AND GET MAD.

YOU CAN ACTUALLY SHOW UP.

>> WHAT WE WHAT WE HEAR FROM PEOPLE IS I DIDN'T KNOW HOW COMPLICATED IT WAS BUT NOW I KNOW HOW COMPLICATED IT WAS, I FEEL A LITTLE MORE ENGAGED IN IT.

♪♪