THE SLUDGE Will Come to The Twin Cities Horror Festival

A Murder of Crones is back in the Twin Cities Horror Festival, and this time, the kids are invited. Award-winning and internationally produced playwright Rachel Teagle has stirred up a batch of The Sludge, which follows teens battling a sentient slime running amok in suburban Minnesota.

In creating their third show for the Twin Cities Horror Festival, Teagle and director Jenny Moeller wanted to make a show that could scare their school-aged children. “My kids really love spooky season,” Teagle said, “and they were always frustrated that they were too young to see our shows. Now that they're a little older and braver, we wanted to make a show that invites them into the wonderfully weird and wicked world of the Twin Cities Horror Festival.” But this delicious little slice of horror comedy is not just for kids. Audiences can appreciate the sparkling wit, looming dread, and astonishing practical effects showcased in the team's previous shows; true-crime inspired Girls in Bins and time-traveling Scooby-Doo homage Gh0stChaser04.

The show runs for sixty minutes without intermission, and is part of the longest running horror theater festival in the country. General admission tickets cost $15, with discounted $10 tickets for patrons 16 & under for this show only. All shows take place at the Crane Theater in Northeast Minneapolis, alongside 13 other unique productions, ranging from live music performances, puppetry, dance, improvisation, and much more. The full festival lineup can be found at www.tchorrorfestival.com

Precocious teen Harper finds a mysterious creature in the woods and sneaks it into their room, where cynical Viv is crashing for the summer. But when Harper and Viv's moms start being even weirder than usual, the kids must uncover the truth and save themselves before it's too late.

Written by Rachel Teagle
Directed by Jenny Moeller
Performed by Rita Boersma, Kayla Hambek, Katelyn Lee, Bella Maldonado, and Victoria Pyan
Stage Managed by Wren Heiman
Sound Designed by Bella Maldonado
Goo Design by Shea Roberts Gyllen
Produced by A Murder of Crones
Suggested Age: 7+
Content warnings: Discussion of divorce

Event Dates & Times
Saturday, October 17, 2026 – 1:30 PM
Tuesday, October 20, 2026 – 7:30 PM
Sunday, October 25, 2026 – 4:30 PM
Thursday, October 29, 2026 – 6:00 PM
Saturday, October 31, 2026 – 3:00 PM

About the Playwright:

Rachel Teagle (she/her/hers) is a playwright, librettist, and comedian who grew up in the Silicon Valley, moved around the country, and settled in Minnesota. She helped found the Atlanta Fringe Festival and the Twin Cities Playwright Cabal. She was awarded the Leah Ryan's Fund for Emerging Women Writers prize for her play The Ever and After. Her play The Impracticality of Modern-Day Mastodons had its world premiere with Theatre Lab in September, 2021. In 2025, she co-wrote Rollicking! A Winter Carnival Musical with composer Keith Hovis (music and co-lyrics) for the History Theatre. Her plays have been produced nationally and internationally, and can be found at Dramatic Publishing, YouthPLAYS, and the New Play Exchange. She currently resides in St. Paul with her family.

About the Director:

Jenny Moeller is a director, props and lighting designer, theater artist, and writer working in the Twin Cities. She is acting executive director of Arts Nest and former technical director of the Twin Cities Horror Festival. She has worked as technical director, designer, and builder for many theaters including Pillsbury House and Theatre, Penumbra, Theatre Pro Rata, Minnesota Opera, Southern Theater, Off Leash Art Box, Theatre Unbound, and Six Points Theater. All she wants to do is make silly feminist art.