THE SURGE to Make Staged Reading Debut at Guthrie Theater

The Guthrie Theater will present a staged reading of The Surge, a new documentary play by Jessica Blank and Erik Jensen, directed by Blank and produced in association with The Public Theater. Conceived as a direct artistic response to Operation Metro Surge, the presence of an estimated 3,000 U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Minnesota, The Surge addresses their actions in the Twin Cities, the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, and the collective response that emerged as Minnesotans came together to protect and care for one another. Readings of The Surge will be held January 5–17, 2027, in the Dowling Studio. 

Blank and Jensen's documentary work focuses on directly impacted individuals at the heart of larger social justice issues. Their plays are created from interview transcripts and primary documents. They adhere to journalistic standards in preserving the language of the interview subjects and accurately representing the facts, while turning true stories into emotionally impactful and resonant works of art.

Between January and March 2026, Blank and Jensen conducted extensive research in the Twin Cities, interviewing more than 40 people — clergy, doctors, teachers, union leaders, police officers and more — whose experiences shaped the story unfolding across Minnesota, with 16 individuals' stories featured in the play. A workshop and private readings of the play (originally titled North Star) were held at the Guthrie in May 2026, and excerpts were featured as part of Public Forum: Cities Under Siege hosted by The Public Theater at The Delacorte Theater in Central Park in July 2026. The Surge is slated to have an engagement at The Public Theater's Martinson Hall in winter/spring 2027.