Once Removed
(90 minutes, 1 actor)
by Paul Kruse
in collaboration with Mason Rosenthal and Adil Mansoor

featuring the voices of Barbara Kruse, Karina Kruse, Lydia Kruse, Seven Sexton, Diana Hershey, Jane Fisk, Jerome Mayne, John Mayne, Jeff Mayne, and Dolores Fairbanks.

Initially for live performance, Once Removed was produced as an audio play by Hatch Arts Collective in 2021, under the direction of Adil Mansoor with sound design, editing, and original music by Aaron Landgraf. This documentary performance follows my growing up and coming out, against the story of my mom’s cousin, who we lost to AIDS in 1993. Once Removed is an official selection for Tribeca Festival’s 2022 Audio Storytelling Program.

Starting in fall 2021 I began interviews to expand Once Removed beyond the story of my one family as an ongoing audio project. Through interviews with other LGBTQ people from the upper Midwest about given and chosen family, I am creating a series under the same name. Learn more at Once Removed - Series.

A special thanks to all those who helped make this project possible including Adil Mansoor, Stephanie Kent, I-Chia Chiu, Will Kiley, Michael Rohd, Carra Martinez, KJ Sanchez, Kirk Lynn, Liz Engelman, and Amelia Birkholz.

Development support for Once Removed was provided by UT Austin and the Eugene O'Neill Foundation.

The full audio production was made possible with support from the Arts, Equity, Reimagined Fund managed by PACE, The Heinz Endowments, Opportunity Fund, The Pittsburgh Foundation, and PNC Charitable Trusts.

The continued work of the Once Removed Series is supported by the Metro Regional Arts Council of the Twin Cities. This activity is funded, in part, by an appropriation from the Minnesota State Legislature with money from the State’s general fund.

Paul Kruse is a fiscal year 2024 recipient of a Creative Individuals grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board. This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.