Milwaukee Chamber Theatre - The Island by Footlights.com

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CAST Winston ........................................................................................................................... DiMonte Henning* John...................................................................................................................................Sherrick Robinson* C R E AT I V E T E A M Directed by Mikael Burke Stage Management by Judy Martel* Composition and Sound Design by Peter Goode Costume Design by Amy Horst Scenic Design by Stephen Hudson-Mairet Lighting Design by Cor Valentine-Christophe Dialect Coaching by Nathan Crocker Videography by Studio Gear: Kimberlee Beggs, Derek Buckles, Logan Allen *Appearing through an Agreement between this theatre, Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, and Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States. T H A N K YO U TO O U R G E N E R O U S P R O D U C T I O N S P O N S O R S Executive Producers – John Shannon and Jan Serr Producer – Jon M. Reavis Associate Producers – Joseph and Gwenn Graboyes SET TING A maximum-security political prison in South Africa. D I R E C TO R ’ S N O T E S This protest play of apartheid South Africa is nearly 50 years old and yet speaks to our current American moment as if it were written yesterday. These two men, Winston and John, are sent to the Island to be broken, to have their spirits broken. And even under the most extreme circumstances, these men manage to hold on to their spirits and conviction, through the power of art and story. They refuse to be silenced in a world meant to crush them. Winston and John show us that we cannot let the systems of oppression win. Even when those systems are at their most insidious, the most they can take from us are our bodies. We cannot let them have our souls. This is the power of the human spirit, to continue to stand up and be heard, despite everything stacked against us. To be able to come back to a rehearsal room for the first time in nearly a year to work on this play has been a real gift, and a much needed reminder of the power of art and story to keep us alive. “THE ISLAND” is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc.

www.concordtheatricals.com THE ISLAND

BIOGR APHIES

MIKAEL BURKE (Director) Mikael Burke is a Chicago-based director, deviser, and educator. A Princess Grace Award-winner in Theatre and Jeff Awardnominated director, Mikael’s worked with Victory Gardens Theatre, Northlight Theatre, Jackalope Theatre Company, Windy City Playhouse, About Face Theatre, First Floor Theater, American Theatre Company, Chicago Dramatists, and The Story Theatre in Chicago, and regionally with Indiana Repertory Theatre, Asolo Repertory Theatre, Geva Theatre Center, and Phoenix Theatre. Mikael serves as Associate Artistic Director at About Face Theatre in Chicago, is Head of the Directing Concentration of the Summer High School Training Program of the Theatre School at DePaul University and is an adjunct faculty member there as well as the Chicago College of the Performing Arts at Roosevelt University. Recent directing credits include THE AGITATORS by Mat Smart; SUGAR IN OUR WOUNDS by Donja R. Love; AT THE WAKE OF A DEAD DRAG QUEEN by Terry Guest; THIS BITTER EARTH by Harrison David Rivers; HOODED, OR BEING BLACK FOR DUMMIES by Tearrance Arvelle Chisholm. The Theatre School at DePaul University (MFA) | mklburke.com

has performed regionally with the following theater credits: co-director THE NICETIES, Forward Theater Co., STICK FLY, Writers Theatre. Director: THE COLORED MUSEUM, Lights! Camera! Soul!, A CHRISTMAS CAROL Milwaukee Repertory Theater, THE WIZ First Stage, OUR TOWN Milwaukee Repertory Theater, DREAMGIRLS Milwaukee Repertory Theater, BLACK NATIVITY Black Arts MKE, and SKELETON CREW Forward Theater Co. TV credits include: Guest starring roles on NBC’s Chicago PD (Seasons 4&6), UBER, Disney’s Encore!, Cousin Subs, and Harley-Davidson.

DIMONTE HENNING* (Winston) DiMonte is grateful to a part of THE ISLAND and to be back in the theater for this production. Previous Milwaukee Chamber Theatre credits include: LOBBY HERO and DEATHTRAP. DiMonte serves as Artistic Director of theater-arts organization, Lights! Camera! Soul! and received his formal theater training from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee with additional training from Milwaukee Repertory Theater’s Emerging Professional Residency. DiMonte

JUDY MARTEL* (Stage Manager & MCT Historian) This adventure in theater enabled Judy to chalk up 36 consecutive seasons stage managing for MCT. A few highlights of 136 shows include Shaw Festivals, GREAT EXPECTATIONS, THE TRAIN DRIVER, UNDERNEATH THE LINTEL, HEROES, THE DALY NEWS, ANGELS IN AMERICA, MASTER CLASS, THREE DAYS OF RAIN, BEYOND THE FRINGE, and 84 CHARING CROSS ROAD. Other memorable local productions include:

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SHERRICK ROBINSON* (John) Sherrick Robinson is a native of Milwaukee, WI. He obtained his BFA in acting and directing from Nebraska Wesleyan University. He has appeared on stage for Skylight Music Theatre (HAIR) First Stage Children’s Theater (LUCHADORA), (HOLES), Forward Theater (SKELETON CREW), Children’s Theater of Madison (SHREK THE MUSICAL & SUESSICAL THE MUSICAL) and has appeared in Milwaukee Chamber Theatre’s Young Playwrights Festival. He wants to thank his friends & family for their support. www.sherrickrobinson.com

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2 PIANOS 4 HANDS, CHAPS!, and GUYS ON ICE at the Milwaukee Rep; EARS ON A BEATLE, ROUGH CROSSING and THE REAL THING at Next Act Theatre; and GORGONS at Renaissance Theaterworks. Outside Milwaukee, Judy has worked at The Yale Rep, Manhattan Punch Line, The Station, The Hangar, and The Lake George Opera Festival. She is also a freelance editor and writer. Judy has two wonderful daughters, only one of whom escaped working in the theater. Thanks to MCT co-founder Ruth Schudson for unwavering support and inspiration! PETER GOODE (Composition and Sound Design) Peter Goode is a multidisciplinary theatre artist based in Milwaukee. Select credits include: STARLINGS by Ben Daniel Parman, Soulstice Theatre (sound designer); THE DUMB WAITER, The Alchemist Theatre (sound designer); THE NAUTICAL TRAGEDY OF DICK III, Quasimondo Physical Theatre (music director, performer, and composer); QUALITY STREET, Acacia Theatre (music director and performer); MEDEA, Voices Found Repertory (sound designer); and THE HIDING PLACE and THE POTTING SHED, Acacia Theatre (director). They are grateful for the opportunity to work with MCT for the first time this season, especially on a piece that speaks so directly and profoundly to present-day systems of oppression and the ongoing struggle for collective liberation. They send love and thanks to Sky, Erin, Cara, Jennifer, Kelsey, Ben, and their family at Zao MKE. “While there is a soul in prison, I am not free.” - Eugene Debs Amy Horst (Costume Design) She/her. Previously at MCT: THREE DAYS OF RAIN, SHAKESPEARE ABRIDGED, BIBLE

ABRIDGED, LOBBY HERO, DINNER WITH FRIENDS, JOE EGG, TALKING HEADS, THE SWEETEST SWING IN BASEBALL, FRANKIE AND JOHNNY, and CHAPATTI. Other favorite collaborators include Next Act Theatre, Renaissance Theaterworks, Kohl’s Wild Theatre at Milwaukee County Zoo, Forward Theater, Northern Sky Theater, and Skylight Music Theatre. STEPHEN HUDSONMARIET (Scenic Designer) Stephen is the Chair of the Digital Media and Performing Arts at Marquette University. Stephen is excited to return to Milwaukee Chamber Theatre to design THE ISLAND. Stephen has designed scenery for numerous productions at Marquette, around the Milwaukee area, and in the greater Midwest, including the scene design for Milwaukee Chamber Theatre’s productions of THE LION IN WINTER, THE DALY NEWS, TRYING, COLLECTED STORIES, THE GOOD FATHER, LOBBY HERO, MIRACLE ON SOUTH DIVISION STREET, and JEEVES AT SEA. Stephen lives quite happily in a very old house in Wauwatosa with his wife Heidi, and daughters Emma and Grace. (hudsonmairetdesign.com) COR VALENTINECHRISTOPHE (Lighting Design) Cor currently Studies Pastoral Care and Counseling at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary while working at the MKE LGBT Center. Cor graduated from Marquette University in 2018 with a Theater major and a Digital Media minor. Cor’s Light Design Credits include Creede Repertory Theatre’s KID SHOW: DERRING DO - 2019, Voices Found Repertory’s HENRY V - 2019, and a few Water Street Dance Performances 2019-2020. Cor’s THE ISLAND

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electrics credits include Electrics Intern at Milwaukee Repertory Theater - 2018, and Master Electrician at Creede Repertory Theatre - 2019. Cor is grateful for the opportunity to get back in the theatre. “Live Righteously and Love Everyone. You will build up around you an aura of light and love.” NATHAN CROCKER (Dialect Coach) Nathan is a professional actor, teacher and dialect coach. Nathan is currently the Speech professor for Mason Gross School for the Arts BFA Acting Conservatory program at Rutgers University, and teaches accents and dialects for NYU/ Meisner Studio. Voice, speech and dialect coaching credits: pre-Broadway, AIN’T TOO PROUD, Regional, The Old Globe FAMILIA, McCarter Theatre THE GODS OF COMEDY, Utah Shakespeare Festival OTHELLO, HENRY VI PART 1, TWELFTH NIGHT, THE PRICE, Oregon Shakespeare Festival CONFEDERATES, Chautauqua Theatre Company DETROIT ’67, Roundabout Theatre Company TOO HEAVY FOR YOUR POCKET, Educational, BLUES FOR MR CHARLIE at Marymount Manhattan College, INTIMATE APPAREL – NYU Tisch Grad Actor Program. MFA in Acting from the University of

California, Irvine. Certified Associate Teacher of Fitzmaurice® Voicework, and a Certified Teacher of Knight-Thompson Speechwork. www.nathanccrocker.com STUDIO GEAR Since 1989, Studio Gear has provided audio/visual/ lighting equipment rentals, production services, and sales to customers throughout the United States. Our customers count on us for exceptionally high technical skills matched with creativity and customer service. Studio Gear was founded by Bob & Lana Wiese on two main principles: quality is of the utmost importance, and our customers will always come first. 28 years later, those principles still hold true. We strive to exceed our customers’ expectations every day by providing the best product and service in the industry.

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AU D I E N C E G U I D E CONTINUING THE CONVERSATION: AN AUDIENCE GUIDE Origins and History of THE ISLAND THE ISLAND, developed and written by Athol Fugard, John Kani, and Winston Ntshona, premiered in Cape Town in 1973. By the end of 1974, after a run at the Court Theatre in London, the play landed on Broadway in repertory with an another collaboration of the trio, SISWE BANZI IS DEAD. Kani and Ntshona played their fictional counterparts, and the play would go on to collect Tony Award nominations in 1975 for Best Play, Best Direction (Fugard), and Best Actor (Kani and Ntshona), with Kani and Ntshona collecting the award for Best Actor for their work on THE ISLAND and SISWE BANZI IS DEAD. Landing squarely within a prolific period of art protesting apartheid in South Africa, THE ISLAND was drawn from the story of Norman Ntshinga. Ntshinga, an actor rehearsing for a production of ANTIGONE directed by Fugard in Port Elizabeth in 1965, was arrested for “petty offenses” and sent to prison on Robben Island. (Incidentally, John Kani took over his role in that production.) Years later, upon his release, Ntshinga related a story of performing ANTIGONE at the prison as an entertainment. While Fugard had been mulling over a potential play set in the brutal prison prior to this time, this tale was the spark which inspired the collaboration. Listen closely to the text: in the play, names of actors from that original production in 1965 are mentioned, and a neighboring prisoner to the two cellmates, John and Winston, is named Norman. Asking the Artistic Director: What drew you to producing THE ISLAND? When we knew we had to replace A MOON FOR THE MISBEGOTTEN as we transitioned our season virtually, retaining a modern classic in the season was a top priority—as was finding one that could speak directly to our current cultural moment. The themes of THE ISLAND all resound loudly with the conversations around racial justice in America that we’ve been having in increasingly public ways over the past year—in particular the dehumanizing results of systemic and institutionalized racism, and its central question of what obligation we hold as citizens to protest when our government acts unjustly. And with MCT’s long history of producing Athol Fugard’s plays, it seemed a natural fit both for the moment and to connect the company’s present to its past. Ancient Sources, Eternal Questions: On ANTIGONE Ismene: Poor sister, and if things stand thus, what could I help to do or undo? Antigone: Consider if thou wilt share the toil and the deed. Ancient Greek playwright Sophocles’ Theban plays—OEDIPUS THE KING, OEDIPUS AT COLONUS, and ANTIGONE—follow the story of the royal family of Thebes, linear descendants of Zeus and Io, and their fall. Written over the course of close to forty years in the fifth century B.C., the plays survive as some of the most lauded work of one of three revered Greek tragedians (Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides). Sophocles himself, a highly decorated dramatist in the Athenian Dionysia, lived to see Athens’ victory and defeat in military conflict; his plays broach questions of loyalty to the state, the bonds of family, and the responsibility of the individual in the face of the inevitable.

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ANTIGONE chronicles societal fallout from bloody familial strife. In Sophocles’ telling, what follows is the story before what audiences will hear in THE ISLAND: The king of Thebes, Oedipus, seeks to save his city from plague, only to learn that he himself is the cause of the city’s curse—having unknowingly murdered his father, the former king, and married his mother, Jocasta. Jocasta dies by suicide, and Oedipus puts out his own eyes. Their children, Polyneices, Eteocles, Antigone, and Ismene, remain for the present well-loved in Thebes despite the fall of their father. Oedipus resigns the throne, as does Polyneices, given the family curse; Creon, Jocasta’s brother, becomes regent. After years, Creon decides to turn Oedipus out from the city, and Antigone travels with her father. After some time, Theseus of Athens takes in the exiled king; he passes in peace; and Antigone returns with her visiting sister Ismene to their home. Meanwhile, Oedipus’ eldest son Polyneices and younger son Eteocles begin to contest the throne. Eteocles ascends and turns Polyneices out, who subsequently harbors in Argos and raises an army to attack and conquer Thebes for his rule. Polyneices is the elder, with a right to the throne, but Eteocles is defending Thebes from an attacking army: sisters Antigone and Ismene find they cannot side with one brother or the other over their rival claims. The Argive and Theban armies agree that the question will be decided by combat between the two brothers, but Polyneices and Eteocles succeed in nothing but killing each other. As he passes, Polyneices asks to be buried in his homeland. Only after continued conflict and the loss of Creon’s younger son in battle do the Thebans finally prevail. Creon, their uncle, decrees that no one who has fought against Thebes may be buried. To bury is not only to say farewell; it is to allow the dead to cross the river to the underworld and thereby rest. Creon’s dictate means that one brother will be buried in honor and the soul of the other will never have peace. Antigone makes the choice to commit a declared crime against Thebes which is also a sacred responsibility to family—to any fellow human—and bury the dead. Continuing the Conversation Share your thoughts with your fellow theatergoers, or offer them to us at MCT. We always want to hear from you. (Write to marcella@milwaukeechambertheatre.org!) Pre-Performance Discussion 1. Recall a time in which you faced an impossible choice: lose-lose. What route did you take? How did you choose which route to take? 2. If given the choice between obeying a law you consider unjust and breaking it, what choice would you make? (If “it depends,” under what circumstances would you act?) 3. How do you personally define “human dignity”? What does it mean to preserve that dignity? 4. Pool your knowledge: what do you recall about the government and operations of South Africa under apartheid? 5. If protesting an injustice of the state, what form or forms would you (or do you) pursue? Which have you found the most effective? 8

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6. Consider plays or stories you know which nest other plays or stories inside them (THE MURDER OF GONZAGO inside HAMLET, for example). To what purpose do the playwrights or characters use this device in your memory? 7. How do you define “political prisoner”? Whom does our nation or the U.N. officially consider a political prisoner? 8. When faced with loss, failure, or frustration, what tools do you use to pick yourself back up? 9. Imagine an artist and a pragmatist together in a room. With whom do you identify? Who do you appreciate? To whom would you go for succor, and to whom would you go for solutions? 10. What do you know of the story of Antigone? Post-Performance Discussion (Note: Potential spoilers ahead) 1. How, each in their own way, did John and Winston offer each other support? 2. How did their bond with each other manifest in their disagreements? 3. When did you experience moments of witnessing or hearing of injustices beyond John and Winston’s incarceration? How did you experience those moments: what did you feel or think in response? 4. What was the significance, in your view, of the choice to perform ANTIGONE? 5. What did the conceit of a play-within-a-play offer you as a hearer of the story? 6. Place yourself in the task of the opening minutes: imagine digging a hole, only to have it filled by another. What is your reaction? Did you see your instinctive response mirrored in one or both of the characters? 7. Though the pandemic has presented to many a sense of time distortion, the plight of the prisoner is infinitely more significant in this regard. How did John and Winston grapple with time? How did the play’s opening and closing sequences play with your sense of the passage of time? 8. How would you articulate what the playwrights of this piece ask of their audiences? Is this piece an unveiling to you, a call to action, or both? 9. The design and production team straddled the media of theater and film in order to transmit this story to our audience. What aspects of the production felt inherently theatrical to you? What aspects felt more rooted in theater’s kindred art form, film? 10. How does this piece resonate with you in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.A., in March 2021?

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A B O U T M I LWAU K E E C H A M B E R T H E AT R E The mission of the Milwaukee Chamber Theatre is to produce intimate, high-quality, professional theatrical works of literary merit that engage and challenge the audience, while employing and nurturing principally local theatre artists. M I LWAU K E E C H A M B E R T H E AT R E S TA F F Artistic Director..................................................................................................................... Brent Hazelton Managing Director.................................................................................................................. Amy Esposito Associate Artistic Director................................................................................................Marcella Kearns Development Director.................................................................................................... Meghan Roesner Milwaukee Black Theater Festival Artistic Producer............................................. Malkia Stampley Production Manager/ Company Manager................................................................Colin Gawronski Marketing/PR Manager.................................................................................................................. Liz Shipe Education Associate................................................................................................ Samantha Martinson S TA F F B I O G R A P H I E S BRENT HAZELTON (Artistic Director) A Whitewater native, Brent succeeded Michael Wright as MCT’s Artistic Director on July 1st, 2020. After graduating with a Bachelor of Special Studies Degree (Integrated Theater Studies), from Cornell College in Mt. Vernon, Iowa, he returned to Wisconsin for an Acting Internship at Milwaukee Repertory Theater. He would go on to serve at The Rep for twenty seasons, including the final ten as Associate Artistic Director, in which position he spearheaded the season planning process, collaborated on ongoing strategic planning and initiative development, and created cross-departmental pathways to program and support productions. From 2003 to 2010, he expanded The Rep’s Artistic Internship Program (now Emerging Professional Residency), into one of the premier professional transition programs in regional theater. From 2011 to 2019, he built and oversaw all aspects of the John (Jack) D. Lewis New Play Development Program including supervising the development of nearly two dozen new plays and served as production dramaturg for the world premieres of FIVE PRESIDENTS, AMERICAN SONG, and ONE HOUSE OVER, among others. His directing work set three all-time Rep sales records, and he is one of only three directors to have 12

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staged productions in all four of The Rep’s core performance spaces. At The Rep, he wrote and directed LIBERACE! (subsequently produced at two dozen theaters nationally), conceived the premiere and 2019 installments of REP LAB, directed SONG MAN DANCE MAN, HOW THE WORLD BEGAN, THE WHIPPING MAN, the final installment of the Hanreddy/Morgan A CHRISTMAS CAROL, MCGUIRE, OUR TOWN, and GUARDS AT THE TAJ, as well as numerous readings in collaboration with Ten Chimneys Foundation. Brent is also a former member of the adjunct faculties of Carthage College and the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, and has taught development workshops at colleges, conservatories, and universities both locally and across the country. As an institutional leader, Brent is eager to explore how a regional theater can speak directly to the experience of its community and include everyone who chooses to call it home in that conversation. AMY ESPOSITO (Managing Director) Amy Esposito has been the Managing Director of Milwaukee Chamber Theatre since June 2020. Her career focus has been in arts leadership and finding sustainable ways to evolve the nonprofit performing arts sector to be more inclusive and representative

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of the world we live in today. Prior to moving to Milwaukee she was on staff with the University of Minnesota Twin Cities as the Marketing and Communications Specialist for the Department of Theatre Arts and Dance, a multifaceted producing and communications role with an emphasis on professional development for graduating seniors. Prior to that, she served as the Associate Director of Marketing for Chicago Opera Theater. Her professional experience includes theatre, classical and contemporary opera, museums, higher education, special events, and website development. Amy has her B.S. in Theatre Arts Management from Ithaca College and is finishing her M.P.S. in Arts & Cultural Leadership from the University of Minnesota. MARCELLA KEARNS (Associate Artistic Director) Marcella is a Milwaukeebased director, actor, and theatre educator. She teaches acting and theatre skills to students level K-4 through lifelong learners as an independent coach and as an adjunct instructor for Carthage College, Marquette University, and First Stage. In July 2013, she joined the staff of MCT as lead educator/ literary manager and has served as associate artistic director since 2016. Marcy earned an MFA in Acting from the University of South Carolina and completed a Fulbright Fellowship in Vienna, Austria, where she studied dramatic literature. In 2008, she was the recipient of a TCG Observership Program grant to study theatres’ approaches to teacher training. The former education director of Milwaukee Shakespeare, Marcy spearheaded the company’s multi-year participation in the National Endowment for the Arts Shakespeare For a New Generation initiative. She is a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association. MEGHAN ROESNER (Development Director) Meghan is MCT’s Development Director, leading all fundraising efforts for the organization, including individual donations; major gifts; legacy giving; corporate, foundation, and government grants; and special events. Prior to joining MCT in 2019, she worked at Milwaukee Repertory Theater

for three seasons as the Associate Director of Development, Institutional Giving, where she led many grant writing, volunteer management, and donor stewardship efforts. She has held other arts administration positions at the United Performing Arts Fund and the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Arts Management from Indiana University-Bloomington. Malkia Stampley (Milwaukee Black Theater Festival Artistic Producer) Malkia is an actor, director, and producer born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Malkia made her Chamber Theatre debut in DOUBT. She received her training at Marquette University, Skylight Music Theatre and Milwaukee Rep. She has worked and traveled worldwide as a performer and in 2013 she cofounded Bronzeville Arts Ensemble in Milwaukee where she served as Artistic Director for three years. Malkia has worked as a performer in Chicago, New York, and all over Wisconsin. Favorite productions include TWO TRAINS RUNNING (Milwaukee Rep/Cincy Playhouse), TALENTED TENTH (Congo Square), GOOD PEOPLE (Forward Theater), FLYING WEST (Bronzeville Arts Ensemble), and A MIDNIGHT CRY (First Stage), among many others. Malkia began directing in 2016 with Black Arts MKE and Marcus Center for the Performing Arts’ annual production of BLACK NATIVITY. As a TV and film actor, Malkia has appeared on Showtime (Work in Progress, Shameless, The Chi), NBC (Chicago Med, Chicago PD), HBO (Native Son), Fox (Empire), Netflix (Beats), and in a host of independent short and feature films. COLIN GAWRONSKI (Production Manager/ Company Manager)  Colin is very excited to be part of the Milwaukee Chamber Theatre staff and to contribute to the vibrant theatre community in Milwaukee. Colin is a lighting designer and theatrical technician native to Milwaukee. They have worked extensively with Danceworks, Inc. as well as such local companies as Renaissance Theaterworks, Skylight, Milwaukee Opera Theatre, UWM Dance, Next Act, Kohl’s Wild Theater, PrideFest Milwaukee, Bard and THE ISLAND

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Bourbon, Gina Laurenzi Dance Project, Black Arts Milwaukee and the Bronzeville Arts Ensemble. They have also worked with the Sacramento Music Circus, the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival, Theatre Lila and has taken productions to the Indianapolis and Chicago Fringe Festivals. Favorite productions include IGNITE: A HIP HOP EXPERIENCE, SECRETS FROM THE WIDE SKY, BLACK NATIVITY, RUSSIAN TRANSPORT, FRANKIE AND JOHNNY, STORIES FROM A LIFE, KING LEAR, JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, THE GLASS MENAGERIE, SERENDIPITY, ANY GIVEN MONDAY, MAURITIUS, MY FAIR LADY, LAMPS FOR MY FAMILY, and VAGABONDARE. Give Love Always. LIZ SHIPE (Marketing/PR Manager) Liz is so excited to join the staff of Milwaukee Chamber Theatre. In just over a decade Liz has worked in the Milwaukee Theatre community as an actor, costumer, playwright and marketing professional. She was named one of Milwaukee’s most prolific playwrights in 2014 by M-Milwaukee’s Lifestyle Magazine. Her most recent work, THE INCREDIBLE ADVENTURE OF ALVIN TATLOCK, enjoyed multiple productions in Wisconsin and was nominated for a Footlights award for Best Play 2017 and toured in the summer of 2019. She also penned the Sherlock Holmes-focused BAKER’S STREET TRILOGY featured at Old World Wisconsin. Her pirate-themed spectacle BONNY ANNE BONNY was also given honorable mention as one of the best plays of 2016 by both the Journal Sentinel and OnMilwaukee.

Milwaukee Chamber Theatre

SAMANTHA MARTINSON (Education Associate) Samantha Martinson is a theater artist and educator—she has worked in administration, education, and production at several regional theaters including Milwaukee Repertory Theater, First Stage, and Door Shakespeare. At Chamber, Samantha facilitates high school playwriting residencies across the greater Milwaukee area and biennially assistant produces the Young Playwrights Festival Showcase. She is also the Director of Community Engagement with the Milwaukee Ballet, where she helps increase access to dance and movement in the greater Milwaukee area. Samantha previously worked for the Zoological Society of Milwaukee, focusing the majority of her work on grant programs, DE&I initiatives, and the power of fostering empathy for one another. She has presented at national conferences with the Association for Zoos and Aquariums and Advancing Conservation through Empathy for Wildlife Network on the importance of cultivating empathy to increase social action. Her recent directing credits include: LEONA LIONHEART SAVES THE WORLD (Kohl’s Wild Theater), STITCHED WITH A SICKLE & HAMMER (Renaissance Theaterworks, Br!nk), THE TEMPEST (Mad Rogues), MISS LULU BETT (Voices Freed Reading Series), TWELFTH NIGHT (Milwaukee Youth Theater). Assistant Directing: THE ROOMMATE (Renaissance Theaterworks), MILWAUKEE CARRIES (Cooperative Performance). Recent performances: SAVIOR’S GRACE (Renaissance Theaterworks, Br!nk Briefs); RICHARD III, THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR, A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM (Mad Rogues).

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M I LWAU K E E C H A M B E R T H E AT R E D O N O R S Milwaukee Chamber Theatre gratefully acknowledges the following individuals and organizations for their generous support of our work. Please note: We are currently undergoing an extended database transition which may impact the accuracy of this list. For changes, additions, or omissions to your listing, please contact Development Director Meghan Roesner at meghan@milwaukeechambertheatre.org. Donations listed are tax-deductible gifts received between July 1, 2020 – February 16, 2021. Milwaukee Chamber Theatre gratefully acknowledges the United Performing Arts Fund, our single largest donor, for its annual support of more than $163,000. CORPORATION, FOUNDATION, AND GOVERNMENT GIVING $10,000+ Bader Philanthropies The Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation Harley-Davidson Foundation The Richard and Ethel Herzfeld Foundation Milwaukee County CARES for Arts & Culture Grant Program Northwestern Mutual The Shubert Foundation Tinsley Helton Charitable Trust Wisconsin Arts Board Wisconsin Department of Administration COVID-19 Cultural Organization Grant Program $5,000-$9,999 CAMPAC City of Milwaukee Arts Board Greater Milwaukee Foundation Hitz Foundation Johnson Controls Foundation Rotary Club of Milwaukee Bert L. & Patricia S. Steigleder Charitable Trust

$2,500-$4,999 Anonymous The Gardner Foundation GE Foundation Sempercor Foundation We Energies Foundation

Microsoft Corporation MKE Black Ring & Du Chateau LLP Rockwell Automation TheaterRed U.S. Bank

$1,000-$2,499 Baird Foundation Black Arts MKE The Business Council, Inc. Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation Greater Milwaukee Association of Realtors Youth Foundation Dorothy Inbusch Foundation World Outreach and Bible Training Center, Inc.

$1-$99 Footlights Performing Arts Relief Fund In-Kind 88Nine Radio Milwaukee Broadway Theatre Center Studio Gear WUWM 89.7 Milwaukee’s NPR

$100-$999 Athena Communications Brookby Foundation Carvd N Stone Evan and Marion Helfaer Foundation MBRACED CULTURE

INDIVIDUAL GIVING $10,000+ Isabel L. Bader Greater Milwaukee Foundation Anonymous Elaine N. Peterson Max and Marni Seigle John Shannon and Jan Serr $5,000+ Julie Anding and Lisa Kornetsky Robert Balderson Buffy and Steve Duback Patrick and Julia Fennelly Konrad Kuchenbach Elizabeth Levins and Herbert Zien Debbie and Jamshed Patel Barbara Johnson and Sandra Zingler J. Michael Reavis Emily and Leopold Shircel Wilfred W. Wollner, Jr. 16

Milwaukee Chamber Theatre

$2,500-$4,999 Koren Black Chris and Judi Collins Robert Gardenier and Lori Morse Joseph and Gwenn Graboyes Charitable Fund of the Door County Community Foundation, Inc. Angela Jacobi Nancy Jacobs Nancy Laskin Marina and Frank Krejci Susan and Robert Lueger DeAngela Luna John Mahony and Evelyn Burdick Guy and Mary Jo McDonald Dwight and Marleen Morgan Jason Rae and Phillip Bailey Debbie and John Roesner Dan Schley and Barb Haig

$1,000 - $2,499 Keith and Paula Anderson Carolee Beutler Richard and Kerstin Conner Pamela Frautschi Michael and Kelly Grebe Jami and Joe Hanreddy Dan and Pat Johansen Greater Milwaukee Foundation Judith A. Keyes Family Fund Jewish Community Foundation Pam Kriger Donor Advised Fund Joseph R. Pabst Patricia and Allen Rieselbach Marsha Sehler James Van Ess $500-$999 Anonymous James and Theresa Alioto Donald and Donna Baumgartner

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INDIVIDUAL GIVING CONTINUED James Cauley and Brenda Andrews Charitable Fund Susan and Gee Esslinger Robert Ferriday III and Barbara McMath Michael and Lyn Hamilton James and Mary Ann Hanson David and Margarete Harvey Anita Holloway Leslie Kohler Vince Martin William Lorber and Kristy Nielson Allyson Nemec Donald Petersen and Corinthia Van Orsdol Susan Riedel Imy Schley Robert Spencer Richard Stone Anne and Gary Summers Michael Wright and Ray Jivoff $250-$499 Anonymous (2) Patricia Andersen Richard and Sara Aster Natalie Beckwith James Boerner Cathy and Mario Costantini Pat and Phil Crump Thomas Derenne and Robert Zimmermann Carol Z. Dolphin Kathleen S. Donius Sandy Duffy Eric Durant Mike Fischer and Elaine Griffin David S. Flores Nadya Fouad Linda Gaalaas Barbara Gawronski Reed and Nancy Groethe Andrew and Paula Holman Kathleen and Hal Jenkins Mary S. and Charles Kamps Demaris and Gontran Kenwood Thomas Kelly and Jane Kivlin Patricia Knight David and Mary Ann Lillich Alan and Nancy Meier Susan Ploetz Patrick G.H. Schley Ruth Schudson Pamela Seccombe George and Eileen Stone Jerry and Donna Walsh Steve Weber and Kelly Schlicht Mary Wegener

$100-$249 Anonymous (4) Vivian C. Aikin Larilyn Arbelaez Carl and Ellen Baehr Nancy Balcer Barbara J. Becker Glendon and Susanne Bogdon William and Barbara Boles William Bradley and Jill Anna Ponasik Anne Marie Bula David and Deborah Cecsarini Karen and Richard Christenson Mary and James Connelly Betsy and Daniel Corry Wayne Cranston Cathy Dills Kyle Dlabay Eileen and Howard Dubner Shawn Duffy Mary and John Emory Gerald and Patricia Freitag Mary Frenn Mary Anne Gavin Matthew and Karin Gerdisch Kirt Graves Norm and Daryl Grier Katherine Grogan Bruce and Sandra Hazelton Katie Heil Hugh Hoffman Erin and Charles Housiaux Pauline and Thomas Jeffers Maureen Kania James Kaplan Edward Kelly Mary Knudten Dennis Kois James and Charmaine LaBelle Avrum and Dannette Lank Bill and Judy Laste Heinz and Barbara Leichter Dale and Barbara Lenz Colleen Lese Gregory and Sue Lochen Theodore Londo Michelle Lopez-Rios Lois Malawsky Christine Martin Cara McMullin Mark Medrek Scott Mendel Frank Miller Virginia A. Mueller Ann Navin Jan Niebler Jean Novy Dr. David S. Paris, DDS Thomas J. Paschke

John E. Peters Joshua Pohja Christine Radiske and Herbert Quigley Emily and Stewart Randall Karen and John Reddin The Helen Reich Fund Linda Gale Sampson Michael and Susan Schall Cory and Joe Schlangen Mary Beth Schmalz and Urban Wemmerlov Carla Slawson and Bill Martens La Toya Sykes Paul Tanzer Lindsey Tauber and Sam Leichtling Barbara Tessman Sara Toenes Michael and Charlane Uhing Pamela Van Doren Louise VerWert James and Kathie Vint Andrea Wagoner and Roger Ruggeri Michael A. West Russell and Alyce Weiss Jeffrey and Elizabeth Williams Mary Wolverton Daryl and Bonnie Wunrow Sue Patrice Yee Judith Zwirlein $1-$99 Anonymous (8) George Affeldt Judith Schaumberg-Aigner MacArthur Antigua Robert Ater and Greg Baer Rebecca Bailey and Jim Schley Paul Barnes F. Tessa and Richard Bartels Christopher and Jill Bebeau Gerald Bergtrom Karen and John Berst Emily Besser William Bird Mary Bolich David and Deborah Bonofiglio Andrew and Linnea Booher Karen Brubakken Jim and Stephanie Buske Richelle Harrington Calin Ryan Cappleman Jennifer Clark Wendy and Fred Coleman David Counard William and Jane Crise Diane Dalton Cathy Demers Gerald and Ellen DeMers Laura Sue Diamondstone THE ISLAND

M I LWAU K E E C H A M B E R T H E AT R E D O N O R S

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INDIVIDUAL GIVING CONTINUED Michael Duncan Ed and Alice Eisendrath Don and Mary Ellingsen Richard and Deborah Esposito Russel C. Evans Ed and Sheila Fabiszak Leonard and Ann Marie Fabos Donna Faw and Jay Miller Al and Sally Ferguson Leslie Fillingham Katrina Fingerson Maura Fitzgerald Kama Fletcher Sarah Ford and Randall Klumb Barbara Franczyk John Frederick Ken and Susan Freitag James and Margo Frey Ken Germanson Christopher Gerson Juliet Gorsuch Irv and Reesa Gottschalk John and Kathy Goudie Stephanie Govin-Matzat Rick and Maggi Grabowski Richard Gustin Richard and Susan Hackl Dale Hagan Richard Hehn and Joanne Tlachac-Hehn Katie and Tom Heinen Roe Hemenway Dennis Hennessy and Linda Roethlisberger David Hitz Thomas J. Darrow and Michael D. Houle Thallis Hoyt Drake Betty Hunt Linda Jaeger Janice Jeanneret Ina and Dennis Johnson Marcella Kearns Celia Klehr Henry Krokosky and Charlotte Schall-Krokosky Lane Kuske Deb Lampert James and Teri Larson Robin Leenhouts Janice Leffert Sally Lemke David and Deborah Lenz Eva Llanera and Michael Egan James and Debra Lowder Mary Ellen Lukaszewicz Mary and Rodney W Malinowski Sean Malone Gaetano Marangelli Jeff Martinka 18

Milwaukee Chamber Theatre

M. Kent Mayfield and Jack Ford Gerry and Cathy McGrath Patrick and Mary Mickelsen Jay and Bobby Miller Janet Moebus Karen Morris-Cetin Bruce Murphy Charles and Barbara Murphy Carolyn Murray Lois Mytas Charlane O’Rourke Hertig and Keith Hertig Michelle Owczarski Shelia Payton Velta Pelcis Margot Peters Randy and Janet Peterson Katja Phillabaum Ann Phillips Sally Powrie Schley Tom Reed Darlene Roberts Carol Robinson Ruth Ruege Syndi and David Salat Patricia Santilli Sharene Schmalz Kathleen Schultz Kathleen Scullin Linda Sheridan Patricia Sherman-Cisler Michael Shipley Nancy Simuel Stanislaus Spence Malkia Stampley and Chiké Johnson Shayne Steliga LeRoy Stoner Nancy Tawney Tom and Michele Tiffany Janet Trigg Jacque Troy Susanne Burwell Carrie and Sam Van Hallgren Thomas and June Varney Gregg Vergetis and Curt Cattanach Mark and Yvonne Wagner Bailey Wegner Dawn Wenszell Richard Wenzel Kathy and Dennis Wicht Sharon Wolf Mary Thomas Carolyn Wood James Zinky

MEMORIALS AND TRIBUTES In honor of C. Michael Wright Linda Loving Robert Ferriday III and Barbara McMath James Van Ess In honor of Ruth Schudson Isabel L. Bader In honor of Jean Collins Nancy Balcer In honor of Elyse Edelman Scott Mendel In memory of Larry Compton The Compton/Jacobson Family

In Memory of Monty Davis Buffy and Steve Duback In memory of John Holland Nancy Balcer Andrew and Linnea Booher Leonard and Ann Marie Fabos Konrad Kuchenbach Charlane O’Rourke Hertig and Keith Hertig Ruth Ruege Sharene Schmalz In memory of Annette Mickelson Nadya Fouad Hans and Kathy Jorgensen Janet Moebus Mary Beth Schmalz and Urban Wemmerlov

MCT FRIENDS FOR LIFE Marilyn Auer Nancy Balcer Cecile Cheng Donald A. Cress Pat and Phil Crump Al and Sally Ferguson John E. Holland and Konrad K. Kuchenbach David Keen and Judy Perkins Sandy Laedtke Robb Marks Guy and Mary Jo McDonald David Paris Jamshed and Deborah Patel Mickey and Casey Ripp Ron and Sandy Roller Ruth Schudson Carol and Kevin Schuele Michael Wright and Ray Jivoff

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M C T B OA R D O F T R U S T E E S Emily Shircel, Quarles & Brady, LLC............................................................................................. President Marina Krejci, Florence Eiseman LLC............................................................................... President-Elect Jason Kuwayama, Godfrey & Kahn..............................................................................................Treasurer Allyson Nemec, Quorum Architects, Inc. .................................................................................. Secretary Trustees Julie M. Anding, Harley-Davidson Motor Company Koren Black, ManpowerGroup Julia Fennelly, Kohl’s Dr. Prasenjit Neel Guptasarma, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee Erin Corbo Housiaux, The Prairie School Sue Lueger, Challenger, Gray & Christmas DeAngela Luna (D), Northwestern Mutual Life Dwight Morgan, Aurora Healthcare (Retired) Jason Rae, Wisconsin LGBT Chamber of Commerce Daniel E. Schley (Dan), Appraisals by Schley LLC Max Seigle, Next Door Anne Summers, Ter Molen Watkins & Brandt La Toya Sykes, Our Next Generation

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