Isthmus: June 30 - July 6

J U N E 3 0 – J U LY 6 , 2 0 1 6

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VOL. 41 NO. 0 26 0

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MADISON, WISCONSIN

Frontand Center meet the women making theater in madison

jessica Lanius

brenda DeV i ta

jennifer Uphoff Gr ay sar ah Mart y

heather Renken

COVER CREDIT

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ISTHMUS.COM JUNE 30–JULY 6, 2016

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■ CONTENTS

■ WHAT TO DO

4 SNAPSHOT

GUNGA GALUNGA

Hitting the links with WheelHouse.

6-10 NEWS

MOTHER’S HELPER

Schools program for teen moms is at risk.

AND THEN THERE WERE THREE Parsing the Supreme Court finalists.

CATHERINE CAPELLARO

14

CRAIG JOHNSON

19

STAGE CRAIG JOHNSON’S FIRST trip up the hill at American Players Theatre was in 1989 to see Randall Duk Kim as King Lear.

He’s been making the trek to Spring Green ever since. For his story on APT apprentice Jade Payton, Johnson scored a rare invitation to watch a rehearsal.

He thoroughly enjoyed the experience and the perks: no line to the men’s room; no traffic jam on the way. Says Johnson: “This is basically my version of heaven.”

COVER STORY KNOWING THAT MEN dominate the theater world in most places, arts editor Catherine Capellaro was struck by the vastly different scene in Madison. In talking to the women who lead most of our local companies, Capellaro, a playwright and actor herself, found a common thread she could relate to: Madison is a nourishing place to create theater and music.

FAIL TO THE CHIEF

Calls for Mike Koval’s resignation mount.

12 OPINION

IT’S A GRAND OLD FLAG

State banner represents the best of Wisconsin.

14 COVER STORY

OUR TOWN

Meet 10 women at the helm of local theater companies.

19, 28 STAGE

CASTING CALL

APT apprentice gets on-the-job training.

DON’T LOOK BACK

Eurydice tells the Orpheus myth from the woman’s standpoint.

20-24 FOOD & DRINK

URBAN LEGEND

Hive mind Sun., July 3, Capital Brewery, noon-6 pm At Beestock 2016, the buzz is all about the environment.

Speakers include Family Farm Defenders’ John Peck and Endangered Species Coalition’s Melissa Smith, as well as representatives from Dane County TimeBank, Purple Cow Organics, Willy St. Co-op and more.

Plus food and oodles of music.

Lupe’s brings Mexican to Middleton Hills.

Highs & lows

A WENSLEYDALE WEDDING

Sat., July 2, UW Discovery Building, 10 am-noon

Cakes made of cheese rounds break with tradition.

26 SPORTS

JUST KEEP SWIMMING JENNY PEEK

6

NEWS A LONG-RUNNING school program that aids teenage mothers is in danger of losing a substantial grant that helps pay for transportation and other services. Jenny Peek talks with its longtime director, Lesa Reisdorf, and some of the moms in the program, who learn parenting skills while earning a high school degree.

COVER CREDITS: Carissa Dixon (Brenda DeVita), Kaia Coulhoun (Jessica Lanius), Dan Myers (Sarah Marty), Ryan Wisniewski (Heather Renken), Maureen Janson Heintz (Jennifer Uphoff Gray)

Madison talent makes a big splash at Olympic trials.

29 MUSIC

TEAMWORK

3rd Dimension’s energy comes from synergy.

30 SCREENS

Kids can explore how cities work in the Discovery Center’s Saturday Science program “Subways to Skyscrapers.”

Find out how roads are designed, how cities get clean water and energy and what plants and animals thrive in urban environments at interactive stations set up throughout this awesome building.

Ole & Lena go to the fair

CRITICS’ CHOICE

Cinematheque puts four film writers in the spotlight.

Thurs.-Mon., June 30-July 2, Mandt Park, Stoughton

36 EMPHASIS

A weekend isn’t enough for the Stoughton Fair; our neighboring Norwegian village does it up right with five days of entertainment, including fireworks, horse pull, antique tractor pull, demolition derby, a carnival and live music. Yah, hey.

IT’S A WRAP

Babywearing is a thing.

IN EVERY ISSUE 9 MADISON MATRIX 9 WEEK IN REVIEW 12 THIS MODERN WORLD 13 FEEDBACK 13 OFF THE SQUARE

32 ISTHMUS PICKS 37 CLASSIFIEDS 38 P.S. MUELLER 38 CROSSWORD 39 SAVAGE LOVE

Social justice Thurs., June 30, Lucille, 101 King St., 4-6 pm

If you thought social media was just for sharing selfies and cat videos, think again. Join some of Madison’s top social media marketing mavens at this happy hour networking event, which will use social media to raise awareness about homelessness while raising money for Porchlight.

PUBLISHER Jeff Haupt ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Craig Bartlett BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR Mark Tauscher EDITOR Judith Davidoff NEWS EDITOR Joe Tarr ASSOCIATE EDITOR Michana Buchman FEATURES EDITOR Linda Falkenstein ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR Catherine Capellaro MUSIC & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Jon Kjarsgaard STAFF WRITERS Dylan Brogan, Allison Geyer EDITORIAL INTERN Rachael Lallensack CALENDAR EDITOR Bob Koch ART DIRECTOR Carolyn Fath STAFF ARTISTS David Michael Miller, Tommy Washbush

ISTHMUS is published weekly by Red Card Media, 100 State Street, Suite 301, Madison, WI 53703 • Edit@isthmus.com • Phone (608) 251-5627 • Fax (608) 251-2165 Periodicals postage paid at Madison, WI (ISSN 1081-4043) • POSTMASTER: Send address changes to 100 State Street, Suite 301, Madison, WI 53703 • © 2016 Red Card Media, LLC. All rights reserved.

Anti-solitary solidarity Sat., July 2, Wisconsin Department of Corrections, 3099 E. Washington Ave., noon

The Wisconsin Department of Corrections is force-feeding prison inmates to subvert a hunger strike protesting solitary confinement. If that makes you sick to your stomach, join this Hunger Strike Solidarity March to show support for the prisoners.

FIND MORE ISTHMUS PICKS ON PAGE 32

JUNE 30–JULY 6, 2016 ISTHMUS.COM

CONTRIBUTORS John W. Barker, Kenneth Burns, Dave Cieslewicz, Nathan J. Comp, Aaron R. Conklin, Ruth Conniff, Michael Cummins, Marc Eisen, Erik Gunn, Bob Jacobson, Seth Jovaag, Stu Levitan, Bill Lueders, Liz Merfeld, Andy Moore, Bruce Murphy, Kyle Nabilcy, Kate Newton, Jenny Peek, Michael Popke, Steven Potter, Adam Powell, Katie Reiser, Jay Rath, Gwendolyn Rice, Dean Robbins, Robin Shepard, Sandy Tabachnick, Denise Thornton, Candice Wagener, Rosemary Zurlo-Cuva ADVERTISING PRODUCTION MANAGER Todd Hubler ADVERTISING MANAGER Chad Hopper ADVERTISING ASSISTANT Laura Miller ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES Lindsey Bushart, Peggy Elath, Lauren Isely WEB ANALYST Jeri Casper CIRCULATION MANAGER Tom Dehlinger MARKETING DIRECTOR Chris Winterhack EVENT DIRECTORS Kathleen Andreoni, Courtney Lovas ADMINISTRATIVE DIRECTOR Kathy A. Bailey OFFICE MANAGER Julie Butler SYSTEMS MANAGER Thom Jones ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Carla Dawkins

3

n SNAPSHOT

WheelHouse hits the links at Oaks Golf Course.

From left: Kenny Leiser, Nic Adamany, Frank Busch and Mark Noxon.

Number of shows scheduled for May through September: MORE THAN 100 Maker of WheelHouse Whiskey: YAHARA BAY DISTILLERY Number of 2016 MAMA awards: THREE Where to see WheelHouse: COME BACK IN, TUESDAYS, 5-8 PM

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As we zoom along the fairway, bassist Mark Noxon explains that he is the only member of WheelHouse who has “never gotten into” golf.

He also is the only member who has hit a hole in one. His feat is downplayed by the other three band members throughout the morning.

“I don’t want to minimize Mark’s achievement, because it is an achievement,” Kenny Leiser, the band’s fiddle player, explains later. “But he was playing the par 3 course at Vitense.”

Despite his ambivalence about the game, Noxon ruminates on the parallels between playing golf and playing in a band as Leiser and rhythm guitarist Frank Busch wait for lead guitarist Nic Adamany to get out of the sand.

“Both require patience,” he says. “Some days you’re on the fairway, some days you’re in the sand. It’s about consistency all around.”

In the bunker, Adamany gives the ball a good whack, but it catches the grassy lip above him and plops back into the sand.

“That hurts,” says Busch, also off to an inauspicious start. “Obviously, we’re much better musicians than golfers.”

No one can fault the members of Madison’s hardest-working band, WheelHouse, for not bringing their A-game on a drizzly

morning in June. Having just played 30 shows in 45 days — with more than 100 scheduled this summer — the boys are overdue for a visit to the back nine at Oaks Golf Course.

Busch, who handles bookings, says the band is actually trying to work a little less. “We chose quality over quantity this year. We’re making just as much, but playing less.” Which means a little more time for golf. Oaks Golf Course gives the band time on the links in exchange for playing a free gig each year.

WheelHouse emerged from the last gasps of two other national touring Madison bands, the Mighty Short Bus (Adamany and Busch) and the Lucas Cates Band (Noxon and Leiser).

In 2012, their informal jam sessions quickly evolved into something they felt was greater than the sum of its parts.

“It was a side project that was way too much fun, way too good and way too easy not to go full-time with it,” says Busch, his drive dropping in the brush.

Nearly four years on, word has spread about WheelHouse’s fusion of bluegrass and country with elements of folk and ’60s psychedelic pop.

“It’s not what you’d expect to hear from this kind of instrumentation,” says Adamany. “That wasn’t by design; it just happened.”

But a band is also a business, and the members of WheelHouse run it like one. They’ve cut out middlemen to book, promote and manage their shows. “When people see us loading up our gear,

that’s what we get paid for,” says Adamany.

“Living this lifestyle, it’s sink or swim.”

Good bands give performances; great ones create experiences. Fans were treated to the latter at Wisconsin Brewing Company in May. Midway through their two-hour set, Busch, Adamany and Noxon sank into rhythm-keeping oblivion as Leiser, during his solo, seemed to tap some secret scale of beautiful screams and mournful wails from somewhere deep within.

“In this band, everyone plays to their skill set,” Noxon says. “We’ve found our comfort zone.”

Amid a packed performance calendar, the band is recording songs for its next album. One of the band’s songs made the soundtrack for the movie The Sixty Yard Line, featuring Isthmus co-owner and former Packer Mark Tauscher.

“In other industries you can be supertalented, work hard and expect to rise to the top,” Adamany says. “In this industry you need that X-factor, luck, but I think people can create luck.”

Even during down time, the band’s energy and work ethic shine. Moments before tee time the band sucked down their drinks and grabbed their clubs, despite the wind and rain.

“It’s a fine Scottish morning,” declared Busch from behind his aviator sunglasses.

“The show must go on.” n

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n NEWS

“The program no one wants to talk about” SAPAR helps teen moms stay in school, but is losing funding

ISTHMUS.COM JUNE 30–JULY 6, 2016

BY JENNY PEEK

6

When Lyla Perez was growing up, her mom would tell her stories about how hard it had been to go to high school while raising her and her older brother. So she never imagined she would be in the same position as her mom — 15 years old with a son of her own.

“I was 14 when I got pregnant,” says Perez.

“My mom always talked to me about birth control, and I was on the pill, but that doesn’t always work when you forget to take it.”

After having her son, Tyler, Perez dropped out of school. In the fall of 2015, almost two years after her son was born, her mom suggested she enroll in SAPAR, the same program she had used as a teen mom.

SAPAR, which stands for School Aged Parents, is an alternative, transitional program for pregnant and parenting girls to learn prenatal care and parenting skills while working on a regular curriculum. The program is located in Marquette Elementary School on Madison’s near east side.

Students can attend SAPAR for two semesters and have access to the Dane County Parents Council’s Wee Start Child Care Center, right down the hall from SAPAR’s classrooms.

Lesa Reisdorf, the program director, has been helping teen moms through SAPAR since 1996. In her 20 years with the program she has seen pregnant sixth-graders, homeless moms kicked out by their families and former students’ daughters — like Perez — in the program years later.

The odds are not in favor of teen moms. According to the CDC, only 50% of teen mothers receive their high school diploma by age 22. County Health Rankings, a collaboration between the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the UWMadison Population Health Institute, reports that multi-service programs like SAPAR substantially increase the likelihood that teen moms will graduate from high school.

But the Madison program will soon face an enormous drop in funding when a four-year InSPIRE grant from the state Department of Public Instruction dries up on June 30, 2017. The $535,000 grant allowed SAPAR to provide even more resources to young parents, including daycare for children and transportation, and to award 35 $1,000 college scholarships to teen parents.

After next year, Reisdorf fears the program will either be cut completely or drastically scaled back. “Ever since I took this job in 1996, every year I hear they’re going to cut it,” Reisdorf says. “We are the program no one wants to talk about.”

Wisconsin state statute section 115.915 requires school districts to make accommodations for teen parents. Through a similar statute, districts that invest in programs like SAPAR are eligible for reimbursements to help offset the costs.

While only about 30 to 40 students are served each year, there will continue to be a need for special services for teen moms.

Robinson graduated from high school last June and is now working toward a bachelor’s degree in Madison College’s Liberal Arts Transfer Program. She’s well aware of the challenges she faces.

“Everyone always mentioned the statistics to me, looking at me like a statistic because a lot of teen moms do end up living in poverty,” Robinson says. “It’s a cycle. But it’s nice to break that cycle.”

Perez hopes to break the cycle as well. With the school year ending, her time at SAPAR will end too. She plans to get her GED back in DeForest, where she went to school before she got pregnant, and then attend Madison College to become a dental hygienist.

LAUREN JUSTICE

Lyla Perez, 17, with her son Tyler, 2, at Marquette Elementary, says a district program helped “her adapt to being a mom while doing school work and also working.”

“It’s a small population, and it’s gotten smaller,” says Reisdorf. “But kids are going to have sex. A lot of them are using birth control, but it’s ‘I skipped a pill, we were using condoms every single time except for that one night.’ Well, it only takes one night.

It really can happen to anyone.”

Without SAPAR and the ability to bring her son with her to school, Perez says she never would have gone back to the classroom.

“I would not be at school,” says Perez.

“We’re all so young and don’t know much about kids, and SAPAR prepares us for that and life afterwards. They really help us adapt to being a mom while doing school and also working.”

For Perez, the biggest challenge to going back to school was spending time apart from Tyler. “I was really worried because he was a year and a half, and I hadn’t been back to school and I was going to have to try to put him into daycare,” says Perez. “I knew he had really bad separation anxiety because I held him for the first year of his life. I never put him down.”

With daycare right next door, Perez was able to study while having the peace of mind that she could always go down the hall to check on Tyler.

Teens in the program take classes on parenting and life skills to learn about women’s health and signs of domestic abuse and child abuse. Students also learn how to navigate the court system to deal with paternity tests, custody and child support.

Perez’s parenting class for toddlers explored healthy ways to discipline her son, alleviating her frustration with the terrible twos.

“I was really struggling on what was a good, healthy way to discipline him for his age group. I was like, is this normal? Is his acting like this okay, or is there something wrong with him? Was the way I was feeling normal too? Because he was driving me nuts,” Perez says. “They talked to me a lot about how to deal with his tantrums and now...I think I do a pretty good job.”

For Reisdorf, these anecdotes underscore the program’s importance.

Reisdorf says it’s tough for teens who barely know how to take care of themselves to suddenly have to care for a child. “We’re talking about mostly girls that are from nonsupportive families or families with a single mom, [and] their grandmothers are single moms,” she says. “It’s just sort of a cycle that keeps going on.”

Cheryl DeWelt has partnered with SAPAR for several years in her work with the Madison Children’s Museum, which hosts family nights and gives each SAPAR student a free membership to the museum to encourage baby bonding and play.

DeWelt discovered how tough it is for teenage parents when her daughter, Jesse Robinson, got pregnant and enrolled in SAPAR. “There’s a reason so few teenage moms graduate high school,” says DeWelt. “It’s because they’re not supported in any way. If they go to SAPAR, they have a chance.”

After next year, SAPAR may not be able to offer as much support as it has. This year, the school district provided $300,000 to the program. According to Rachel Strauch-Nelson, the district’s spokeswoman, this primarily pays for staff.

The preliminary 2016-2017 budget earmarks $241,000 for SAPAR, a decrease Strauch-Nelson says is due to a drop in the program’s enrollment over the past couple of years.

The loss of the state grant will hit hard. SAPAR will no longer be able to provide free daycare, the transportation budget will be slashed, and the grant money for college scholarships will disappear. Emily Holder, a spokeswoman for the state’s DPI, says that money for the InSPIRE grant comes from the federal government. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is expected to announce another funding cycle this winter. “If DPI is eligible to apply and we successfully compete for funding, we will run a new grant competition for Wisconsin schools,” Holder says. “The timing of all this is unknown, but [Madison schools] would be eligible to reapply.”

Karyn Stocks-Glover, principal of innovative and alternative education programs, says the district will also look for other grants to make up the funding loss.

But Reisdorf fears for the program’s survival.

“I honestly don’t even know if we can do it,” says Reisdorf. “I just hope they keep us around.”

While both Perez and Robinson have the strong family support that makes a college degree more attainable, most SAPAR students come from shakier backgrounds.

“Many of the girls have told me they would either be dead or in jail; some said they would have been a drug addict; many have said they would have just dropped out,” says Reisdorf.

“But the fact that they became pregnant made them stand straight up and fly right.”

Talking about what she hopes for her students’ futures brings tears to Reisdorf’s eyes.

“I get emotional. So many of them just have really crappy lives and feel worthless. They put up with crap from their boyfriends and their families. They’re just so much better than that,” Reisdorf says. “We try to give them a little extra oomph. Yes, everybody is saying you’re never going to make it, but you can do it, it’s going to be hard, but you can stick with it.” n

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7

n NEWS

Too extreme to be Supreme?

High Court finalist thinks affirmative action is as bad as slavery

BY BILL LUEDERS

ISTHMUS.COM JUNE 30–JULY 6, 2016

One of three finalists named by Gov. Scott Walker for appointment to the Wisconsin Supreme Court considers affirmative action to be morally comparable to the practice of slavery.

“Affirmative action and slavery differ, obviously, in significant ways,” wrote Milwaukee attorney Daniel Kelly in a chapter published in a 2014 book. “But it’s more a question of degree than principle, for they both spring from the same taproot. Neither can exist without the foundational principle that it is acceptable to force someone into an unwanted economic relationship. Morally, and as a matter of law, they are the same....”

The chapter, which Kelly included in his application for the appointment, also delivers a blistering critique of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2013 ruling striking down the Defense of Marriage Act, which had defined marriage under federal law to exclude same-sex partners. This ruling, Kelly opined, “will eventually rob the institution of marriage of any discernible meaning.”

Walker’s selection team on June 22 picked Kelly as one of three finalists for the appointment, along with appeals court judges Mark Gundrum and Thomas Hruz.

They were culled from a list of five semifinalists, from 11 original applicants. The governor is expected to interview the finalists and make his pick in advance of Justice David Prosser’s midterm retirement, effective July 31.

The seven-member court is already dominated five to two by conservatives, including Prosser, following Walker’s appointment of Justice Rebecca Bradley to fill a vacancy on the court last year. Bradley

8

From left to right, attorney Daniel Kelly, Judge Mark Gundrum, and Judge Thomas Hruz.

was elected to a 10-year term in April. Prosser’s successor will not face voters until 2020.

Among the three finalists, Kelly is the only one without judicial experience. Four other applicants lacking this credential, including Public Service Commission chair Ellen Nowak, the only woman applicant, were passed over.

Walker’s selection team — consisting of Rich Zipperer, the governor’s chief of staff; Michael Brennan, chair of his Judicial Selection Advisory Committee; and Andrew Hitt, former deputy legal counsel — seemed to avoid other applicants who raised concerns about partisanship and cronyism.

Besides Nowak, whom Walker appointed to the PSC, rejected applicants included Brian Hagedorn, Walker’s former chief legal counsel; Jefferson County Judge Randy Koschnick, whose daughter is Walker’s current chief legal counsel; and former Dane County Judge James Troupis, who in 2011 helped Republicans redraw voting maps to partisan advantage.

Kelly’s application, obtained from Walker’s office through an open records request, touts his role in defending the Republicans’ redistricting plan against a legal challenge. He calls the redrawing of voter boundaries “a quintessentially political activity, the conduct of which belongs to the political branches of government.”

Kelly also highlights his role, along with Troupis, in successfully representing Prosser in his 2011 recount. He accuses challenger JoAnne Kloppenburg of “judicial activism,” as opposed to Prosser’s record of “carefully evaluating cases according to the law, without favoring anyone’s political agenda.”

Kloppenburg, an appeals court judge who ran a second unsuccessful bid against Rebecca Bradley this year, declined to comment. She has previously rejected accusations of ideological bias.

Kelly’s application notes his membership in the Federalist Society, a conservative legal group. It stresses his affinity for the late Justice Antonin Scalia, whose view of constitutional rights was so crimped he could not see a problem with executing people who are actually innocent. And it notes Kelly’s role as a “kitchen cabinet” adviser to Bradley’s 2016 campaign.

But most revealing is Kelly’s 35-page chapter from the 2014 book John Rawls and Christian Social Engagement: Justice as Unfairness. After establishing that “all authority” derives from God himself, Kelly launches into bromides against same-sex marriage and affirmative action. He calls court-ordered accommodation of same-sex marriage “coerced dignity” and professes similar disdain for affirmative action programs that create racial preferences in employment.

“Affirmative action,” he charges, “intrud[es] on individuals’ decision-making processes, putting its thumb on the scales of the employment decision. It compels the employer to hire who society thinks he should hire, rather than who he thinks he should hire.”

What if the employer is a bigot who doesn’t want to hire any black people? Should he have that right? Kelly did not respond to this and a small number of other questions emailed to his law office, with an accompanying voice-mail message. A staffer confirmed that he was in.

Howard Schweber, a UW-Madison professor of political science who reviewed Kelly’s application at Isthmus’ request, calls him a competent lawyer otherwise lacking qualifications for the state Supreme Court, aside from “an unwavering commitment to an ideology that is shared by Gov. Walker and the Republican leadership in the Legislature.”

Ed Fallone, a professor at Marquette University Law School who ran unsuccessfully for state Supreme Court in 2013, says “the only relevant issue” regarding Kelly’s personal and political beliefs is “whether, if appointed, he would follow his oath and apply the state and federal constitution and the precedents of the U.S. and Wisconsin Supreme Court.” Among the questions Kelly rebuffed was one to this effect.

Walker spokesman Tom Evenson has said the office will not comment on “any applicants for the Supreme Court as the selection process is ongoing.”

Kelly, who was 52 when he submitted his application in mid-May (he declined to say whether this has changed), is a partner in a Waukeshabased law firm. He previously logged 15 years at a business law firm and served as vice

president and general counsel for the Kern Family Foundation, a conservative philanthropic organization. Among the 11 applicants, he alone asked that his name be kept confidential unless he became a finalist, at which point state law required disclosure.

Gundrum, 46, is a former Republican state lawmaker who was elected to Waukesha County circuit court in 2010 and appointed the next year by Walker to a state appeals court. As a lawmaker, Gundrum coauthored the state’s constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage, which passed in 2006 and was later struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court. He also was the lead force behind a package of criminal justice reforms meant to reduce wrongful convictions. In 2008, he served a stint in Iraq as a member of the U.S. Army Reserve.

Asked on his application to name “one of the worst U.S. or state Supreme Court decisions of the last 30 years,” Gundrum cites a 2005 Wisconsin Supreme Court decision in which the court not only threw out what was deemed to be a coerced confession from a 14-year-old boy but mandated that future interrogations of juveniles be videotaped. Gundrum faults the court for “overreach,” arguing that it was usurping a function of the legislative branch. As a legislator, Gundrum personally pushed for expanded use of videotaped interrogations.

Gundrum, as an appeals court judge, also wrote an important decision upholding the right of the public to learn the identity of people contacting state lawmakers.

Hruz, 42, has clerked for Justice Prosser and U.S. Appeals Court Judge John Coffey, taught at Marquette University Law School and served as a research fellow at the conservative Wisconsin Policy Research Institute. Walker tapped him for an appeals court appointment in 2014.

Hruz’s application cites the Wisconsin Supreme Court’s 1998 decision upholding Milwaukee’s pioneering school choice program, which used public dollars to fund private schools, as among the best rulings of the last three decades. He praises it for addressing only the narrow question of whether “the Legislature and Governor overstepped their bounds” in enacting this program, not whether it was a good idea.

State records do not show any contributions from Gundrum to other candidates since 2008. Hruz has given money to Walker ($750), Rebecca Bradley ($400) and the Republican Party of Wisconsin ($200), among others.

Kelly has given at least $3,000 since 2009 to candidates including Prosser, Bradley and GOP Attorney General Brad Schimel.

The records show a $250 contribution to Walker in 2012 from Daniel Kelly, but the Walker campaign’s failure to provide required address information makes positive identification impossible. Kelly declined to say whether he made this contribution. n

n MADISON MATRIX BIG CITY

The state Department of Corrections is force-feeding inmates involved in a hunger strike to protest the use of solitary confinement, the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism reports.

Wisconsin’s law requiring admitting privileges for abortion providers is officially struck down after the U.S. Supreme Court rejects the state’s appeal of a lower court’s ruling.

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MONDAY, JUNE 27 ■ An early morning shooting on West Badger Road in the town of Madison leaves two men injured. The victims are cooperating, and police are working to figure out if the incident is related to the summer’s rash of gun violence.

■ Exact Sciences’ Cologuard test got a recommendation from a prominent task force earlier this month, but it’s unclear whether doctors will use the cancer screening tool or if insur-

TUESDAY, JUNE 28 ■ Dominic Salvia, co-host

2014 lawsuit in which he claimed his civil rights were violated when he was arrested while covering a 2013 Solidarity Sing Along protest.

■ UW-Madison makes the top 10 list of colleges that produce the most Fortune 500 CEOs — one of only four public universities in the elite group. The list, compiled by Money magazine, uses data from the educational backgrounds of the recently released Fortune 500. On, Wisconsin!

Ticket to Summer Fun

ers will be required to cover it, the Wisconsin State Journal reports.

■ Sun Prairie High School evacuates about 300 people from its summer school and sports clinic program after a “suspicious” package is reported on school grounds. Inside the box?

A textbook and calculators.

JUNE 30–JULY 6, 2016 ISTHMUS.COM

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22 ■ Gov. Scott Walker announces three finalists for his appointment to the state Supreme Court: 2nd District Appeals Court Judge Mark Gundrum, 3rd District Appeals Court Judge Thomas Hruz and attorney Daniel Kelly. One of them will replace Justice David Prosser when he retires July 31. See story, opposite page.

k Par

TM

■ WEEK IN REVIEW

9

n NEWS

Former police chief rips Koval’s “bullying” Calls grow louder for resignation, police reform

BY ALLISON GEYER

Even Madison Police Chief Mike Koval’s old mentor, former Police Chief David Couper, is suggesting a change in police department leadership could be in order.

“It’s never, never appropriate for the chief to be angry, sarcastic or bullying,” said Couper Tuesday, referring to Koval. “If he can’t take the heat, he should get the heck out of the kitchen.”

Couper joined other officials and residents at a news conference in front of the City County Building. They demanded significant changes to the Madison Police Department’s training procedures and use-offorce standards following the violent arrest of a black teenager. And several, like Couper, called Koval’s leadership into question.

Couper, who became a minister after retiring as chief in 1993, criticized Koval for his failure to balance the role of “police cheerleader” with his role as “chief of the community,” saying that police chiefs have a responsibility to both parties.

Couper’s comments echoed some of his recent blog posts, including one where he suggests that he had reached out to Koval but “was met with anger and an unwillingness to meet when [I] offered to be of help.”

At Tuesday’s media event, several people condemned the tactics used to subdue 18-year-old Genele Laird in a June 21 disturbance at East Towne Mall. Cellphone video of the arrest taken by a bystander shows a Madison police officer repeatedly punch, use knee strikes and deploy a Taser on the teen in an attempt to handcuff her. Police say Laird threatened a mall employee with a knife and was resisting arrest.

ALLISON GEYER

Former Madison Police Chief David Couper (second from right) speaks at a news conference alongside local officials and activists calling for an end to “militarized” police culture.

The video prompted several protests last week as Laird sat in jail awaiting charges. After some uncertainty over when her arraignment hearing would be, she was released the evening of June 23. The next day, Dane County District Attorney Ismael Ozanne, who faces a primary challenge in August, announced that he would make an “exception” and conditionally drop

charges against Laird, provided she complete the Dane County Community Restorative Court process.

Although some cheered the “successful resolution” of Laird’s case, others say it underscores problems with the criminal justice system.

“We need to center this in [Laird’s] humanity and the humanity of black people everywhere,”

Brandi Grayson, a founder of Madison’s Young, Gifted and Black Coalition, said at Tuesday’s media event.

“We’re not asking people to review if [the arrest was] lawful. It’s not about laws — it’s about justice.”

Grayson and others urged police reform, including adopting recommendations from President Barack Obama’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing, which lays out “best practices” to fight crime while building trust with the public. She and Matthew Braunginn of YGB also called for Koval’s resignation.

Ald. Amanda Hall, who represents the city’s far east side, cautions against rash decisions. But, she tells Isthmus, “I think Madison is coming around to the idea that the chief isn’t the right fit for us.”

State Rep. Chris Taylor (D-Madison) said at the conference that police need to listen. “This concept of the police, not as warriors but as guardians of our rights, as guardians of our safety — that’s how trust and legitimacy develops,” she said. “Communities that have been the most impacted by this warrior side of policing have to be heard, listened to, included and collaborated with. That is essential.”

Koval, who did not respond to an Isthmus request for comment, has defended his officers’ use of force in arresting Laird. He has also recently clashed with city officials on their decision to spend $400,000 to review MPD’s policies, training procedures and culture. n

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■ OPINION

A new flag for Wisconsin? Whoa! Not so fast Longtime labor advocate responds to call for new state banner

BY KENNETH A. GERMANSON Kenneth A. Germanson is president emeritus of the Wisconsin Labor History Society.

Before we go about dumping a flag that was officially adopted 103 years ago and incorporates a seal that dates back to 1851 and Wisconsin’s first governor, Nelson Dewey, let’s think about what Isthmus proposes in a recent cover story (“Wisconsin Deserves a Better Flag,” 6/9/2016).

The current flag may be “busy,” as some have said, but it displays the story of what made Wisconsin a great state — the farmers and workers whose hard work and struggles have become the very character of Wisconsin.

Take, for example, the badger that lies across the top of the great seal of Wisconsin.

It’s there not because the state is a haven for the animal (it isn’t), but because it represents the miners who came to the state before the 1830s to extract lead from the hills of southwest Wisconsin. During the lead-mining boom in pre-territorial days, the miners were so busy extracting the “gray gold” they had no time to build houses, according to the Wisconsin Blue Book. Like badgers, then, they found shelter by moving into abandoned mine shafts and makeshift burrows to find shelter.

The hardscrabble industry of those miners truly represents the historical industry of Wisconsin citizens. Isn’t that a good reason not to wipe the badger off the flag?

Look at the two men flanking the shield of the seal: the miner on the right and the sailor on the left. Both represent workers who were instrumental in our earliest history, the miner for being among the earliest entrepreneurs, and the sailor for bringing our first citizens here at a time when water transportation was often the best option for travel.

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Consider, too, the tools of labor that are contained in the shield: a plow symbolizing agriculture, a pick and shovel indicating mining, the arm and hammer representing manufacturing, and the anchor for water transportation along the Wisconsin and Mississippi rivers and the Great Lakes.

All four symbols tell us how Wisconsin developed as a state: the early mining industry, our continuing role as an agricultural state, our tremendous industries (we still have the second-highest percentage of workers in manufacturing among all states) and the value of water transportation so vital in the early decades of our history.

The state was settled by industrious men and women and their families, who struggled through tough Wisconsin winters and hot and humid summers to clear land of trees and rocks. Many were immigrants from Germany and the Scandinavian countries, with some facing failure as they found the land often too difficult to farm, while others thrived. They largely chose dairy farming — not the easiest

THIS MODERN WORLD

type of agriculture — and Wisconsin became “the Dairy State.”

Even today the state continues to be one of the nation’s greatest producers of milk and milk products (particularly cheese), thanks to the heritage of these early Wisconsin farmers.

Wisconsin’s central valley is one of the nation’s largest producers of vegetables. Yes, agriculture is still very much the story of Wisconsin.

With the flag’s emphasis on celebrating our agriculture and our industries, it is also recognizing working people and their families. Workers were at the forefront, too, of the many positive developments of the state — our great university system and strong educational values; historic firsts in worker rights (in recent years some having been unfortunately eroded); and close attention to conservation values that recognize how important it is to retain the natural beauties of the state. Workers through their strong labor unions and political party activity helped to make the state a great place to live and work.

We appreciate that Isthmus has called attention to our state flag; we understand their desire to perhaps “modernize” our flag.

We ask you, however, to move slowly on changing this 103-year-old symbol of our state.

It represents far too much of our history to be cast aside by some stylistic, though possibly more artistic, new flag that neglects the hard work and vision of our ancestors. ■

BY TOM TOMORROW

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■ FEEDBACK

Sound off

Throwing shade

Way to lob Britny Williams the same old tired sexist question: “What’s it like to be a female (fill in the blank)” (“Life Behind the Board,” 6/23/2016).

While you were generous with all of the other sound people, allowing them to share their actual experiences behind the board, Williams gets to once again be the token female in the name of shining a light on an issue that lazy journalism like this is contributing to.

If you want to see a world with more female sound engineers, how about asking a real, knowledgeable and dedicated engineer, who happens to be female, what it’s like to do her job, instead of what it’s like to be a woman in a male dominated industry.

Nigel O’Shea (via email)

I’ve just moved to the Madison area and was delighted to find your paper. Then I came across the article on sunscreen (Emphasis, 6/16/2016).

To quote only a medical practitioner who has one opinion really disappointed me. This is a very controversial subject! It also deserves more than just the medical mainstream doctor perspective. To promote spray-on products, especially for children, without considering the inhalation of such products is, in my opinion, irresponsible. The chemicals in these products have come under scrutiny and are suspected of causing more harm than they prevent. As a health care practitioner I have to say first do no harm! Every form of treatment must be evaluated using this measure. We are also inundated by chemicals on a daily basis. We must consider the cumulative effects.

My request is that if, in the future, you decide to cover a health topic, you do your research and present additional views that have a whole health perspective. If you choose to espouse the medical model perspective, at least present an opposing view.

Jo Anne Lindberg President and founder, BirthLink(via email)

Correction In last week’s issue, the story “Fertility Monitoring” incorrectly stated that a saliva monitoring test of women’s hormones has been found to be as accurate as blood tests. The tests have not yet proven to be that accurate.

Orange Blossoms by Mary Filapek & Lou Ann Townsend

Thank you for the article “Life Behind the Board.” Having a big band makes me very appreciative of the sound technicians and the skill that goes into setting up the mics and monitors and speakers, mixing the sections, dialing in the EQs, etc.

Yes, it’s a big job — glad for the help!

June Dalton Ladies Must Swing Big Band (via email)

Share comments with Isthmus via email, edit@isthmus.com, and via Forum.isthmus.com, Facebook and Twitter, or write letters to Isthmus, 100 State St., Suite 301, Madison WI 53703.

All comments are subject to editing. The views expressed here are solely those of the contributors.

These opinions do not necessarily represent those of Isthmus Publishing Company.

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n COVER STORY

Front and center meet the women making theater in Madison

BY CATHERINE CAPELLARO

ISTHMUS.COM JUNE 30–JULY 6, 2016

When Forward Theater Company announced that all of the plays in its 2016-17 season were written by women, many people may not have realized the potent symbolism. Even the person most responsible for that decision, Forward’s artistic director Jennifer Uphoff Gray, admits she didn’t set out to correct a historical wrong.

14

But here’s why it matters: Less than a quarter of plays produced in the United States are written by women.

My favorite quote on the topic comes from an article by the playwright Marsha Norman, “Why the Count Matters,” in The Dramatist: “If life worked like the theatre, four out of five things you had ever heard would have been said by men.”

But the reasons for this imbalance are complicated. The canon is most certainly dominated by white men. In many cases, men are also the ones in artistic leadership positions, making decisions about which plays are produced. Theater companies receive many more submissions from men than women, which, sadly, could indicate girls don’t grow up thinking they can become playwrights. And a fascinating 2009 study showed that female artistic directors were less likely to want to add a play to their season when they thought it was written by a woman than by a man.

Here in Madison, a grand experiment is being carried out. Most of our professional and community theater groups have women in positions of artistic leadership.

There are lots of reasons why that’s happened. UW-Madison has a great theater department, and this city boasts an outsized amount of artistic talent. Because we’re a livable city, lots of creative folks want to stay around to make theater here. Some stay to raise families; others want to work where they feel collaboration and creativity are more important than commercial success. Quite a few found New York City to be inspiring for a time — and regularly scout for shows there —but feel Madison is a better place to put down artistic roots.

I talked to 10 women who run theater companies in and around Madison. They collaborate and consult with each other and form a tight-knit support network. At the same time, they are active in reaching out to new people and populations. I learned about behindthe-scenes planning meetings and exciting co-productions where the strengths of one company build on another. I heard plenty of legitimate complaints about the lack of arts dollars in Wisconsin — we currently rank 48th in the nation for state arts funding.

But I heard no griping about competition for monetary resources and audience. “I think it’s important that we put out in the world that women like each other,” says Brenda DeVita, artistic director of American Players Theatre.

What emerged from all these conversations was a picture of a thriving theater ecosystem, where every company fills a niche. From intimate black box theater at TAPIT/new works and Broom Street Theater to big-ticket musicals performed at Overture and the Wisconsin Union Theater, the women running theater organizations are rooting for each other.

The following profiles are excerpts from broad-ranging conversations I had with the women responsible for bringing stories to the stage.

LAURA ZASTROW

Roseann Sheridan Artistic director, Children’s Theater of Madison I spoke to a remarkably calm Roseann Sheridan just hours before the opening of one of the biggest shows of her season, To Kill a Mockingbird.

The production in Overture’s Playhouse, which she directed, showed off CTM’s strengths: a strong multigenerational, multiracial cast and a stunning design evoking the steamy back porches of Alabama. It was prefaced by an excellent preshow talk by the African American actors in the cast.

Sheridan, who moved here from Virginia 30 years ago, has taught at UW-Madison and spent 17 years working her way up the ranks at American Players Theatre. She was hired at CTM in 2007 during a time of turmoil for the company and has been rebuilding it ever since. With Sheridan at the helm, the 50-yearold company’s annual budget has grown from $500,000 to $1.6 million.

Sheridan has seen a lot of companies come and go in Madison. Some of them, she believes, didn’t tap into what local residents want to see: “We like things that are meaty, juicy — that speak to us about the human condition and aren’t real showy and self-indulgent.”

She also credits the progressive political environment and the UW for laying the groundwork for a thriving arts culture. “This is a place where experimentation is welcome,” says Sheridan.

She says Madison’s strong history of feminism and LGBT activism helped build a foundation for strong women’s leadership. “In the ’80s, we had Fallen Women Productions and GALVANIZE marches,” says Sheridan. “That sort of percolated a lot of ideas and actions that feed into the idea that this is a place where you can connect with other people and you can come up with ideas and try things out.”

Brenda DeVita Artistic director, American Players Theatre When Brenda DeVita arrived in Spring Green 21 years ago to work as APT company manager, theatergoers used port-apotties and she worked out of a trailer. All the directors were men. But she credits former artistic director David Frank for offering her a seat at the table. “I’ve never really felt the marginalization here. There wasn’t a question about my gender.”

DeVita believes women in artistic leadership positions are making a difference for audiences and artists. “It’s our time, right? I think everything has a

RYAN WISNIEWSKI

Heather Renken Artistic director, Broom Street Theater

liberal arts college in Indianapolis, where she honed her performance skills and learned all the aspects of technical theater. When her husband’s job brought them to Madison in 2002, she volunteered to run lights on a Broom Street show titled Candyland, You Slut. “If a company’s good to their technicians, it’s probably a good place to work,” says Renken. “If they’re lousy to their technicians, it’s easy to extract yourself.”

It wasn’t long before Renken attended The Man Who Loved Sex, a show about Alfred Kinsey, written by the theater’s iconoclastic founder, Joel Gersmann. She went back five times. “ I’d never seen anything like that,” says Renken. “I was hooked.”

She loved Gersmann’s experimental, physical approach and the way he blended Eastern and Western influences.

In late 2003, she acted and danced in Gersmann’s final play, The Ballerina and the Economist.

But before he passed away in 2005, Gersmann encouraged Renken to write a play about her experiences living in the South. She wrote and directed Oh God, There’s Baptists at the Door!

When Renken took the reins from Callen Harty in 2010, the theater was still transitioning from Gersmann’s insular approach to a DIY performance hub where you can see original, local plays most weekends, classes, improv, live music and sketch comedy shows.

Many Broom Street alums have gone on to distinguished careers in television, Hollywood, Broadway and off-Broadway.

Renken says that’s because the company takes risks. “Not to say that you won’t see polished shows in our space,” says Renken. “But you might see something by a first-time writer, and you can see the seeds, see the spark of something that could be miraculous.”

pushing boundaries and presenting more modern works by diverse authors. “How do we have a stake in what is considered classic 100 years from now?” asks DeVita. “A woman in that room having that conversation is essential.”

Stories are what animate DeVita, a poetry lover who grew up on a farm in Iowa.

In college, she met and later married James DeVita, who has become one of the nation’s most respected classical actors. They moved to Spring Green in 1995, where they have raised two children, son Gale, 20, and daughter Sophia, 17.

“When I hear my daughter talk about the world, the only world she knows is one with a black president where her mom runs a theater company. It’s an incredible privilege that my mother, with 16 kids, didn’t have.”

DeVita says she plans to create an inclusive space for those who have historically been left out of the power structure for theater. “I want to invite the people and I want to learn from them, because human stories will never be done, and telling those stories from one point of view is not appropriate, not interesting anymore.”

GLENN TRUDEL

Danielle Dresden and Donna Peckett

Producing artistic directors, TAPIT/new works Anyone looking for a model of women forging their own creative path doesn’t need to look further than Danielle Dresden and Donna Peckett. Dresden (a playwright from Long Island) and Peckett (a tap dancer from Florida) met while performing in Joel Gersmann’s Houdini: The Jew from Appleton, at Broom Street Theater. They both spent years working at Broom Street before striking out on their own in 1985 to form TAPIT, which has an educational mission and produces plays with political/social commentary (and sometimes tap dancing).

The two bought a small storefront in the Schenk-Atwood neighborhood back when the neighborhood was dicey and the Barrymore was a porn theater called the Eastwood. “It was a bad neighborhood,” says Peckett. “They were showing Bodacious Ta-Tas there.”

They needed a space, primarily because “tap dancers bust up floors,” says

Dresden. Peckett needed a place to teach tap, and by living upstairs, they could afford to stage plays downstairs. Since then, Dresden has written an astonishing number of plays — 34 at last count. All are complete originals. The latest, Ben Franklin & Baron von Steuben vs. the Paine County School Board, featured Peckett and Dresden in drag as Founding Fathers.

The company has managed to stay afloat, even though grant money has slowed to a trickle under Gov. Scott Walker. “To take the Wisconsin Arts Board and cut it by 66% — this has a huge impact on people,” says Peckett.

“The arts are always dealing with scarcity,” adds Dresden, “and scarcity can lead you in two chief directions: to grab and hold onto what’s mine or to say, look, we’re all in this together and there’s not enough, so why don’t we share and support each other as much as we can?”

➡

JUNE 30–JULY 6, 2016 ISTHMUS.COM

Heather Renken has plenty to be proud of. This summer two shows (both written by women) that originated at Broom Street hit stages in the prestigious New York International Fringe Festival: Malissa Petterson’s The 800th Annual Salvation Swing-Off, about a dance-athon set in Purgatory’s Laundromat, and Held, a fantasy musical by Kelly Maxwell with music by Meghan Rose.

Incubating new voices has animated Renken, the first woman to lead the tiny theater, which has operated for most of its 47 years in a renovated garage on Willy Street.

Renken graduated with a theater degree from Butler University, a small

season, and I feel like we’ve been watching and waiting and working and learning,” says DeVita.

“We’re seeing a huge spurt in the number of women in charge, and I think that’s leading the way to the conversation about greater inclusion.”

DeVita took over the artistic reins from Frank in 2014, and her experience is particular to running a classical theater company, largely Shakespearean. “The written-down history unfortunately has been chronicled by men, and white men, and we are committed to classical work,” says DeVita. However, she adds, “Shakespeare, being a genius, wrote some of the most beautiful and incredible female roles.”

Still, she estimates the Bard wrote five male parts to every female, so APT has experimented over the years with gender-blind casting, most recently casting Cristina Panfilio and Kelsey Brennan as the twin servants in The Comedy of Errors.

In the 200-seat Touchstone Theatre, which opened in 2009, the 36-year-old company is

15

n COVER STORY

Meghan Randolph Executive director, Music Theatre of Madison

DAN MYERS

Sarah Marty

ISTHMUS.COM JUNE 30–JULY 6, 2016

Artistic director, Four Seasons Theatre

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For her senior thesis at UW’s Bolz Center for Arts Administration, Sarah Marty wrote a 75-page business plan for a nonprofit musical theater company. Eleven years later, Four Seasons Theatre has become a staple in the Madison scene — a company with an ambitious outreach program that produces lavish versions of classic musicals with full orchestras. Four Seasons’ next production is Monty Python’s SPAMALOT, Aug. 5-7 at Wisconsin Union Theater.

Marty was part of a small group that launched Four Seasons in 2005 with a clear goal to showcase local talent in big musicals.

“We feel it’s really important to highlight the talent that’s here,” says Marty, who became the company’s artistic director in 2010.

In the last decade, Marty has seen the theater scene explode. In February, while preparing a speech for the Madison Rotary Club, she counted 38 area theater companies.

“We’re all competing for the same resources.

We’re all applying for the same grants, we’re competing for actors, we’re competing for carpenters, electricians,” says Marty.

Despite this, Marty has been a part of a blossoming collaborative ethos. She spent a few years working for Forward Theater Company, and while planning a season, she likes to meet with Meghan Randolph of Music Theatre of Madison to try to avoid competing for actors or designers. “It’s really unusual,” says Marty. “Does that happen in other cities? Probably not. There’s a lot of conversation happening between companies.”

Meghan Randolph was fresh out of college when she landed a dream job on a North American tour of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s blockbuster, Cats. That was 2004-05, and even though she “hated it,” the experience helped her decide what she wanted to do with her life. She would return to Madison — where she spent most of her high school years — form a musical theater company, and pay performers.

“I was looking around [for work in the theater] after the tour, and there was literally nothing,” says Randolph “I was surprised that there wasn’t even anything that was going to pay me 50 bucks.”

In 2006, MTM staged its first performance, an outdoor showing of Hair (“a disaster, actually,” she says). Since then, the company has made its mark doing lesser-known shows, including new works and Midwest premieres. In recent years, Randolph has been experimenting with site-specific venues to great success: Arlington, a one-woman musical told from the perspective of a military wife, played at Lakeside Street Coffee House, and La Cage aux Folles

played at Five Nightclub. Randolph is now gearing up for the July 8 Madison premiere of A New Brain, a trippy semiautobiographical musical by William Finn (Falsettos and 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee), who has been diagnosed with a brain disorder.

“Doing lesser-known musicals was kind of the wagon that I hitched my star to, and it worked,” says Randolph.

“I just want to do musicals, and I want to pay people, and that’s it. And I want people to come, and I want people to like it.”

Jan Levine Thal Artistic director, Kathie Rasmussen Women’s Theatre Jan Levine Thal, founder of the Kathie Rasmussen Women’s Theatre (KRASS), knows enough about theater’s gender gap to fill several TED talks. She launched the shoestring budget theater in 2009 explicitly to address the imbalance; KRASS works only with female directors and plays written by women.

Levine Thal says she had often commiserated about the lack of opportunities with the theater’s namesake, a gifted playwright, actor and stagehand who died in 2007.

Levine Thal’s day job is managing editor of an economics journal, and she spent years as a political activist — “a foot soldier” — in the pro-choice and workers’ rights movements. “It didn’t make me happy,” says Levine Thal. “I came to the point where I wasn’t enjoying it, and I had nothing creative in my life.”

DAN MYERS

She began studying acting in Madison and then spent five years in New York, taking acting classes and bankrupting herself seeing shows. “I went

thousands of dollars into debt seeing plays,” says Levine Thal. “I was interested in stuff that was more edgy. I was interested in what people like me could do in the theater.”

A fan of Caryl Churchill, the British feminist playwright whose genre-busting plays explore sexual and power dynamics, Levine Thal hopes KRASS will provide more opportunities for women while dispelling any misconceptions that “women’s theater” is not as tough or challenging as productions written and directed by men.

KRASS recently joined the consortium of theater organizations presenting shows at the Bartell Theater, and will be focusing on producing 21stcentury playwrights. The company has secured rights to Detroit ’67, an awardwinning play set during the riots in Detroit by African American playwright Dominique Morrisseau.

MAUREEN JANSON HEINTZ

Jennifer Uphoff Gray Artistic director, Forward Theater Company If you’ve been in the audience of a Forward Theater show, you’ve seen Jen Gray.

She’s greeting patrons outside the Overture Playhouse, and she stays around to facilitate talkbacks with enthusiastic theatergoers after every performance. This audience-driven mission is key for Gray, who has been artistic director of Forward since the professional company formed after Madison Rep folded in 2009.

Born and raised in Madison, Gray went to Harvard as an undergrad and worked as a freelance director in New York for 12 years before moving back here in 2005 with two small children (she’s since had a third). “We moved here for family as well as career reasons,” says Gray. “I didn’t feel like we were contributing anything in commercial New York theater.”

Part of her enthusiasm for the art form has to do with the exciting inroads women playwrights are making. Rattling off a list of female playwrights Forward has already produced or hopes to produce, she says she was thrilled when Forward’s seventh season was taking shape and the strongest contenders were written by women.

Two of Forward’s recent plays, The Flick and Mr. Burns, took nontraditional approaches, but Gray says she thinks the Madison audience is ready for challenging material. “We’re in dialogue with the audience,” says Gray. “We really listen to them, and they’ll tell us. Are we out on a limb or are we dangling?”

Gray says she’s excited to direct Forward’s first commission, an adaptation

by APT veteran Jim DeVita of Learning to Stay, a novel by Madisonian Erin Celello, about an Iraq War veteran who returns home to Madison with PTSD.

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In the future, she wants to bring the approach to more young people. “I think it’s cool for young people to see how music and dance and visuals can tell a story,” says Lanius. “I want it to be something you haven’t seen. Something like when you go to a sports game or a rock concert and the music hits you, and everything kind of adds up to be this experience.” ■

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Jessica Lanius is driven to collaborate. “I am fed by connecting with other people,” says Lanius, who co-founded Theatre LILA in New York in 2004 and moved it to Madison in 2014. “That’s everything; that’s my drug.”

Lanius is getting her fix. She choreographed An Ideal Husband, which just opened at APT. Last year, she helped created a breathtaking, kinesthetic steampunk version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream at CTM. And in just a few short years since bringing LILA here, she has directed material that put the company on the map — No Child, Suitcase Dreams and Trash — all critically acclaimed original shows featuring diverse actors embodying Lanius’ “physical theater” approach.

The Prairie du Sac native spent her undergrad years at UW-Stevens Point and moved to New York after getting an acting MFA from Rutgers. She brings together multimedia elements, music and dance in collage-like forms called “inventions” rather than plays. “I was constantly dancing and looking at ways to merge dance and theater,” says Lanius.

Lanius says bringing her training and approach back to the Madison area has

17

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Payton (right) plays Mabel Chiltern opposite Lord Goring (Marcus Truschinski) in An Ideal Husband.

The apprentice Jade Payton learns the ropes at American Players Theatre

BY CRAIG JOHNSON ■ PHOTO BY LIZ LAUREN

scene, but it’s an intense one. Her third role, Mabel Chiltern in An Ideal Husband, is an unusually large role for an apprentice, both in lines and in importance.

Brenda DeVita, APT’s artistic director, first noticed Payton on a scouting mission to the Utah Shakespeare Festival last summer. The young actor looked like she had the potential to play the wide variety of roles required for the company’s broad classical repertoire.

“We spend as much time vetting apprentices as we do principal actors,” says casting director Carey Cannon. After passing the initial audition and submitting a callback tape, Payton was added to a list of 500 actors that had to be whittled down to five. There were months of interviews with actors and references.

“We interview everyone all the way back to their second grade teachers,” says APT’s director of communication, Sara Young.

Cannon adds, “That’s not a joke. Once someone gave their second grade teacher as a reference, and we did call her.”

It was quickly evident to DeVita and Cannon that Payton had not only talent, range and charisma, but intelligence, maturity and a passion for language and theater. A very strong candidate, but there was still more vetting to do.

Even if an actor seems like a perfect fit, the casting director has to be sure that the actors understand what they are getting themselves into. Of course, all actors want paying work in a prestigious theater, but APT has distinct demands. “Half the process,” says Cannon, “is to convince them not to come.”

She doesn’t want an actor to regret passing up an opportunity in a big city only to suffer culture shock in a southwestern Wisconsin farming community.

But that didn’t scare Payton. She chose APT over an option in Los Angeles.

And she wasn’t concerned about the company’s relative obscurity. “Civilians back home haven’t heard of this theater,” says Payton, “but when I talk to my peers they say, ‘I would love to work there.’ I hear that over and over again.”

The apprenticeship program dates to 1980, APT’s first season. Founders Randall Duk Kim, Anne Occhiogrosso and Charles Bright saw their company not just as a way to bring classical theater to the masses in an outdoor setting, but as a training ground for a select group of young actors. The apprenticeship program was meant to serve as a bridge between the academic and professional worlds of theater, offering instruction in the classroom and on stage.

As part of the apprenticeship program, APT provides four series of classes tailored to the needs of these young actors, to help them better communicate Shakespeare’s dense poetic text to an audience. The classes also provide movement and vocal training so actors can meet the challenge of performing in the hilltop amphitheater.

“It’s a complicated house to be great in,” says Cannon. Someone can show promise

CONTINUE D ON PAGE 2 8

➡

JUNE 30–JULY 6, 2016 ISTHMUS.COM

Jade Payton prefers “sword collector” to “spear carrier.” Whatever the term, that’s what she’ll be doing as an apprentice actor in this season’s production of King Lear at American Players Theatre.

But Payton, 23, doesn’t mind picking up after the leads. Becoming an apprentice at APT is a coveted opportunity for aspiring actors, and she competed hard to land the gig. It will look great on her resume. The 36-year-old company has established a national reputation; the theater critic for the Wall Street Journal crowned APT “the finest classical repertory company in the U.S.” Traditionally, APT’s apprentices appear in non-speaking roles and portray minor characters with names one might half remember from college lit classes: Fortinbras in Hamlet, Balthasar in Romeo and Juliet, Margaret in Much Ado About Nothing. In Death of a Salesman, Payton plays Letta, who shares an awkward dinner with the Loman men. It’s only one

19

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Head for the hills Lupe’s Taqueria brings casual Mexican fare to Middleton

BY CANDICE WAGENER

There’s a new restaurant epicenter in Middleton: It’s at Middleton Hills.

The walkable New Urbanist development had long made do with a Starbucks and the Prairie Cafe and Bakery. Then Craftsman Table and Tap opened, and a Menchie’s frozen yogurt shop. More recently, Pizza Brutta opened a location on Frank Lloyd Wright Avenue.

And now Lupe’s Taqueria has taken over the long-vacant space once occupied by the Bean Sprouts Cafe and more recently Palmyra, a Mediterranean restaurant. There are a few sidewalk tables; inside, it’s livened by colorful paintings of Mexican wrestling masks.

Lupe’s serves fresh Mexican food in a small space, only about 10 tables total. Everything is made to order at the counter, as at a Chipotle or Qdoba. A first visit can feel a little overwhelming, because there are quite a few options.

Many Mexican and Mexican-American standards are available — tacos, burritos, tostadas and nachos. Choose your meat, veggies, rice and sauce. The guacamole was outstanding, as was the salsa roja, but be prepared for some heat and a thinner, more authentic consistency compared to chunkier Americanized versions.

I liked my tostada, a flat corn tortilla fried crisp and topped with shredded roast pork, pinto beans, Cotija cheese, guacamole, pico de gallo and jalapeños. The flavors were good, and the jalapeños were hot, although I was surprised they came out of a jar, since Lupe’s bills itself as a “fresh Mexican grill.” The pico de gallo was definitely fresh, though, and added a nice complement of tomatoes, onions and cilantro. The tacos, prepared similarly, are also a good bet. Order a few of either the tostadas or the tacos to make a meal. And try the beef, a delicious nod to carne asada, diced on the large side.

The shredded chicken is also quite good, but my favorite protein is undoubtedly the

RYAN WISNIEWSKI

Generously stuffed tortas are a great choice.

picadillo, a mixture of ground pork and ground beef. I had that on a torta, the Mexican sandwich served on a thick round bun. Stuffed with pinto beans, cheese, lettuce, jalapeños, mayonnaise and sour cream, this was my favorite dish of all.

Mozzarella is the other cheese available in addition to Cotija. It seems like an odd choice for a Mexican restaurant, when there are more flavorful choices like Chihuahua cheese or queso fresco.

On more than one visit, Lupe’s has run out of ingredients posted on the permanent menu.

My dining companion ordered chorizo on his nachos, only to be told there was only one small scoop of meat left. (The server offered to add in some other meat.) The serving was very small, especially considering the price — over $7. On a second trip, it was a larger serving, but still not enough to justify the price.

There was another setback with dessert.

On one visit, Lupe’s had sold out of both the tres leches cake and the ChocoFlan, its two options. It was near closing time, and I figured that was bound to happen. However, on a second visit at lunchtime, the kitchen was again out of the ChocoFlan. I did manage to score a piece of tres leches. The moist yellow cake came with vanilla frosting and was surrounded by sweet strawberries.

I liked it, but it did not make up for the fact that I really wanted that ChocoFlan.

Overall, Lupe’s is a welcome addition to the Middleton restaurant scene and a good spot for casual Mexican food.

It always seems to be busy. With a few tweaks, it could go from good to great. I hope this location has finally found the business that will last. ■

LUPE’S TAQUERIA ■ 6719 Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd., Middleton ■ 608-841-1715 ■ facebook.com/Lupes-Taqueria-1136551316395497 11 am-8 pm Mon.-Sat., 11 am-7 pm Sun. ■ $1-$8

ISTHMUS.COM JUNE 30–JULY 6, 2016

Three to try

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Bacon enoki mushroom skewer Ramen Station, 1124 S. Park St.

This izakaya-style skewer of chewy enoki mushrooms wrapped in crisped bacon is salty, but it’s perfect for licking off your fingers.

Hangover Mac MACS Macaroni and Cheese Shop, 2804 Prairie Lakes Dr., Sun Prairie

With three cheeses, hot dog slices, green pepper, onions, mushrooms, hashbrowns and sriracha, the bacon in this macaroni and cheese casserole is in danger of being overshadowed. But it is better with the bacon!

Heritage maple bacon on a stick Hamilton’s on the Square, 101 N. Hamilton St.

On the late-night menu, check out the grilled maple bacon. Starring pork from Dan Fox — a salty, lightly sweet bacon — try it with the spiced peanuts (with brown sugar, a little chile de árbol and a lot of salt).

Coming Soon to Robinia Courtyard Sunday

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n FOOD & DRINK

Gaining a taphold Three out-of-state breweries enter the Wisconsin market

BY ROBIN SHEPARD

In the past several weeks, a number of out-of-state brewers have set their sights on southern Wisconsin. California-based Stone Brewing announced it was returning to Wisconsin this month after nearly a five-year absence. Stone is well-known for its hoppy IPAs, along with bold porters, assertive stouts and special releases.

Short’s Brewing Company of Michigan has also stepped into Wisconsin with a summer launch of its beers. Like Stone, Short’s has an eclectic portfolio with dozens of different brews. Among its core brands are Huma Lupa Licious, Bellaire Brown, Local’s light lager and Space Rock American pale ale.

Iowa’s Toppling Goliath recently entered into an agreement with Wisconsin Brewing

TODD HUBLER

Rum is the word

The Hotel Nacional is pure summer.

ers, suspend your self-imposed ageism and try one. The bartenders are also laid-back, and I’m sure they won’t mind if you sip it.

After your shooter, you’ll still be thirsty for the regular cocktail menu. The drinks are simple and straightforward, but a nice step up in flavor from the daiquiris. I started with an Airmail, a graceful flute of Don Q Añejo rum, lime, honey and champagne.

Not in the mood for bubbly and sweet? I also enjoyed the Hotel Nacional, a scrumptious blend of Don Q Cristal rum, lime juice and pineapple-apricot syrup, served up in a rocks glass. The rum was velvety, and the apricot was pure summer.

Celebrate 30 years of craft beers from Summit Brewing Company of St. Paul. Grab some free swag and $3.30 brews.

Tap list includes 30th Anniversary IIPA, 30th Anniversary Keller Pils, Unchained #22 Ginger Cream Ale, Oatmeal Stout, Sága IPA and more.

At Dexter’s Pub, 301 North St., 5:30-7:30 p.m.

BYOB food tour Saturday, July 2

LAURA ZASTROW

ISTHMUS.COM JUNE 30–JULY 6, 2016

Hopsmith Imperial IPA from Potosi

22

two-row and Munich malts, with a touch of flaked barley for body and head retention.

It’s one of the most solid IIPAs around.

Its blend of hops gives it herbal, earthy, piney and citrus notes, yet the balance with the malt lends enough depth and a spicy complexity to make it interesting. Serve Hopsmith cold (at less than 40 degrees) if you want to bring out its hoppiness.

Potosi made only one 60-barrel batch this summer, so it may not be around long.

Hopsmith finishes at 9.1% ABV. It’s sold in four-packs of 16-ounce cans for around $9.

— ROBIN SHEPARD

Summit Brewing Company Tap Takeover Thursday, June 30

— ERIN CLUNE

Hop on hops IPAs and IIPAs are among the most preferred beer styles these days, and many hop-centric brews seem to be in a race to out-bitter each other. I’m more reserved in what I like in a hoppy beer — I look for something solidly hopped with a bit of malt sweetness for balance. Among the best of the current crop is Potosi’s Hopsmith. It is the hoppiest beer in Potosi’s portfolio with an estimated 83 IBUs. It has a potpourri of hops that includes Millennium, New Port and Zythos (which is itself a blend of hops), with Mosaic added in at dry hopping. It also has a rich malty backbone of brewer’s

“Wisconsinites tend to like their own beer,” says Garthwaite. Moreover, “the farther you get from your brewery, the more it takes in investment, time and marketing.”

These latest breweries to venture into Wisconsin are sought out by drinkers looking for beers with assertive flavors, strength and overall distinctive character. Toppling Goliath in particular enjoys something like cult status among the hoppy beer crowd for its Pseudosue (American pale ale), Golden Nugget (IPA) and its hop patrol series that includes ZeeLander (IPA) and King Sue (IIPA).

And Stone Brewing’s signature American strong ale, Bourbon Barrel-Aged Arrogant Bastard, is a beer most drinkers will remember for its concerted assault on the taste buds. n

Eats events

Laid-back cocktails at Lucille Lucille, 101 King St., has a pledge to serve “laid-back” drinks. The drinks menu at the new pizzeria and lounge from the team that also runs Merchant features plenty of tequila, but the “laid-back” part is mostly realized through rum. Step into the new eatery and you’ve basically entered an everlasting summer of smooth, aged-rum cocktails, icy fresh pitchers of rum punch and a rotating menu of daiquiri shooters.

The shooters are a great idea. For three bucks, you basically get a mini-cocktail of lime, sugar and a featured daily rum. The day I stopped in, they were shooting Hamilton Jamaican, a pot still rum with a hefty fruit aroma. If you think you’re too old for shoot-

Company of Verona to make its Dorothy’s New World Lager. “We felt the best way to expand our distribution into Wisconsin was to brew in Wisconsin,” says Toppling Goliath owner Clark Lewey.

There’s always out-of-state interest in Wisconsin as a beer market. But it’s not easy to gain a foothold here. While the demand for craft beer in the state is strong, the market is very competitive.

So seeing three breweries make a simultaneous foray into the state really gets folks talking, says Mark Garthwaite, executive director of the Wisconsin Brewers Guild. None of these breweries or their portfolios are entirely new to the state. They’ve been testing the waters, flirting with Wisconsin drinkers through attendance at festivals and limited tap events for years as they look for a thirsty audience.

The second “B” is for “bike.”

See the city on a cycle with this Madison Eats bring-your-ownbike food tour. Offerings include African, Tex-Mex and Persian cuisine as well as homemade deli meats and artisan chocolate.

Tour runs 1-5 pm. Tickets ($69) available at madisoneats.net.

Burgers and Bluegrass Thursday, July 7

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Dairy State I do’s Elaborate cakes made of cheese are accompanying more nuptials

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Ashley and Jeff Burger love each other. And they love cheese.

So when they started considering cakes for their wedding last November, she remembered a joke a friend once made.

“She said she wanted to have a cake of cheese at her wedding so that her dad or someone else would say, ‘Okay, everyone, the bride and groom will now cut the cheese,’” Burger says. “I thought that was hysterical. Then I saw that people actually were doing cakes made out of cheese.”

It’s no joke that more couples are opting for cakes made of cheese at their weddings, with wheels that stack nicely and take on any decorations that couples, caterers or florists might choose.

“It’s actually become a nice business for us,” Fromagination owner Ken Monteleone says. “It seems to be catching on.”

Fromagination got into the cake business last year after Monteleone noticed that cheese shops in England were doing it. The British Cheese Board says shops there started using cheese for cake tiers in 2004, and it turned into a full-blown trend two years later.

“The more I started to see how the different shapes take on the look of cake, I thought it was something we should be doing,” Monteleone says. “A lot of people serve cheese at their weddings in Wisconsin, so why not do it in an unconventional way?”

Carr Valley Cheese of LaValle also is in the cake business. The company offers suggestions for “Celebration Cakes” and their care on its website.

Most times the cheese doesn’t replace the traditional wedding cake, but is something guests nibble with drinks before the wedding meal. Ashley Burger said neither she nor her husband have much of a sweet tooth, so they didn’t see the value in splurging on a fancy wedding cake. A cake of cheese, though, seemed a perfect solution for their wedding, which was held last November at the Barn at Harvest Moon Pond in Poynette.

“People loved it,” she says. “It was original, it was Wisconsin. We had old fashioneds and we had cheese, so it was kind of a theme.”

The Burgers’ cake was made primarily of Wisconsin cheeses. The base was a wheel of Roth’s Grand Cru, followed by wheels of Uplands Cheese Company’s Pleasant Ridge Reserve, Roth’s Van Gogh gouda and Roth’s GranQueso, topped by two soft cheeses: Humboldt Fog by Cypress Grove in California and La Clare Farms’ Martone.

Fromagination features pre-designed cakes that range from $65 to $550. But the shop also will make custom cakes, inviting couples to sample what they might want as layers. In addition, Fromagination can pro-

TODD MAUGHAN

Rounds of specialty cheeses make for a playful take on traditional wedding cakes.

vide a cheesemonger on site for $45 an hour to prepare and talk about the cheese.

There’s also the option to have the entire cake there for show, and to take the same cheeses and plate them ahead of time.

That’s what the Burgers did, and 125 guests were served a plate with slices of cheese along with grapes the couple bought themselves. The bill for the cake, the cheesemonger, delivery and decoration was $470.

Some of the large cakes of cheese serve hundreds, but customers can scale down, too. An economical choice, Monteleone says, might be a base of brie-like Moses Sleeper from Jasper Hill Farm in Vermont, topped by Little Lucy brie from Redhead Creamery in Minnesota, topped by Landmark Creamery’s Petit Nuage.

“That would probably set you back $50 and serve quite a few people,” he says.

The cakes don’t require a specialty cheese shop or a cheesemonger to be present, though a little guidance can’t hurt. Fromagination has shipped cakes as far as New York, and includes directions on how to care for the cheese.

“We don’t want them to collapse,” Monteleone says. “We don’t build them with braces in between. If it’s an outdoor wedding and the cake sits out for several hours, it’s going to start melting.” ■

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Verona’s Beata Nelson has qualified for six Olympic events.

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This week, 48 swimmers from Wisconsin are among the 1,740 swimmers competing in the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Omaha, Neb. Many of them — including future Badger freshman Beata Nelson, who won 12 WIAA Division 1 state titles during her high school career for Verona/Mount Horeb — are current or former swimmers for age-group clubs from the Madison area and/ or the University of Wisconsin.

“A lot of kids here grew up around the pool in the All-City Swim & Dive League and then joined a club team,” Ivy Martin, one of Madison’s most decorated swimmers, told me last week, two days before she left for Omaha. “There are a lot of opportunities in the Madison area, and there are a lot of especially talented swimmers here.”

This is Martin’s second Olympic trials; she finished 35th in the 50-meter freestyle in 2012. “This year, my goal is to make the Olympics,” she says. Martin, 22, got off to a strong start on June 26, the first day of

competition, with a personal-best time of 59.39 seconds in the 100-meter butterfly, good for 13th place overall. She’ll swim in the 100-meter freestyle prelims Thursday and the 50-meter prelims Saturday.

Even though her mindset is to approach the weeklong trials “as just another swim meet,” Martin knows the lives of 47 swimmers will change forever this week. To qualify for the Olympics in Rio, which begin Aug. 5, a swimmer must place in the top two in one of 13 individual events. To be considered for the 4x100-meter and 4x200-meter freestyle relays, swimmers must place among the top six in the 100- and 200-meter freestyle events.

Beata Nelson qualified for six events at the trials. She finished way out of contention in the 100-meter butterfly (1:03.60) but was scheduled to swim almost every day this week.

More than 200,000 fans will pack the sold-out CenturyLink Center through July 3, adding credence to USA Swimming assistant executive director Mike Unger’s claim that “we’re in a golden age of U.S. swimming.” ■

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27

n STAGE

Underworld fantasia The Orpheus myth is given new life in Eurydice

BY GWENDOLYN RICE

“Don’t look back.”

This is the instruction that Orpheus is given before he tries to lead his love, Eurydice, from the underworld to the land of the living. It is also the only way the characters in Sarah Ruhl’s interpretation of the Orpheus myth, Eurydice, can bear to survive — by not looking back on the past.

This story explodes in a stunning fantasia directed by Tyne Rafaeli in American Players Theatre’s indoor Touchstone Theatre — a hyper-theatrical exploration of love and loss with music so sad it makes stones cry.

Written shortly after the playwright lost her father, the play tells the disjointed and poignant story of Eurydice (Kelsey Brennan), a young woman in love with the musician Orpheus (Nate Burger). They wed while her deceased father (James Ridge) watches from the underworld. Tricked by A Nasty Interesting Man (Cedric Mays) to leave her wedding reception, Eurydice falls to her death and is greeted by her father in the afterlife. Although the Stones (Melisa Pereyra, Christopher Sheard and Cage Sebastian Pierre) chide the two, father and daughter fight to remember their previous lives.

Meanwhile, Orpheus pines for his lost love, almost rescuing her from oblivion.

As Eurydice, Brennan (with shocking red hair) leads the audience on her bizarre journey with keen intensity and raw emotion. Burger, as Orpheus, brilliantly occupies extremes — from giddy first moments of true love to depths of sorrow. As the father who nurtures and loves his daughter beyond measure — and cannot bear the pain of losing her — Ridge turns in one of the most affecting and complex performances of his career. Mays makes the most of his cartoonish characters (with the help of special vocal effects), while the comic and menacing Stones enforce the rules of a peculiar eternity.

Lighting designer Jason Fassl lets his imagination run wild, creating rooms and staircases of brilliant light and projecting a watery kaleidoscope onto the back wall. Josh Schmidt’s evocative soundscape uses snippets of familiar songs, the sounds of crashing waves, heavy breathing and soothing ambient music that is suddenly silenced.

Elizabeth Caitlin Ward’s costumes bring the ancient myth into a stylized future, placing Eurydice in spiked black boots and an asymmetrical wedding gown, the Stones in an amusing gray ensemble of rubber boots and raincoats

Endless love: Eurydice (Kelsey Brennan) and Orpheus (Nate Burger).

LIZ LAUREN

and Orpheus in black and red leather. Meanwhile, Eurydice’s father looks so wholesome in his simple shirt and suspenders that he might have wandered off the set of Our Town.

Nathan Stuber’s multi-level set is nothing short of brilliant; he uses surprising, abstract materials to create familiar spaces.

A meditation on love, loss and the mix of pain and comfort that memory can provide, Eurydice is one of the most exciting and inventive productions APT has ever mounted. It is also an exercise in heartbreak that is as disquieting for the audience as it is for the characters. n

Jade Payton

ISTHMUS.COM JUNE 30–JULY 6, 2016

continued from 19

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in a rehearsal space, but acting in front of 1,100 audience members with roaring planes and cooing whip-poor-wills can drown out an actor’s best lines — in the case of the apprentices, maybe their only lines.

Payton says it’s not easy. “How do you send your voice to the back of the house and honestly connect with the person next to you and swat a mosquito and sweat through your stockings and stay in the moment and make it all look easy?” But that’s what the training is all about — teaching actors like Payton to be grandly nuanced.

Some of the biggest lessons come from working directly with professionals. Cannon says what distinguishes the apprenticeship from a more mundane-sounding “internship” is that APT’s apprentices are “working alongside later-career actors...just as in the guild days.” It’s the way actors who first gave voice to Shakespeare 400-plus years ago learned to act. Whether it is a class taught by APT mainstay James DeVita or getting a few moments on stage with other lifers, it all adds to the learning process.

After years of playing leads in local and college productions, the apprentices are mostly out of the spotlight at APT, but Payton does not view it as a demotion. “I think a small role here is comparable to having a large role in school,” she says. “I’m finding my footing with my own process. Being able to do that with a smaller role and not a larger

Payton was chosen from a field of 500.

one is a real blessing. You get to use your responsibility without risk of ruining the play.”

Someday she may play Goneril or Regan in King Lear, but for now, Payton and her fellow apprentices are merely their servants, soldiers and subjects. They relearn the thousand little things an actor must do to avoid stealing focus, while still being an active part of the scene. They get to observe up close, absorbing how some of the nation’s finest actors approach their work. The rain falls upon them all equally. The mosquitoes don’t play favorites — both Lear and Guard No. 2 are potential victims.

The guards know, though, that the king was once like them. Back in APT’s first season, 36 years ago, Jonathan Smoots served as an apprentice, standing quietly behind other giants, and now he’s starring as old Lear himself. n

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live gigs, which included a trip last month to the final round of the Summerfest Showdown.

Madison has remained a source of influence and inspiration for 3rd Dimension, though some members have felt the urge to leave the area for greener pastures. They say they’ve been discouraged by what seems to be a reluctance among club owners to book local hip-hop acts.

But Wesley says they want to continue working here to help create “a better situation” for these artists. “There is a lot of fan potential out there in this city,” he says. And in the wake of successful recent tour stops by marquee rappers like Future and Fetty Wap, Golden says the group hopes opportunities will trickle down to local hip-hop acts.

For now, they’ve focused their attention on producing as much material as possible (a new project is due later this summer) and remain optimistic that years of persistence will pay off.

“We understand that music is very saturated, and there’s a lot of people who have this dream,” Davis says. “But we believe in ourselves, and we know we’re on the right path.” ■

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In a genre largely consisting of solo acts competing for the spotlight, Madison hiphop group 3rd Dimension defines itself by its strong relationships and collaborations.

Armani “Probz” Davis, James “Spaz” Golden and Lateef “Reeks” Cameron are childhood friends who started dabbling in music and rapping while students at James C. Wright Middle School in the mid-2000s.

By high school the three were already paying for studio sessions. They officially formed under the 3rd Dimension name in 2010, adding Jacques “Half Breed” Wesley when he moved from Milwaukee to attend UWMadison. Nick “Burn” Sampson joined as a producer after hearing their 2012 mixtape, Enough Isn’t Enough. The group will be at the High Noon Saloon on July 1.

3rd Dimension looks back on Sampson’s addition and their subsequent project, University Ave., as a creative milestone and turning point. The project eschewed samples and pre-made beats in favor of “all original work, all original hooks, everything from scratch.”

That sound, often deliberately sparse but dense in lyrical material, allows each member’s style to stand out without disrupting the flow of a song. This approach is reflected equally in brazen, crowd-rousing new songs like “Trippin Off” and “Oh Yea” — featured during a June 11 performance at the Memorial Union Terrace — and downtempo, introspective love songs like those found on Just Lust, an EP released on Valentine’s Day. “Because we’ve been working together for so long, one person’s strengths have now become another person’s strengths because we’ve built off of each other,” says Sampson.

Their latest full-length work, Things Have Changed, released last November by Brooklynbased streetwear company and record label Mishka NYC, was recorded at Wesley and Cameron’s home in Madison, but the group ventured to Chicago studio Music Garage for mixing sessions with recording artist Mick Jenkins and rapper-producer Supa Bwe. Lead single “Chosen” has 26,000 plays on Soundcloud, and the group has capitalized on a growing fan base since the project’s release by performing multiple shows in Chicago and Milwaukee.

“We get to sharpen up and make our chemistry stronger onstage,” Davis says of the recent

29

n SCREENS

Righteous ramble

The Treasure of the Sierra Madre screens on July 7 at 7 p.m.

Free State of Jones makes a mess of a good story

Critical eye Cinematheque and David Bordwell spotlight four influential writers

PRESENTS

^^^

UW Cinematheque, known for highlighting great films, is about to also shine a light on great writing. Programmers have designed a four-film series around retired UW film professor David Bordwell’s new book, The Rhapsodes: How 1940s Critics Changed American Film Culture. The screenings — to be held Thursday evenings in July — and book focus on four early critics, Otis Ferguson, James Agee, Manny Farber and Parker Tyler, whose dynamic and groundbreaking prose shaped decades of film criticism.

Jim Healy, Cinematheque’s director of programming, calls Bordwell’s book a standout even among his large canon of existing work. “What I think it does different from his other books is it really celebrates writing,�

Healy says. “[Bordwell] does it by appreciating and sampling each of these four different stylists and how they wrote about film. What comes through is his own joy of reading these guys and sharing their work.�

Healy says he and Bordwell collaborated to choose four exceptional films that will accompany a review or piece of prose written by one of the four critics. The opening film, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, is one of the more familiar selections. But the series will also screen lesser-known films, including Counter-Attack, which Healy learned of through Bordwell’s introduction. “It’s a real discovery. A remarkable film,� Healy says. “It’s a very intense picture with suspense and action. It deserves to be more widely seen and known.�

Bordwell will give a 45-minute mini-lecture before the first film, but plans to attend each screening. “Each of these critics were very

schedule

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W/ THE PEOPLE BROTHERS BAND

7/14

positive about the potential of film,� says Bordwell. “They thought film was a very important art form, so when they saw something they thought was valuable, they would boost it.� He points out that each critic was a “swashbuckler� in his own right, wielding unique prose that helped to craft and shape a fledgling film industry. “One of the things that attracted me to them is that they are all such amazing writers,� Bordwell says. “They are doing things with language that are very much part of the American tradition, just like Herman Melville, Emily Dickinson or Mark Twain. There are lessons here for how to write to grab the reader.�

Bordwell’s talk will accompany The Treasure of the Sierra Madre on July 7 at 7 p.m.

For more information about the series, visit cinema.wisc.edu. n

ISTHMUS.COM JUNE 30–JULY 6, 2016

30

6−9 pm

all shows $5

East Side Club • 3735 Monona Drive • Tiki Bar

rotating food carts!

7/28

bad bad hats (MN) W/ TBA

8/11

los colognes (TN) 8/25

valley queen (CA)

Matthew McConaughey plays a former Confederate soldier.

Paoli is a small historic river town located just 9 miles SW of Madison.

It’s filled with shops, galleries, and great places to eat.

W/ OH MY LOVE

W/ WRENCLAW

For more details, visit: LakesideMadison.com

— SCOTT RENSHAW

myzica (TN)

LIVE MUSIC THURSDAYS!

Fascinating historical footnotes can make for an interesting movie, provided the filmmaker isn’t determined to expand a footnote to David Foster Wallace-esque proportions. In Free State of Jones, co-writer and director Gary Ross takes on the Civil Warera true story of Newton Knight (Matthew McConaughey), a farmer in Jones County, Miss., who comes to lead a rag-tag group of army deserters, irate fellow farmers and escaped slaves in a guerrilla battle against the Confederacy.

Ross does an effective job of setting up his conflict as an uprising against the Southern one-percenters. But though the Civil War ends in 1865, this story follows Knight for another 10 years, and even introduces a court case some 80 years later involving one of Knight’s descendants. McConaughey’s Knight remains — despite his decidedly unique personal relationships — a figure with little to define him besides his righteousness. The intent may be to show the rightside-of-history consequences of fighting for seemingly lost causes, but the result is a film that rambles on, assuming that everything that happened to this man was equally worth putting in a movie.

JOIN US FOR

Summer Music Along

the Sugar River

THIRD WEEKEND IN JULY

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LOCATION TBA

HOME GARDEN TOUR

The film list

FEATURING GARDENS OF NAKOMA AND ARBOR HILLS

New releases The BFG: Steven Spielberg adaptation of Roald Dahl’s “big friendly giant.”

The Legend of Tarzan: Alexander Skarsgård stars as the jungle lord.

Our Kind of Traitor: People involved with a Russian royal’s defection plans get stuck between the Russian Mafia and British Secret Service.

The Purge: Election Year: In this sequel, powerful Purge fans decide to eliminate a presidential front-runner who has vowed to end the ritual.

Swiss Army Man: A corpse with seemingly supernatural abilities (Daniel Radcliffe) helps a man stranded on a deserted island (Paul Dano).

Recent releases

JULY 8, 10AM-4PM t JULY 9, 9AM-3PM

Dark Horse: In this enormously heartfelt documentary, the residents of an economically depressed Welsh mining village pool their financial resources to buy and train a racehorse, fittingly named Dream Alliance.

TICKET INFORMATION AT OLBRICH.ORG

Independence Day: Resurgence: This sequel to the 1996 popcorn blockbuster is everything you were probably expecting and less. The aliens return, this time in a 3,000-mile-wide mothership that has its own gravitational field, but various other plot lines converge and collide to little emotional affect, rendering the original film slightly less of a guilty pleasure.

Sundance Rooftop Bar NOW OPEN!

The Neon Demon: An aspiring model runs afoul of some women who’ll do anything to steal her youth.

The Shallows: Blake Lively plays Nancy, an American medical student whose grief has taken her to a secluded Mexican beach, where a shark encounter leaves her injured and stranded on a rock 200 seemingly infinite yards from shore. A stripped-down survival story mixed with a little 21st-century technology adds up to one hell of a snappy suspense story.

Full Bar • Snacks Events

Fri & Sat: 4 to 11pm Sun: Noon to Sundown

More film events The Time of Their Lives: Cross-talking chums pull ghostly pranks in a Revolutionary War mansion; one of the few Abbott and Costello movies contemporary critics liked. Cinematheque, July 1, 7 pm.

American Graffiti: It’s the end of summer literally and metaphorically for graduated high school buddies in 1962 Los Angeles; a tremendously entertaining classic from writer/director George Lucas. Memorial Union Terrace, July 4, 9 pm.

Rocky: A small-time boxer from working-class Philadelphia is arbitrarily chosen to take on the reigning world heavyweight champion.

Edgewater Plaza, July 5, 8:30 pm.

STARTS FRIDAY SWISS ARMY MAN

CC & DESCRIPTIVE NARRATION

Fri: (1:40, 4:25), 7:05, 9:20; Sat & Sun: (11:20 AM, 1:40, 4:25), 7:05, 9:20; Mon to Thu: (1:40, 4:25), 7:05, 9:20

OUR KIND OF TRAITOR FREE STATE OF JONES

CC & DESCRIPTIVE NARRATION

CC & DESCRIPTIVE NARRATION

Fri & Sat: (1:15, 4:05), 6:55, 9:45; Sun to Wed: (1:15, 4:05), 6:55, 9:05; Thu: (1:15, 4:05), 6:55

FINDING DORY

CC & DESCRIPTIVE NARRATION

Fri: (1:45, 4:15), 6:50, 9:10; Sat & Sun: (11:15 AM, 1:45, 4:15), 6:50, 9:10; Mon to Thu: (1:45, 4:15), 6:50, 9:10

DARK HORSE

CC & DESCRIPTIVE NARRATION

Moderato Cantabile (aka Seven Days...Seven Nights): Witnesses to a crime of passion (JeanPaul Belmondo, Jeanne Moreau) have their own stormy romance. Cinematheque, July 6, 7 pm.

THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS NARRATION Thu: 7:00 PM

CC & DESCRIPTIVE NARRATION

Fri: 9:05 PM; Sat: (11:05 AM), 9:05; Sun: (11:05 AM, 4:30); Mon to Thu: (4:30 PM)

INDEPENDENCE DAY: RESURGENCE NO PASSES - CC & DESCRIPTIVE NARRATION Fri: (1:35, 4:10), 6:45, 9:15; Sat & Sun: (11:00 AM, 1:35, 4:10), 6:45, 9:15; Mon to Thu: (1:35, 4:10), 6:45, 9:15

NO PASSES - CC & DESCRIPTIVE

Amenity Fees Vary With Schedule - ( ) = Mats. www.sundancecinemas.com/choose LOCATED AT HILLDALE MALL 608.316.6900 www.sundancecinemas.com Gift Cards Available at Box Office

Showtimes subject to change. Visit website to confirm Closed captioning and descriptive narrative available for select films

Showtimes for July 1 - July 7

Central Intelligence The Conjuring 2

Money Monster The Nice Guys Now You See Me 2

Eye in the Sky

The Peanuts Movie

Finding Dory

X-Men: Apocalypse

Maggie’s Plan

Zootopia

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What’s happening this weekend

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JUNE 30–JULY 6, 2016 ISTHMUS.COM

Not2Bad: Mountain biking film; ticket sales benefit Capital Off-Road Pathfinders. Barrymore Theatre, July 7, 7:30 pm.

Captain America: Civil War

fair trade • handmade • nonprofit

Fri: (1:25), 4:30, 7:10; Sat: (11:25 AM, 1:25), 4:30, 7:10; Sun: (11:25 AM, 1:25), 7:10; Mon to Wed: (1:25), 7:10; Thu: (1:25), 9:05

MAGGIE’S PLAN

Also in theaters

2701 Monroe Street • 224 State Street madisonstore@serrv.org

Fri: (1:30, 4:20), 7:00, 9:25; Sat & Sun: (11:10 AM, 1:30, 4:20), 7:00, 9:25; Mon to Thu: (1:30, 4:20), 7:00, 9:25

The Birds: Alfred Hitchcock’s chilling 1963 tale of apocalypse-by-bird is as technically amazing as anything he ever did. Robinia Courtyard, July 5, 9 pm.

The Treasure of the Sierra Madre: B. Traven’s powerful study of greed and moral disintegration among a trio of prospectors in the mountains of Mexico, brilliantly adapted by director John Huston and with great performances by Huston’s father Walter and friend Humphrey Bogart.

Cinematheque, July 7, 7 pm.

Wedding Gifts

31

Steve Miller Band Friday, July 1, Breese Stevens Field, 6:30 pm The man who made Milwaukee famous with classic songs like “The Joker” and “Space Cowboy” kicks off the historic soccer field’s concert season, fresh off of an induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in April. Though he accepted the honor, Miller also slammed the museum for mistreating its artists and urged them to vote in more women.

Opening support comes from the blues harmonica of Charlie Musselwhite and the Latin-infused pop-jazz of local hero Leo Sidran.

picks thu june 30 MU S I C

The Frequency: Nick Ramsey & the Family, 9 pm.

Gray’s Tied House, Verona: Just Merl, free, 6:30 pm.

Swamp Thing Thursday, June 30, Crystal Corner Bar, 9 pm

Diane Coffee Thursday, June 30, East Side Club, 6 pm

ISTHMUS.COM JUNE 30–JULY 6, 2016

Diane Coffee is the stage name of California musician Shaun Fleming, the drummer of Foxygen. As Diane Coffee, Fleming makes easygoing, big-sounding pop and soul music, blending influences into a joyous concoction that puts his wobbling vocals center stage. Flush with horns, synths and acoustic guitars, Fleming dressed simple songs in vibrant outfits on his 2015 album Everybody’s a Good Dog. With local rhythm & soul powerhouse the People Brothers Band.

32

Lex Allen

Swamp Thing emerged from Smart Studios in 1985 after Butch Vig recorded their album Learning to Disintegrate. After the group disbanded at the end of that decade, its members scattered across the continent and went on to play with Brian Ritchie, Elvis Costello, Paul Cebar and Grover from the Muppets. They reunite to play the full album at this WORT benefit. With “Russian” rockers Optometri.

National Women’s Music Festival Thursday, June 30, through Sunday, July 3, Marriott West (Middleton)

A diverse lineup of performances and workshops is planned for the 41st annual event. Highlights include Nedra Johnson & the Fat Bottom Girls (with four tubas!), comedian Marga Gomez, a 38-piece orchestra playing music composed especially for the fest, and a drum chorus.

Visit wiaonline.org for the full lineup.

Alchemy Cafe: Los Chechos, free, 10 pm.

Badger Bowl: Scott Wilcox, 8 pm.

Bowl-A-Vard Lanes: Metal Gonz, free, 6 pm.

Brink Lounge: Common Chord, Americana, 7 pm.

Thursday, June 30, Memorial Union Terrace, 9 pm

Capital Brewery, Middleton: Krause Family Band, 6 pm.

A member of the Milwaukee-based collective New Age Narcissism, this neo-soul pop singer released “Cream and Sugar,” an infectious single featuring Milwaukee rapper and fellow NAN member WebsterX, in January. With Madison’s DJ Boyfrrriend.

Christy’s Landing: Open Mic with Shelley Faith, 8 pm Thursdays.

Cardinal Bar: DJ Chamo, Latin, 10 pm.

Come Back In: Teddy Davenport, free (on the patio), 5 pm.

Edgewater Hotel: Old Grey Cats, free (on the plaza), 6 pm.

Essen Haus: Big Wes Turner’s Trio, Americana, free, 9 pm.

Fountain: Durango McMurphy, free, 8 pm.

Great Dane-Downtown: DJ Mike Carlson, free, 7 pm Thursdays, 7 pm.

High Noon Saloon: Cajun Strangers, free (on the patio), 6 pm; Boy & Bear, Hannah Georgas, 8 pm.

Hop Haus Brewing, Verona: Pat Ferguson, free, 7 pm.

Immanuel Lutheran Church: Handbell Week Closing Concert, free/donations, 7 pm.

Ivory Room: Katy Marquardt, Luke Hrovat-Staedter, 9 pm.

Knuckle Down Saloon: Blues Jam, free, 8 pm Thursdays.

Lisa Link Peace Park: Jon Knudson, free, 5 pm.

Monona Terrace Rooftop: Too White Crew, free, 7 pm.

Mr. Robert’s: The Nearbyes, free, 10 pm.

Natt Spil: DJ Jamie Stanek, free, 10 pm.

Nau-Ti-Gal: Country Wide Rocks, free (patio), 5:30 pm.

Otto’s: Michael Hanson Jazz Group with Melissa Thorson-Hanson, free, 5:30 pm.

Paoli Schoolhouse: Jim White, free, 6 pm.

Plan B: DJs Brook, Lizzy T, 9 pm Thursdays.

Sprecher’s Restaurant and Pub: The Pine Travelers, 6 pm.

Tempest Oyster Bar: Paul Rowley, free, 6 pm.

Tip Top Tavern: Kurt Funfsinn, guitar, free, 9:30 pm.

UW Memorial Union-Terrace: Sortin’ the Mail, free, 5 pm.

THEATER & DANCE

Sunday in the Park with George Thursday, June 30, Middleton High School Performing Arts Center, 7:30 pm

Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s masterpiece of musical theater was inspired by the Georges Seurat painting “A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte.”

The musical about the enigmatic painter won a Pulitzer Prize and was nominated for 10 Tony Awards. Middleton Players brings some serious talent to the production. ALSO: Saturday (7:30 pm) and Sunday (2 pm), July 2-3.

Frank Kafka’s The Trial Thursday, June 30, Memorial Union’s Fredric March Play Circle, 7:30 pm

The weird and powerful dream world of the Franz Kafka play gets an original adaptation and production by Fermat’s Last Theater Company. One of the great works of world literature, The Trial is an absurdist tale about a man arrested by anonymous authorities for an unspecified crime. Live music will be performed by Left Field Trio, and all performances are free and unticketed, thanks to a successful crowdfunding campaign. ALSO: Friday (7:30 pm) and Saturday (2 pm), July 1-2.

The Comedy of Errors: Shakespeare’s tale of long-long brothers and mistaken identity, 7:30 pm on 6/30 and 8 pm, 7/2, American Players Theatre, Spring Green. $75$47. americanplayers.org. 588-2361.

The African Company Presents Richard III: Carlyle Brown’s unique take on the backstage play, 7:30 on 6/30 & 7/5 and 3 pm, 7/2, APT-Touchstone Theatre, Spring Green. $75-$54. 588-2361.

B O O KS Don Sanford: Discussing “On Fourth Lake: A Social History of Lake Mendota,” his new book, 6:30 pm, 6/30, Sequoya Library. 266-6385.

A RT EXH I B I TS & EV EN TS Derek Ace: Photographs, 6/30-9/29, UW HospitalCarbone Cancer Center Waiting Room. 263-5992.

Yellow Rose Gallery Showcase: Works by local artists, 6-10 pm, 6/30, 122 State St. #201. artonstate.com.

S PEC TATO R S PO RTS Madison Mallards: vs. Lakeshore, 7:05 pm, 6/30; vs.

St. Cloud, 5:05 pm, 7/2-3; vs. Battle Creek, 7:05 pm, 7/6-7; vs. Wisconsin Woodchucks, 7:05 pm on 7/8 and 6:35 pm, 7/9, Warner Park Duck Pond. $46-$8. Daily promotions: mallardsbaseball.com. 246-4277.

Night of the New Red Threads: Unveiling of new Badgers athletic wear & tour of training facility, 10 pm, 6/30, from Camp Randall Memorial Arch. 262-1440.

fri july 1 MU SI C

T HE AT E R & DANCE Bar Games: A killer engineers a hostage situation in a local watering hole, 7/1-23, Broom Street Theater, at 8 pm Thursdays-Saturdays. $11. 244-8338.

115 KING STREET DOWNTOWN MADISON

Just Announced

S POKE N WO RD Madtown Poetry Open Mic: With Angie Trudell Vasquez, Ron Czerwein, 8 pm, 7/1, Mother Fool’s. 255-4730.

& ON SALE FRIDAY AT 10AM

ART E XHI BITS & EV ENTS Shuiping Dai: Chinese calligraphy, 7/1-7/29,UW Health Sciences Learning Center-1st Floor Atrium. 263-5992.

FRI

JUL 29

Marta Hansen: Upcycled art, 7/1-7/29, UW Health Sciences Learning Center-2nd Floor Lobby. 263-5992.

Something to Do Friday, July 1, Memorial Union Terrace, 9 pm

Since 2002, Milwaukee ska-rockers Something to Do have been the life of the party. The sextet — which has shared the stage with the likes of Less Than Jake, Goldfinger and the English Beat, and cites the Specials and Elvis Costello as influences — has released three full-length albums of infectious, poppy skapunk goodness. They’ll be joined by Madison’s Proud Parents, a four-piece that deals in lo-fi power pop that recalls Weezer’s halcyon days.

The Black Poets Society Friday, July 1, High Noon Saloon, 9:30 pm

Rap is about much more than violence. It’s about community and connecting with others — and to prove it, this local hip-hop band from the 1990s is bringing back its uplifting rhymes and positive vibes for a second annual reunion show. A crew of eight that includes a handful of MCs and many musicians, the BPS sound is a throwback to danceable old-school rap songs about parties and romantic pursuits. With 3rd Dimension (see page 29) and DJ Vinyl Richie.

P.T. McMahon: “Informally Stated,” photographs, 7/18/31, La Mop Hair Studio. 233-1997.

KJ Forest & Alice Sullivan: “Souvenirs,” photographs, 7/1-8/31, UW-Extension Lowell Center. 577-3300.

S PECI AL E V ENTS Our Lady of Hope Clinic Benefit: Open bowling & appetizers, 5 pm, concert 8 pm, 7/1, Badger Bowl. 274-6662.

Catfish River Music Festival

THU

JUL 7

Saturday, July 2, through Monday, July 4, Stoughton Rotary Park, noon-9 pm

OVERTURECENTER.ORG

Liliana’s: Rand Moore Quartet, jazz, free, 6:30 pm.

Liquid: Natty Nation, 10 pm.

Alchemy Cafe: Oak Street Ramblers, free, 10 pm.

Louisianne’s, Middleton: Johnny Chimes, New Orleans piano, free, 6:30 pm Fridays-Saturdays.

Bandung: Mideast Salsa, free salsa lesson, 8:30 pm.

Lucky’s Bar, Waunakee: The Star Bandits, free, 7 pm.

Mr. Robert’s: Chunkhead, Mr. Fist, Night Rod, 10 pm.

UW Memorial Union-Terrace: Jon Hoel Trio, free, 5 pm.

VFW-Cottage Grove Road: Frank James, country, 7:30 pm.

Wisconsin Brewing, Verona: The Jimmys, free, 6 pm.

Come Back In: Riled Up, free, 9 pm.

Knuckle Down Saloon: The Soul Inspirations, Mad City Funk, Valerie B & the Boyz, 2 pm.

FREE BREW ‘N VIEW:

FRI

LEWS DEL MAR

JUL 15

MANDATORY WORLD TOUR

AUG 21 OVERTURE HALL ON SALE NOW

Lazy Oaf Lounge: Your Mom, 10 pm.

Liliana’s: John Widdicombe & Tom Waselchuk, 6:30 pm.

Liquid: DJ Nick Magic, EDM, 10 pm.

TUE

JUL 15

Cardinal Bar: DJ David Muhammad, Latin, 10 pm.

High Noon Saloon: ash Aria, Fall II Rise, Black Box Warning, Go Play God, 9 pm.

Tricia’s Country Corners: Front Porch Junkies, 9 pm.

QUEER PRESSURE’S NIGHT SWIM

FRI

Sprecher’s Restaurant and Pub: Retro Specz, 7 pm.

Tip Top Tavern: Ladyscissors, Cowboy Winter, 10 pm.

FRI

JUL 8

JUL 12

Captain Bill’s, Middleton: Chris Kohn, free, 6:30 pm.

The Frequency: The Ex-Pats, 10 pm.

Tempest Oyster Bar: John Christensen, free, 9:30 pm.

THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW

DJ BOYFRRRIEND & MORE

Bos Meadery: Mark Lint, free, 6:30 pm.

Rex’s Innkeeper, Waunakee: Jesse Walker, 8:30 pm.

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ARTIFAKTS & RED ROSE

OVERTURECENTER.ORG • 608-258-4141 OVERTURE CENTER BOX OFFICE

LABYRINTH LIVE ON KING STREET - FREE!

80s vs 90s vs 00s A MUSIC VIDEO BATTLE OF THE DECADES

TICKETS AVAILABLE AT MAJESTICMADISON.COM

JUNE 30–JULY 6, 2016 ISTHMUS.COM

Pooley’s: Lucas Cates, rock, free (on the patio), 7 pm.

608-258-4141

THE

Hop Haus Brewing, Verona: Milkhouse Radio, free, 8 pm.

AUG.16

FREE SUMMERJAM:

JUL 8

FRI

OVERTURE CENTER BOX OFFICE

“Madison’s House Band” is staying busy before its indefinite hiatus kicks in at the end of July. In addition to headlining the Catfish River Music Festival in Stoughton, the Gomers will perform at 4 p.m. at Fourth Fest, a free holiday celebration that also features dance rockers Hometown Sweethearts (7 p.m.). Additional entertainment includes the Mad-City Ski Team (performing throughout the day on Lake Mendota) and face painting and balloon creature creations by Funny Faces Madison.

High Noon Saloon: Rock Star Gomeroke, 5 pm.

THAO & THE GET DOWN STAY DOWN

MUS I C

Saturday, July 2, Edgewater Hotel, 2-10 pm

Frequency: Derx Brax Band (CD release), Royal Station, Devil to Drag, Help Desk, 10 pm.

MATOMA

OCT 4

WED

Chief’s Tavern: Frankie Lee, Chuck Bayuk & Tom Dehlinger, free, 6:30 pm.

Essen Haus: Gary Beal Band, 8:30 pm (also 7/2).

TUE

JUL 6

Fourth Fest

Edgewater Hotel: Evan Murdock & the Imperfect Strangers, free (on the plaza), 6 pm.

eater Sat. July 30

sat july 2

Cardinal Bar: Tony Castaneda Latin Jazz Quartet, free, 5:30 pm; DJs Funkenstein, Ishai, Vaughn Marques, 9 pm.

Crossroads Coffee, Cross Plains: Pretty Good Kitty, 7 pm.

Capitol

NEAL BRENNAN

Badgerland Softball Classic: North American Gay Amateur Athletic Alliance event, 7/1-3, McGaw Park, Fitchburg. badgerlandclassic.com.

Capital Brewery, Middleton: Red Hot Horn Dawgs, 6 pm.

Brink Lounge: Edi Rey y Su Salsera, 9 pm.

COMEDIAN

S PECTATOR SP ORTS

This three-day celebration of local music and art features a stout lineup. Headlining the 19 scheduled musical acts are the Gomers, Dub Foundation and the Clyde Stubblefield All Stars. All proceeds go to support the iconic Stoughton Opera House’s Friends Association.

The Bayou: Cajun Spice, free, 6:30 pm; DJ Chamo, 10 pm.

THU

AUG 18

Carolyn Carlson, KJ Forest & Katie Frye: “Natural and Designed Spaces and Places,” photographs, 7/1-8/31, UW Fluno Center. 577-3300.

JAMES BROWN GET DOWN

33

n ISTHMUS PICKS : JULY 2 - 7 Madison Children’s Museum: Ken Lonnquist & the Kenland Band, Atimevu Drum & Dance, free, 10 am.

Mariner’s Inn: Ken Wheaton, free, 6:30 pm.

Mezze: Charlie Painter & Friends, jazz, free, 9 pm.

features Thao Nguyen’s typically self-reflective songwriting married to a much fuller sound.

Lead single “Nobody Dies” is a groove-laden rocker so different from the band’s other work that only Nguyen’s powerful, wavering voice can connect them. With Madison folk-pop duo Seasaw, which releases a new album July 22.

Beestock: A Festival for the Environment: Awareness event for colony collapse disorder, noon-6 pm, 7/3, Capital Brewery, Middleton, with music, speakers, kids’ activities, food. Donations benefit MadCity Film project on sustainability issues. Free/donations. 836-7100.

Mickey’s Tavern: Ka-Boom!Box, free, 10 pm.

Mr. Brews-Downtown: Prognosis Negative, free, 8 pm.

Mr. Robert’s: Mostly Water, free, 10 pm.

Nau-Ti-Gal: The Feralcats, honky-tonk, 5:30 pm.

Pooley’s: The Rascal Theory, free (on patio), 7 pm.

Sprecher’s Restaurant and Pub: Mark Croft, 7 pm.

mon july 4

Alchemy Cafe: Boo Bradley, blues, free, 10 pm.

Bowl-A-Vard Lanes: Grey Matter Mechanics, free, 6 pm.

MUS I C

Chris Cornell

Tempest Oyster Bar: Rick Flowers, free, 9:30 pm.

Wayne “The Train” Hancock + Dale Watson & His Lone Stars

Tuesday, July 5, Overture Hall, 7:30 pm Possessing one of rock’s greatest voices (seriously, the guy’s range is all over the place), Chris Cornell is a true icon. From his days as the frontman for hugely popular bands like Soundgarden and Audioslave to a solo career that’s spawned Grammy wins, a Golden Globe nod and a James Bond theme song (Casino Royale), the 51-year-old is still going strong. His latest solo work, Higher Truth, was released in 2015, and a new Soundgarden album is rumored in be in the works. With Fantastic Negrito.

Monday, July 4, High Noon Saloon, 7 pm

Brink Lounge: Open Mic, free, 9 pm.

Tip Top Tavern: DJ Trichrome, free, 10 pm.

UW Gordon Center: Natty Nation, Keith Borden, JusTme, Breathe for Change celebration, 7 pm.

UW Memorial Union-Terrace: Gabe Burdulis, plus “Science is Fun” presentation, free, 8:15 pm.

COM EDY

James P. Connolly + Rob Brackenridge Saturday, July 2, Verona Area High School Performing Arts Center, 7:30 pm

Two L.A.-based comedians with Wisconsin connections perform standup to benefit Badger Prairie Needs Network. Connolly served as a Marine in Operation Desert Storm and got his start writing jokes for a colonel. Brackenridge finds plenty of humor in his Wisconsin upbringing. They perform together in a PG-13 double bill.

Rated Her: Stand-up by Emily Mills, Vickie Lynn, Carson Leet, Lucy Tollefson, music by Ginny Kincaid, 7 pm, 7/2, Frequency. $5. 819-8777.

SP EC TATO R S P O RTS Madison 56ers: Premier League of America men’s soccer vs. Croatian Eagles, 7 pm, 7/2, Breese Stevens Field. $8. 217-5453.

sun july 3 MU S I C Arts & Literature Laboratory: Golden Birthday, Spa Moans, Samantha Glass, Sweet William, 7 pm.

Cardinal Bar: DJ Djo Djo, African, 3 pm; DJs Chamo, Fernando, Dock, free, 10 pm.

Chazen Museum of Art: Sunday Afternoon Live: Mimmi Fulmer, soprano, free, 12:30 pm.

The Frequency: Slim Cessna’s Auto Club, Those Poor Bastards, Curio, 9 pm.

Java Cat: Jeff Larsen, fingerstyle guitar, free, 1 pm.

Knuckle Down Saloon: immys, Cash Box Kings, 3 pm.

Lucky’s on the Lake, Lodi: Cool Front with Jon French, rock/blues/funk, free, 6 pm.

The Rigby: Madison Jazz Jam, free (all ages), 4 pm.

Tip Top Tavern: Open Mic, free, 9 pm Sundays.

ISTHMUS.COM JUNE 30–JULY 6, 2016

T HE AT ER & DA N CE

34

An Ideal Husband: Deception and blackmail as portrayed by Oscar Wilde, 6 pm on 7/3 and 7:30 pm, 7/7, American Players Theatre, Spring Green. $75$47. americanplayers.org. 588-2361.

Eurydice: Sarah Ruhl’s retelling of the Greek myth of Orpheus, 6 pm on 7/3 and 7:30 pm, 7/7, APT-Touchstone Theatre, Spring Green. $75-$54. 588-2361.

FA IRS & F EST I VA L S Monona Community Festival: 7/3-4, Winnequah Park, with carnival (begins 7/2). music, competitions, fireworks 9:20 pm, 7/4. mononafestival.com.

DeForest Fourth of July: 7/3-4, Fireman’s Park, DeForest, with music, kids’ activities, sports, food/beer tent, fireworks at dusk, 7/4. deforestarea.com. 846-2922.

Be prepared to move and shake Southernstyle with this double bill. Texas rockabilly king of juke joint swing Wayne “The Train” Hancock’s country music interpretation is bare bones with a swing. And you might find Dale Watson (pictured) at the head of the stage slamming a can or two of Lone Star during his set. His latest album, Call Me Insane, was recorded in Austin with veteran producer Lloyd Maines. “Having Lloyd produce your record is like letting your mom in your kitchen,” Watson says. “You know you’re gonna like what comes out, and it’s amazing how such basic ingredients can be made even better.”

The Frequency: Sweet Delta Dawn, Pine Travelers, Tony Chong Experience, Spencer Houghton, Grateful Dead tribute, 9 pm.

High Noon Saloon: Rock Star Gomeroke, free, 9 pm.

Malt House: Cajun Strangers, free, 7:30 pm.

Natt Spil: DJ Emily Wendorff, free, 10 pm.

Olbrich Gardens: Wis. Youth Symphony Orchestra, 7 pm.

Up North Pub: Lower 5th, free, 8 pm.

KIDS & FAM ILY Summertime Fun: Transporation: Stories & activities, 9 am-4 pm, 7/5-10, Wis. Historical Museum. 264-6557.

wed july 6 M USIC

Tuesday, July 5, The Frequency, 8 pm

Hoops makes jangly, laid-back guitar tunes, and though the Bloomington, Ind.-based four-piece formed just two years ago, they’ve already signed to Fat Possum Records.

Their three blog-blessed cassettes of fuzzy, lo-fi pop are appropriately titled #1, #2 and #3. With Pollinators, Sleeping Jesus.

High Noon Saloon: The Honey Dewdrops, SpareTime Bluegrass Band, Stoughton Opera House benefit, 8 pm.

Malt House: The North Westerns, free, 7:30 pm.

Mickey’s Tavern: Heavy Looks, Sweet Spirit, The Rashita Joneses, Heather the Jerk, free, 10 pm.

Opus Lounge: Madison Malone, free, 9 pm.

Quaker Steak & Lube, Middleton: The Jimmys, 5:30 pm.

Uno Chicago Grill-Crossroads Drive: Northern Comfort, bluegrass, free, 6:30 pm.

Up North Pub: Lost Highway All-Stars, free, 8 pm.

thu july 7 MUS I C Babe’s: Acoustic Alloy, free (on the patio), 6 pm.

Bowl-A-Vard Lanes: Love Monkeys, free, 6 pm.

Brink Lounge: Blues Jam w/Bill Roberts Combo, 8 pm.

Chief’s Tavern: Hoot’n Annie, string band, free, 8:30 pm.

Come Back In: The Rascal Theory, free (patio), 5 pm.

Dean House: Madison Accordion Band, 7 pm.

High Noon Saloon: Mascot Theory, free (patio), 6 pm; The Sharrows, Feed the Dog, Dash Hounds, 8:30 pm.

Lisa Link Peace Park: Sunspot, free, 5 pm.

Majestic Theatre: Artifakts, Red Rose, free, 9:30 pm.

Mickey’s Tavern: Mal-O-Dua, free, 5:30 pm; Jollys, Tarpaulin, Tippy, free, 10 pm.

S PECI AL EV ENTS

Hoops

The Frequency: Lucky Chops, 8 pm.

The Frequency: Inaeona, The Lion’s Daughter, 10 pm.

Up North Pub: Gin Mill Hollow, free, 7 pm.

MUS I C

DreamBank: Gin, Chocolate & Bottle Rockets, 5:30 pm.

Essen Haus: Big Wes Turner’s Trio, free, 9 pm.

Mr. Robert’s: Open Jam, free, 9:30 pm Mondays.

tue july 5

Come Back In: Shelley Faith, free (on the patio), 5 pm.

Edgewater Hotel: Alli Foss, free (on the plaza), 6 pm.

High Noon Saloon: Pupy Costello & the New Hiram Kings, free (on the patio), 6 pm.

Token Creek Fourth of July Celebration: 10:30 am, 7/4, Portage Road, with kids activities. parade 1 pm, dance 2:30 pm. facebook.com/TokenCreek4thofJuly.

Cardinal: Foshizzle Family, New Nature Collective, 9 pm.

Badger Bowl: Scott Wilcox, 8 pm.

Essen Haus: Big Wes Turner’s Trio, free, 4 pm.

Shorewood Hills Fourth of July Fireworks: 9:30 pm, 7/4, Blackhawk Country Club. More events: shorewood-hills. org. 267-2680.

Capitol Square: Concerts on the Square, “Bursts of Joy,” Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra with guest vocalists Kitt & Alli Foss, free, 7 pm.

Bully + Midnight Reruns Wednesday, July 6, The Shitty Barn (Spring Green), 7 pm

This sold-out double bill boasts two soonto-be-center-stage rock acts. Nashville’s Bully (pictured) put out its debut, Feels Like, last year and plays tight, intense sets of ’90s-inspired rock ’n’ roll. Milwaukee’s Midnight Reruns just keep getting better, as evidenced by their 2015 release, Force of Nurture, a record that piles punk, pop and plenty of hooks to anthemic results.

Thao & the Get Down Stay Down Wednesday, July 6, Majestic Theatre, 8:30 pm

Though most often categorized as “alt-folk,” Thao & the Get Down Stay Down has been steadily transforming into something much funkier. A Man Alive, released in March and produced by Merrill Garbus of tUnE-yArDs,

Monona Terrace Rooftop: Ultimate Legends Band, Blues Brothers & Aretha Franklin tribute, free, 7 pm.

Nau-Ti-Gal: Ron Denson, free (on the patio), 5:30 pm.

Sprecher’s Restaurant and Pub: David Hecht, 6 pm.

UW Memorial Union-Terrace: Oak Street Ramblers, bluegrass, free, 5 pm; Township, free, 9 pm.

CO MEDY

Matthew Broussard Thursday, July 7, Comedy Club on State, 8:30 pm

If you love puns, Matthew Broussard has a whole section of his set dedicated to them.

Elected “Houston’s Funniest Person” in a 2012 competition, the Atlanta-raised Rice University graduate has showcased his comedic talents on Comedy Central’s Adam DeVine’s House Party, MTV2’s Guy Code and his own weekly webcomic (mondaypunday.com). With Brian Aldridge, Randy Humphrey. ALSO: Friday and Saturday (8 & 10:30 pm), July 8-9.

SEARCH THE FULL CALENDAR OF EVENTS AT ISTHMUS.COM

ISTHMUS SKY BAR HIGH LIFE SERIES

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35

■ EMPHASIS

Sling shi Babywearing confusing? Now there’s help

BY AMELIA COOK FONTELLA

When my son was just a few months old, I found myself with a handful of baby carriers. You know, those things with strange names like Ergo, Björn and Moby that allow caregivers to strap or wrap a baby onto their body for hands-free snuggles.

Unfortunately, I had absolutely no idea how to use of any of them. Inspired by friends in other cities who had worked one-on-one with “babywearing consultants,” I started looking for someone to help me figure it all out.

I reached out in February via Facebook to Babywearing International of Madison (BWI-Madison), a chapter of the nonprofit Babywearing International. BWI-Madison’s Facebook group has more than 800 members, and 40 to 50 people and their babies regularly show up at the twicemonthly meetings to learn about different types of carriers, get one-on-one support and check out carriers and wraps from a lending library.

But I could not find anyone in the Madison area for hire as a babywearing consultant. You know, someone who would show up at my house and help me learn how to use those carriers sitting in my closet.

A month later, a post in BWI-Madison’s Facebook group caught my eye. One of the group’s founding members, Cynthia Bachhuber, had started LuluBean Babywearing to provide babywearing education, consulting and support. (Bachhuber is accredited as a babywearing educator

by Babywearing International.) This is what I had been looking for!

I contacted Bachhuber immediately for a consult. Not long after, she came to

my house and spent an hour helping me understand how to use the carriers I already owned to “wear” my son. From small adjustments (tightening a strap) to bigger ideas (certain carriers might work better when my son is a little older), she helped me gain the confidence that I needed.

Bachhuber says that she started LuluBean for people like me who are looking for one-on-one instruction. “With LuluBean, I can have space and time to really connect with caregivers on their terms,” she says.

“It also gives options to parents of new babes or those who can’t make it out to BWI-Madison meetings to have someone come to them without totally reshuffling their schedule.”

Bachhuber offers two primary services: hour-long in-home visits and 30-minute Skype consults, which, she says, are great for smaller issues like checking the fit of a carrier or following up on questions from an in-home visit. Prices range from $20 to $70 for a consult, depending on the format and length.

“I tend to get called in when things aren’t working,” she says. “Often, people contact me after they’ve acquired three or four carriers and don’t feel confident in any of them. Sometimes it’s when someone felt great with one type of carrier and now the baby has grown and it’s no longer working as well for them.”

An hour-long in-home consult is the most thorough option, in which the time is individualized and directed by what the client wants. “We can try on several different types of carriers, tweak the fit of the options you already own, work on breast

Hands-free: LuluBean’s Cynthia Bachhuber and daughter Greta demo proper babywearing form.

JENNIFER ANDERSEN

or bottle feeding while wearing, or learn how to get baby on your back,” Bachhuber says. If a client doesn’t have any carriers or would like to experiment with something new, she can bring some along to try.

Babywearing, she emphasizes, is not just for moms. “Not only is it great for biological mothers, I’m a huge advocate of babywearing for nongestational parents: dads, adoptive parents, same-sex couples.”

Bachhuber, a mom herself, finds there are many advantages to babywearing: “Sharing adventures from the same vantage point, feeling your babe fall asleep on your chest, playing peek-a-boo.” The practice gives freedom while also being able to meet the baby’s needs.”

As for me and my son, we’re loving the freedom, too. In fact, we like babywearing so much, our stroller is literally gathering dust on the front porch. ■

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Volunteer with UNITED WAY Volunteer Center Call 246-4380 or visit volunteeryourtime.org to learn about opportunities Summer Volunteers Needed IMMEDIATELY at the Saturday Dane County Farmers Market.

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Join other volunteers July 16 to help care for the Lakeshore Nature Preserve. Activities include removing invasive plants, planting native plugs, maintaining trails, collecting trash, and cleaning fire circles. Tools and gloves provided.

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Groups and minors are okay with advance notice. Canceled in case of rain, high winds, or temps above 100F. The United Way Volunteer Center is seeking an organized person to serve as a Website Assistant. This volunteer will be responsible for updating and maintaining the listings of agencies and volunteer opportunities on VolunteerYourTime.org. Must pay attention to detail, be proficient in using internet and general computer skills, and possess friendly phone etiquette.

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FitBit unit Somber Carson City neighbor Repelled a mugger, in a way Really small amount Have ___ (know somebody) Vegetable designed to stick in your nose?

20 Legal term that means “directed against a thing” 21 Saigon soup 22 ‘90s General Motors brand 23 Former “Tonight Show” announcer Hall 25 Gift decoration 27 Film composer Danny 29 Official who sings in Hebrew 32 It’s hardly a snack for a steed 34 Candied tubers

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35 Worst score ever from Salt Lake City’s team?

38 Large part of the globe 39 “Here Comes the Hotstepper” singer Kamoze 40 “___ Ruins Everything” (truTV show) 43 Places where you can only order sloe drinks?

47 Taj Mahal builder ___ Jahan 50 “___ tree falls...”

51 Add some sparkle to 52 Bothers 54 Smooth sax player Dave 56 Far from strict 57 Short-___ clothesline (wrestling move) 58 Rabbits, e.g.

60 Baloney 63 Wild coffee shop where everyone’s had 10+ shots?

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41 Investigated thoroughly 42 Physical beginning?

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59 Bank makeup 61 The 40 in a “40,” for short 62 “South Pacific” Tony winner Pinza 64 Dandy guy 65 Chapter of history 66 Ab ___ (from the beginning) 67 “ ___ the ramparts ...”

LAST WEEK’S ANSWERS

n SAVAGE LOVE

Douche moves

BY DAN SAVAGE

Is it a super douchey move to pretend to be a lesbian to avoid unwanted male attention? I’m a straight single woman in my mid-30s and a very plausible lesbian in terms of sartorial stereotypes. Occasionally a guy will hit on me in an awkward or creepy way and I’ll trot out a line about “not being into men.” Most recently I used this pose when a courier broke down in my driveway and I invited him in for a glass of water while he waited for the tow truck. It was really uncomfortable and a little threatening when — after establishing that I lived alone — he asked me out. I guess I use this as an excuse so as not to hurt their feelings, but also to shut the conversation down as quickly as possible if I’m feeling vulnerable.

Is this a harmless white lie, or a major cop-out that would offend actual lesbians?

Can you suggest some better strategies for when you’re feeling cornered by a dude you’re not interested in?

Lady’s Entirely Zany Identity Enquiry “I’m not offended by this,” says someone I thought was an actual lesbian.

I shared your question with this person — a woman I thought was an actual lesbian

— because I wasn’t offended by it either, but wanted to check with an actual lesbian just to be safe. Turns out my friend doesn’t identify as a lesbian, but as a woman-who-loves-womenbut-does-not-identify-as-a-lesbian-becauseshe-sometimes-finds-the-odd-dude-hot. So for the record: my friend is speaking for the WWLWBDNIAALBSSFTODH community here — which often intersects/sexts with the lesbian community — and not the lesbian community.

“But even though I’m not offended by it, I have to say I’ve found the ‘I’m into women’ line to be totally ineffective,” says my not-a-lesbian friend.

“The creeps I’ve used it on get even more riled up after hearing that line. Sometimes I check out and start ignoring these creeps as if they’re wallpaper, but that can rile them up too. Same with a polite ‘I’m not interested.’ The only success I’ve had with warding off creeps is by actually yelling at them, asking them if they’d like to be treated the way they’re treating me, and if their mothers, sisters, et cetera, would appreciate that treatment.”

My not-a-lesbian friend — who, as it turns out, identifies more strongly with the term “bisexual” than she does WWLWBDNIAALBSSFTODH — has also had some luck with the loseyour-shit strategy (e.g., screaming, yelling and waving your arms around like a crazy person).

“You kind of have to treat these people like bears at a campsite,” says my not-a-lesbian

JOE NEWTON

friend. “You have to make yourself big and loud and scary so they don’t get closer. Because they will get closer.”

I’ve been lying to myself. I told myself that stability and friendship were more important to me than sex. I’ve been with my husband for 12 years, and we’ve been married for five of those. We were best friends, and I was already in love before we started dating and before we ever had sex. I should have known in the beginning that we weren’t sexually compatible, but I chose to ignore it. I chose my best friend, and have been suffering ever since.

Luckily, I listen to your advice on a regular basis, and I’ve started having more open conversations about my feelings and my wants and needs. About a year ago, my husband and

I decided to open our relationship. This was all my idea, and I’m not sure he’s fully into it. We agreed to a “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, and a month ago we finally acted on it. I met someone in an open relationship and had sex with them. It was amazing — everything about it. In the end, I didn’t feel guilty, but I did want to tell my husband. I still feel the need to get his approval, but I also know that he doesn’t want to hear it. If he gave me the go-ahead, even though everything was my idea, should I feel guilty, or just happy for finally getting what I needed from someone? Are there baby steps I can take to tell my husband these things, or do I just keep them to myself?

Feelings Are Insanely, Terribly Hard For Unsure Lovers You have your husband’s approval to do what you did, but his approval was contingent upon you not telling him. Honor the commitment you made to your husband, FAITHFUL, by keeping your mouth shut. You’ll doubtless have conversations in the future about your relationship, and you can ask him if he wants to stick with “don’t ask, don’t tell.” If he says yes, continue to keep your mouth shut. n Email Dan at mail@savagelove.net or reach him on Twitter at @fakedansavage.

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