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The donor newsletter of Milwaukee Rep ISSUE 24 • FALL 2023
SPEAKING
directl y Dear Friends,
Our 70th Anniversary Season is off to a great start! We recently closed our World Premiere musical, Run Bambi Run, which received rave reviews from critics and audiences alike. It was featured on the national broadcast of CBS Sunday Morning, the Chicago Tribune and the New York Times as one of the top theatrical productions to see in the country. Our second World Premiere this fall, Parental Advisory: a breakbeat play, was a part of Milwaukee Film’s 2023 Cultures & Communities Festival with a special performance and post-show talkback about hiphop’s past, present and future. Additionally, artist Kiran Vedula hosted free community hip-hop workshops at his studio at Arts @ Large. Kiran worked with teens and adults to explore the history and community spirit of hip-hop. Participants were invited to share their work at one of our Open Mic nights after select performances.
where students will use the script as a primary text to increase their literacy and social-emotional skills. This will culminate in a Rep Immersion Day, where participants will come to Milwaukee Rep for technical demonstrations and a special student matinee performance.
Marvin Quijada (left) and Amir Abdullah in Parental Advisory. Photo credit: Michael Brosilow.
The cast of Run Bambi Run. Photo credit: Michael Brosilow.
Coming up next in the Quadracci Powerhouse is the quintessential murder mystery Dial M for Murder, followed by a brand-new adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s beloved classic Little Women. Our production of Little Women will serve as a cornerstone of our in-school Reading Residency program,
Mark Clements Artistic Director
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We continue to make progress on the Powering Milwaukee campaign. To date, we have raised more than 80% of our $78 million goal. Throughout the summer, we hosted more than 10 in-home performances and campaign updates for donors and prospective donors across southeastern Wisconsin. We also gave donors the opportunity to experience the new Associated Bank Theater Center through virtual reality tours. More than 450 individuals have experienced what the new Checota Powerhouse and Haack Grand Lobby will look like when it opens in the fall of 2026. We also hosted several Town Halls for our subscribers and donors that shared the vision for the new complex as well as provided patrons with an opportunity to ask questions about the project. More opportunities and information about how our subscribers can get involved will be provided in the coming months. As always, thank you for your continued support and dedication to our work. None of this would be possible without you!
Chad Bauman
Executive Director
Cover: Erika Olson and the cast of Run Bambi Run. Photo credit: Michael Brosilow.
SCENES
behind the Jealous husband. Wealthy wife. The perfect crime.
Milwaukee Rep’s 70th Anniversary Season continues with the thrilling and suspenseful murder mystery Dial M for Murder by Frederick Knott, adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher. Set in London during the 1950s, Dial M for Murder will include period costumes designed by Milwaukee Rep’s longtime Senior Draper Alexander B. Tecoma.
What is the process of designing costumes for a production? The first step in designing costumes for a production is to read the script a few times to get a feel for the characters and the show. Reading the script also helps me to figure out any practical needs, such as how many costumes a character will need and whether the show takes place in a particular season (summer, winter, etc.).
What sort of collaborating do you do with other artists when you design costumes? I usually wait to finalize designs until the actors are in rehearsal, and work with them to see if the way they are portraying a character is in line with my design. For example, if a character is coming across more mysterious or slimy than I had originally imagined, I might change the design to better fit that actor’s version of the character. The costumes can also have an effect on the set design, props, and even the direction given by the director. Especially in period pieces like this, things like hats can change how actors move and what additional items are needed onstage. Men in this period would wear hats everywhere, but would take them off once they got inside. Where would they put it? Would they hold it while inside or does there need to be a rack to hang them somewhere onstage? When is the appropriate moment to take it off or put it back on again? Designing costumes is a collaborative effort from start to finish.
The next step is to have a conversation with the director of the show to make sure that you’re on the same page about the direction and style of the show. The key is to never show the director something you don’t like yourself because inevitably that is the design that the director will choose! Once I have had a chance to gather my thoughts and compare with the director, I will typically put together a PowerPoint presentation with sketches and inspiration photos for all of the looks for each of the characters. Once the actors are on site for rehearsals, the final costumes are built by the team in the costume shop.
What was your inspiration for this show? I took a lot of inspiration from other movies from the period – not big movie musicals, but film noir and other Hitchcock movies. I wanted to do secret homages to other Hitchcock films, particularly to his leading ladies. For example, one of the costumes that Margot wears was inspired by a red and black floral dress worn by Eva Marie Saint in North by Northwest (see picture).
Left, a sketch of Margot’s evening dress in Dial M for Murder; right, Eva Marie Saint’s floral dress in North By Northwest. Image credit: Alexander B. Tecoma
Dial M for Murder will appear on the Quadracci Powerhouse stage from November 14th – December 17th, 2023. For more information, visit MilwaukeeRep.com.
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Spotlight:
EDUCATION & ENGAGEMENT Did you know that Milwaukee Rep does so much more than produce world-class theater productions? Our Education and Engagement team is hard at work year-round providing programs that serve tens of thousands of Milwaukee-area students and community members. Here is a sampling of some of the programs we’re offering this season.
Next Narrative™ Monologue Competition
Post-Show Panels
Developed at True Colors Theater in Atlanta, the Next Narrative™ Monologue Competition inspires high school students to express themselves and build self-confidence through theater. Students will choose a monologue written specifically for the competition by contemporary Black playwrights. Rep Teaching Artists will host weekly workshops from October 2023 through January 2024, coaching students on their selected monologues and preparing them to compete in the Milwaukee regional competition. At the regional competition in March, two students will win cash prizes and the opportunity to represent Milwaukee at the national competition with an all-expense paid trip to New York City.
Reading Residencies
This winter, middle school students from over 30 classrooms will be studying our productions of either Little Women by Kate Hamill or The Chosen by Aaron Posner and Chaim Potok. Rep Teaching Artists will visit classrooms and engage students in handson learning experiences such as role-playing, dramaturgical research, and designing their own production elements.
Neighborhood Nights We will host a series of Neighborhood Nights for our community partners in the Amani, Metcalfe Park, and Muskego Way neighborhoods. Residents will be invited to have dinner, attend a workshop or dialogue around a production, and receive tickets as well as transportation to see the production. This season, neighborhood nights will be provided for productions selected by residents in the Quadracci Powerhouse and Stiemke Studio.
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To celebrate the 50th Anniversary of hip-hop music, Milwaukee Rep partnered with Milwaukee Film’s 2023 Cultures and Communities Festival to host a post-show panel in conjunction with our production of Parental Advisory: a breakbeat play. Geraud Blanks (Chief Innovation Officer, Milwaukee Film), Element Everest-Blanks (HYFIN Music Director and Radio Milwaukee On-air Host), Dameon Ellzey (political activist and MC), and Kyle Ashley (Milwaukee Director for the Office of the Governor) joined us as panelists. The panelists held a discussion about hip-hop’s past, present, and future following a performance of the production. Upcoming Panels: Little Women January 23, 2024 Topic: Gender Identity and Expression What the Constitution Means to Me February 20, 2024 Topic: What Does the Constitution Mean to You? The Chosen March 12, 2024 – Topic TBD
On this page: Xoe Choate teaches at Story School as part of Milwaukee Rep’s Reading Residency; Geraud Blanks, Dameon Ellzey, Element Everest-Blanks and Kyle Ashley take part in a panel following Parental Advisory: a breakbeat play.
Spotlight:
EDUCATION & ENGAGEMENT Book Club
Dinner Dialogues
Brand-new this season, Milwaukee Rep is offering a book club! Patrons are invited to read a book that relates to our productions and join us for a conversation about the themes and issues present in the book and accompanying production. Upcoming Book Club Events: Little Women January 9, 2024 Topic: Why does Little Women continue to stand the test of time? How has it made us look at gender and gender roles? The Chosen February 20, 2024 Topic: How do we find our own identities? How can we cultivate friendships with those who are different from us? Nina Simone: Four Women April 9, 2024 Topic: How can we use our gifts to inspire change? How can we inspire those around us?
Dinner Dialogues offer patrons the opportunity to come together to discuss the themes from one of our productions over a shared meal at a local restaurant. Our first Dinner Dialogue of the season took place in connection with Run Bambi Run at Milwaukee Brat House in downtown Milwaukee. Led by trained facilitators, participants discussed the role of police in our neighborhoods and how that has changed and developed over time.
Upcoming Dinner Dialogues:
Rep Immersion Days
Dial M for Murder December 2, 2023 – Lulu’s Café and Bar Topic: How do we control others? What are the signs of someone being controlled? How can we recognize those signs? What the Constitution Means to Me February 26, 2024 – Location TBD Topic: How do we encourage civic engagement in our youth? How can we emphasize the importance of civic engagement in our communities? The Chosen
Hundreds of students will be invited to Milwaukee Rep for Rep Immersion Days, experiencing technical demonstrations with Rep artists including stage management, choreography, costumes, props, or acting. They will then enjoy a private matinee performance followed by a talkback with actors from the show. For many students, this will be their first experience attending live theater. Rep Immersion Days will be held for Little Women and The Chosen.
March 25, 2024 – Location and Topic TBD Nina Simone: Four Women April 29, 2024 – Location and Topic TBD
For more information on our Education and Engagement programs or how to get involved, visit: www.MilwaukeeRep.com/engage-learn/
On this page: Michael Doherty and Will Mobley engage with students for Milwaukee Rep’s Much Ado About Nothing Immersion Day; Ron OJ Parson leads a Dinner Dialogue for August Wilson’s Seven Guitars.
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ACCESSIBILITY
Capital Campaign Theater-making has changed since our historic building conversion in the 1980s, and so has our community. While our converted power plant is synonymous with Milwaukee Rep, our aging building now limits our ability to adequately serve our community, particularly individuals with disabilities. The conversion from a powerplant to a theater complex took place before the creation of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Although a thoughtful approach to accommodate disabilities was taken in the original conversion, many standards set by the ADA were not achieved. We have tried to retroactively make our performance spaces accessible over the past few decades, but these adjustments have been temporary fixes to a permanent problem. We can no longer adequately serve our community in a space that was not designed for, nor is conducive to, accommodating persons with disabilities. Now we have the opportunity to change that with the new Associated Bank Theater Center.
Rendering of the fully accessible first floor of the Sandra and William Haack Grand Lobby. Image credit: EUA Architects.
We are actively incorporating accessibility into our design process so it is part of the new building and not an afterthought. Over the last year, we have assembled an Accessibility Focus Group to guide our design process. This group is comprised of Rep patrons and community volunteers who have vision, mobility, or hearing impairments, along with expert audiologists and consultants as well as representatives from EUA, Fisher Dachs and Threshold Acoustics. As we think about the functionality of our new spaces, they are able to weigh in on everything from the preferred height of carpet fibers and necessary space for wheelchair turning radiuses, to the preferred method of closed captioning.
seating locations throughout the venue. The entire seating area will be reconstructed to provide better sightlines, wider seats including some bariatric seats and more user-friendly handrails.
The new Haack Grand Lobby will internally connect all three of our performance spaces, as well as the new Herzfeld Education and Engagement Center, making each fully accessible from within the complex and eliminating the need to enter each space through the Associated Bank River Center atrium. The Haack Grand Lobby will have its own elevator, providing wheelchair accessibility to our entire complex. Additionally, all restrooms throughout the complex will be equipped with fully accessible stalls and features.
The new Herzfeld Education and Engagement Center will incorporate the same accessibility as our performance venues. This center will also include a new direct wheelchair access to the Milwaukee Riverwalk. This will increase the number of patrons that can be served by both Milwaukee Rep and our various community partners.
The first floor of the Haack Grand Lobby will provide direct ground-floor access into the Checota Powerhouse Theater. We will build wheelchair seating into the first row along with companion seats, allowing wheelchair users the option to enjoy the best seats in the house. We will also incorporate nearly double the ADA-mandated number of wheelchair
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We are working with Threshold Acoustics and HEAR Wisconsin to explore the latest state-of-the-art technology to upgrade our audio services, including technology that could pair directly with a patron’s hearing aid or smartphone. As we continue to explore our options, we hope to better serve patrons who utilize closed captioning and audio description services.
Through the creation of a new theater complex, we are developing state-of-the-art accessibility solutions that will serve our community for generations to come and help us become one of the most inclusive performing arts spaces in Wisconsin.
MARK
on the
Ask Artistic Director Mark Clements...
How will the new building impact our artistic future?
The proposed Ellen & Joe Checota Powerhouse stage in Thrust (left) and Proscenium configurations. Image credit: EUA Architects.
Our new facility is going to make Milwaukee Rep one of the most innovative and unique performing arts venues in the country. One of the key considerations when making plans for our new Powerhouse Theater was the configuration of our stage. Currently, the Powerhouse Theater has what is called a “thrust” stage, where the stage is surrounded by the audience on three sides. Because of the proximity of the audience to the stage, there is almost a symbiotic relationship between our audiences and the characters, where the audience becomes an extension of the cast sometimes. While the thrust stage allows us to create really intimate theater that our audiences enjoy, only a handful of professional theaters still have thrust stages. Most professional theaters have what are called “proscenium” stages, where the audience is seated in front of the proscenium arch, or the structure in front of the stage that frames the action of the play. This makes it really difficult for us to create new work with the intention to transfer our productions to Broadway or the West End, because they simply don’t fit the format of the stage. Luckily, we were able to come up with a solution which allows us to convert our Powerhouse stage from a thrust to a proscenium configuration within hours, making us more commercially competitive while still allowing us to produce shows in a format that our current audience loves. Once complete, we will be the only professional theater that will be able to change between the two configurations, giving our directors, designers, and artistic teams the flexibility to choose what is best for the needs of each production.
The Studio Theater will become similarly flexible. While the space as it exists now can technically be converted into any configuration (thrust, proscenium, in the round, runway, etc.), moving the seating risers in the Studio Theater takes days of manual labor and is very cost prohibitive. As part of the renovation of that space, we will install seating risers that can be moved at the touch of a button, creating any configuration of seating in a few hours. Additionally, our scenic and paint shops will be moving offsite. Currently, the amount of space we need to build sets is larger than the space we have, and the Studio Theater is frequently used as extra building space. By moving these production facilities offsite, we will be able to produce additional productions in this space and expand the Studio Theater season. Our new facility will also incorporate state-of-the-art sound, lighting and projection technology. Currently, designers and technicians who come to work at Milwaukee Rep are using equipment that is oftentimes older than they are. By updating our facility with state-of-the-art technology, we will become a more attractive opportunity for younger artists to come and create innovative work on our stages. These new theater spaces will solidify Milwaukee Rep’s place as a leading theater company in the United States.
Do you have a question for Mark? Submit your questions to onthemark@milwaukeerep.com and see his answers in an upcoming issue!
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LIMELIGHT LEGACY SOCIETY Bob Balderson has been part of the Milwaukee Rep family since 1993 when he joined the Rep as an acting intern, but he wasn’t always headed for the theater. Bob first served in the Army, deployed on tours in Korea and Vietnam and earned a Purple Heart before working at the Pentagon. Following his retirement after 25 years in the military, Bob decided to pursue an MFA in Acting. “After my time in the military, I really wanted to do something using the right side of my brain, be creative.” When he graduated, he was invited to spend a season with Milwaukee Rep as an Acting Intern (now called Emerging Professional Residents), appearing in our 1993/94 productions of The Visit, Loves Labours Lost, and A Christmas Carol. Following his internship, Bob stayed in the Milwaukee area and became involved with Feast of Crispian, a group that produces theater by and for military veterans. In 2019, Feast of Crispian and Milwaukee Rep partnered together for the first ever Veterans Theater Festival in the Stiemke Studio Theater.
UPCOMING DONOR EVENTS
“I joined the Limelight Legacy Society because Milwaukee Rep played a key part in my theatrical journey. The Rep was the first professional stage I ever performed on. I feel strongly that giving a legacy gift is an important way to ensure the future of Milwaukee Rep for many generations to come.”
Andrew May (left), Torrey Hanson, and Bob Balderson in 1993/94 Season’s The Visit.
To join Limelight Legacy Society, you can designate Milwaukee Rep as a beneficiary of a bequest, life insurance policy, or retirement account and help ensure the future of world-class theater in Milwaukee.
Milwaukee Repertory Theater Development Department
108 E. Wells Street • Milwaukee, WI 53202
November 17
Dial M for Murder Opening Night
January 19
Little Women Opening Night
January 30
Little Women Rep Immersion Day
February 19
Magic in the Making - Props
March 8
The Chosen Opening Night
Chuck Rozewicz
Morgen Lucas
Chief Development Officer crozewicz@milwaukeerep.com
Associate Director of Development, Events & Stewardship mlucas@milwaukeerep.com
Amy Dorman Director of Development adorman@milwaukeerep.com
Alli Engelsma-Mosser Director of Major and Planned Giving aengelsma-mosser@milwaukeerep.com
Megan Newbanks Associate Director of Development, Institutional Giving mnewbanks@milwaukeerep.com
Amy McGuire Cassidy Skorija Campaign Director cskorija@milwaukeerep.com
Tanya Haynes Donor Relations Officer thaynes@milwaukeerep.com
Development Database Manager amcguire@milwaukeerep.com
Yolanda Doney Development Associate ydoney@milwaukeerep.com
To make a gift in support of Milwaukee Repertory Theater, please contact the Development Department
414-290-5376 | www.MilwaukeeRep.com