Milwaukee Repertory Theater 2017/18 Season Brochure by Milwaukee Rep

Welcome to Milwaukee Rep! The theater is a gathering place where we come together for shared live experiences that entertain while examining varying worldviews and beliefs. As Wisconsin’s flagship theater, we offer a space that is welcoming and inspirational to more than 200,000 patrons annually. Where diverse opinions, discourse and civil debate are not only tolerated, but invited. And where active listening and courageous exchanges are celebrated, demonstrating the power of world-class theater on our hearts and minds. Our 2017/18 Season is designed to do just that – filled with timeless classics, award-winning contemporary works, and full-scale musicals. Book-ended by two giants of the American Theater – the Tony Award-winning musical Guys and Dolls listed at the top of Entertainment Weekly’s list of best musicals and Wisconsin-native Thornton Wilder’s Our Town, arguably the best American play ever written. In between, former Artistic Director Joseph Hanreddy will return to direct a new Sherlock Holmes play, recently appointed Associate Artistic Director May Adrales will helm George Orwell’s classic Animal Farm, and I’ll direct the world premiere of One House Over, a brilliant new piece that will have you laughing and then questioning why later. Our Stiemke Studio will once again be the place for compelling new plays featuring the third in our series by Milwaukee’s own Pulitzer Prize-winner Ayad Akhtar as well as a ripped-from-theheadlines play by Pulitzer Prize Finalist Dael Orlandersmith, who will also star in a tour-deforce performance. And when you just want to get away from it all – join us in the Stackner for a great meal, glass of wine and a fantastic show. We’ll welcome back Rep favorite Jack Forbes Wilson (Liberace!) in Souvenir, and JC Clementz, director of our wildly popular I Love a Piano returns for Murder for Two, a musical comedy where everyone is a suspect. Rounding out the season will be Black Pearl Sings!, featuring beautiful gospel music, and the world-premiere of Mark Twain’s River of Song, by the team that created Back Home Again: On the Road with John Denver and starring David Lutken (Woody Sez and John Denver). Our number of Subscribers is at decade high levels, and often times, the only way to secure the best seats in the house is to become a member of The Rep Subscriber family. Not to mention, Subscribers always get the best prices. You won’t want to miss a single show in this incredible season, so Subscribe Today!

Mark Clements Artistic Director www.MilwaukeeRep.com 414-224-9490

Linda Stephens and Matt Zambrano in The Foreigner (2016/17 Season). Photo by Michael Brosilow.

THE CAMILLE AND DAVID KUNDERT STACKNER CABARET SEASON

September 8 – November 5, 2017

By Stephen Temperley

STACKNER CABARET

Directed by Milwaukee Native

A “Pitch Perfect” Tribute

Laura Braza

Eccentric Manhattan socialite Florence Foster Jenkins once declared, “People may say I can’t sing, but no one can ever say I didn’t sing.” And, oh, did she sing – often and loudly, but rarely on key. Her recitals brought her a legion of diehard fans, and she capped her improbable career with a Carnegie Hall concert that famously sold out in two hours. Her story was recently told in an Oscar-nominated film starring Meryl Streep. Time Out calls Souvenir “a memorable illustration of the purely theatrical magic that can turn the tinniest ear to gold.” Souvenir is a charming and hilarious musical comedy that reminds us that you can achieve anything when you set your mind to it.

Featuring

Jack Forbes Wilson Star of The Rep’s Liberace! as Cosmé McMoon

“There aren’t many theatrical experiences as good as Souvenir!” — THE BOSTON GLOBE

www.MilwaukeeRep.com 414-224-9490

September 19 – October 29, 2017 QUADRACCI POWERHOUSE

Experience Guys and Dolls as you never have before, up close and personal in the intimate Quadracci Powerhouse. After sold-out productions of Ragtime and Dreamgirls, Mark Clements reunites with Olivier Award-winning choreographer Stephen Mear for a dazzling new production of Guys and Dolls. This celebrated musical comedy follows two smalltime gamblers as they pursue love and luck, from the heart of Times Square to the cafes of Havana, Cuba. It’s no surprise that it tops Entertainment Weekly’s list of “Greatest Musicals of All Time,” as this granddaddy of American musicals has it all – show-stopping numbers, a timeless story, and some of the best show tunes ever, including “Luck Be a Lady,” “A Bushel and a Peck,” and “Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat.” It’s a sure bet you’ll leave the theater with a smile on your face!

TONY AWARDWINNING MUSICAL

A Musical Fable of Broadway, Based on a Story and Characters of

Damon Runyon

Music and Lyrics by

Frank Loesser Book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows Directed by

Mark Clements Sponsored by:

Executive Producers

Julia and Bladen Burns Associate Producers

Gina and Eric Peter

Featuring Milwaukee Favorite

Kelley Faulkner as Miss Adelaide

THE STIEMKE STUDIO SEASON IS SPONSORED BY ED SEABERG AND PATRICK SMITH

September 27 – November 5, 2017

By Ayad Akhtar

STIEMKE STUDIO

Directed by May Adrales

A Brilliant New Play

Executive Producers

Joel and Caran Quadracci

From the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright of Disgraced and The Invisible Hand comes a thrillingly fierce and funny new play about identity, religion, and the contradictions that make us who we are. Growing up Muslim with her close knit family in Atlanta, Zarina is writing about women and Islam when she meets Eli, a young convert who bridges the gap between her modern life and traditional heritage. When her conservative father and sister discover her controversial manuscript, they all must confront the beliefs that define them. Called “a play not be missed” by the Chicago Tribune, The Who & The What is a passionate and searing look at a family divided by faith, bonded by love, and searching for truth in contemporary America.

By Pulitzer Prize-Winner and Milwaukee Native

Ayad Akhtar

“Crackles with intelligent truth.” — LOS ANGELES TIMES www.MilwaukeeRep.com 414-224-9490

THE CAMILLE AND DAVID KUNDERT STACKNER CABARET SEASON

November 10, 2017 – January 14, 2018

Book and Music by

Joe Kinosian

Book and Lyrics by

STACKNER CABARET

A Musical Comedy to Die For Co-written by Milwaukee High School of the Arts graduate Joe Kinosian, Murder for Two is the perfect blend of music, mayhem, and murder that has played to sold-out audiences all over the country! In this hilarious 90-minute show, two performers play 13 roles – not to mention the piano – in a witty and winking homage to old-fashioned murder mysteries. Called “ingenious” by The New York Times, this fast-paced whodunit is a highly theatrical duet loaded with killer laughs.

Kellen Blair Directed by JC Clementz Executive Producers

Camille and David Kundert Pete and Beth Gottsacker Adlon Partnership

Co-written and Performed by

Joe Kinosian

“Impressive!

One has to be swept away by the zany delirium of it all.” — LA TIMES

“Those who are able to witness such a

fun evening of theatre

should treat themselves to this opportunity.” — BROADWAY WORLD

November 14 – December 17, 2017

By Jeffrey Hatcher

QUADRACCI POWERHOUSE

Directed by

Midwest Premiere

Sponsored by:

Joseph Hanreddy

Dr. Watson is called upon to disprove the many frauds, fakes, and charlatans who have popped up all over the world claiming to be Sherlock Holmes following his “death” at Reichenbach Falls. Watson travels to a remote mental asylum where three men have recently been admitted, each claiming to be the late detective and matching his physical description. Watson must confront the men and figure out which one is the real Holmes. This thrilling new drama, by the celebrated writer of the movies Mr. Holmes and Stage Beauty, is next up in our series of popular mysteries like The Mousetrap and The 39 Steps.

“Nowadays it is rare to encounter a genuine writer in the theater— someone…who has a genuine feel for language. So when such a thing comes along, it’s exciting… Hatcher’s voice is one I want to hear again soon.” —NY DAILY NEWS

Executive Producers

Greg and Rhonda Oberland Associate Producer

Four-Four Foundation, Inc.

Featuring Milwaukee Favorites

Mark Corkins

Norman Moses

www.MilwaukeeRep.com 414-224-9490

January 9 – February 11, 2018

Adapted By Ian Wooldridge

QUADRACCI POWERHOUSE

Directed by May Adrales

‘Some Animals Are More Equal Than Others’

Associate Producers

Among the most famous political novels of all time, Animal Farm is a timeless and devastating allegory of idealism betrayed by the desire for personal power. When the animals of Manor Farm drive out their abusive farmer, they take over running the farm for themselves. Their experiment in collective leadership succeeds—until the pigs step into the vacuum of power created by the farmer’s expulsion, and betray the ideals of freedom and equality for all animals. This vibrant and moving production will breathe fresh life into a literary classic as resonant today as when it was first published.

James E. and Mary K. Braza A Co-Production with Baltimore Center Stage Featuring Rep Associate Artists

Jonathan Gillard Daly

Deborah Staples

“Dare I say it – as good as the book.” — THE GUARDIAN

“Ian Wooldridge’s adaptation makes the text as

engagingly relevant as ever.” — LONDON EVENING STANDARD

THE CAMILLE AND DAVID KUNDERT STACKNER CABARET SEASON

January 19 – March 18, 2018

By Frank Higgins

STACKNER CABARET

Directed by Leda Hoffmann

The Song is the Story

Executive Producer

Music unites strangers and bridges racial divisions in this powerful story based on real life events. It’s 1933, and an ambitious song collector for the Library of Congress visits a Texas prison where she meets Pearl, an African-American woman with a soulful voice and steely spirit. Featuring more than a dozen beautiful a cappella renditions of spirituals and American folk songs, Black Pearl Sings! explores what it means to be a woman in a man’s world, being black in a white world, and fighting for one’s soul in a world where anyone can be a commodity. BroadwayWorld describes the play as “…a vivid reminder that the things that connect us are often stronger than the things which divide us.”

Katherine Gehl

“5 STARS!

A wonderful jewel box of a show!” —WASHINGTON WEEKLY

Chavez Ravine in Portland Center Stage’s production of Black Pearl Sings!. Photo by Patrick Weishampel

www.MilwaukeeRep.com 414-224-9490

A JOHN (JACK) D. LEWIS NEW PLAY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM PRODUCTION

February 27 – March 25, 2018

By Catherine Trieschmann

QUADRACCI POWERHOUSE

Directed by

World Premiere Event

Mark Clements

When Rafael and Camila Hernandez move in downstairs to help Joanne with her elderly father, Joanne breathes a little easier. She needs their help, and they need jobs. But she can’t anticipate the complications that arise when “the help” starts to feel like family…and act like it. A brilliantly funny and provocative new piece by one of today’s hottest playwrights, it’s an empathetic but searing examination of boundaries, power, privilege, and fear in a single backyard.

Executive Producer

Judy Hansen

Associate Producers

Catherine and Buddy Robinson Four-Four Foundation, Inc. A Co-Production with Geva Theatre Center

“Trieschmann…has the courage to ask tougher questions.” — MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL

“Trieschmann’s writing is taut and laced with irony….a big accomplished writer’s voice.” — THE NEW YORK TIMES

THE STIEMKE STUDIO SEASON IS SPONSORED BY ED SEABERG AND PATRICK SMITH

March 13 – April 22, 2018

Written and Performed by

Dael Orlandersmith

STIEMKE STUDIO

Directed by Neel Keller

Production photos courtesy of The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis

A New Play Ripped From The Headlines

Executive Producers

From Pulitzer Prize finalist and celebrated performer Dael Orlandersmith (Yellowman), comes an extraordinary theatrical event that explores the reactions of the St. Louis region to the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. After conducting hundreds of interviews, Orlandersmith crafted a stunning play featuring eight real-life characters, all with unique and interesting perspectives. These stories reflect a range of human experiences – the drive to forward one’s prospects with education, the innate need to protect our loved ones from the harsh realities of the world and the urge to seek answers to life’s biggest questions. The result is a theatrical mosaic of diverse voices that explores how a community heals and grows together.

Jackie Herd-Barber and Michael Barber John and Connie Kordsmeier

Written and Performed by

Dael Orlandersmith

“Dazzling… mesmerizing piece of theatre that I consider required viewing!” — BROADWAY WORLD www.MilwaukeeRep.com 414-224-9490

THE CAMILLE AND DAVID KUNDERT STACKNER CABARET SEASON A JOHN (JACK) D. LEWIS NEW PLAY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM PRODUCTION

March 23 – May 20, 2018 STACKNER CABARET

World Premiere Event From the creators of The Rep’s hit productions Low Down Dirty Blues and Back Home Again: On The Road With John Denver comes this exploration of the music and culture of America’s first superhighway, the Mississippi River. From the iron red water in Minnesota to the deep, dark Southern Delta, the river carries the stories and songs of the people. Come take a ride on the Mississippi – guided by the voices of the men and women who lived and worked on the river, tied together with the observations and insights of the Mississippi’s most famous traveler, Mark Twain. Performed by three world-class musicians, including David Lutken (Woody Sez, John Denver), River of Song is a journey through America’s Heartland and features traditional songs like “Dance Boatmen Dance,” “Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child,” and “Deep River Blues.”

By Randal Myler

and Dan Wheetman Executive Producers

Kris and Wayne Lueders

Featuring David Lutken

And Dan Wheetman

April 10 – May 13, 2018

By Thornton Wilder

QUADRACCI POWERHOUSE

Directed by Brent Hazelton

A Great American Classic