Erika Olson and the cast of Run Bambi Run. Photo by Michael Brosilow.
589 PERFORMANCES OF 12 PRODUCTIONS ACROSS FOUR STAGES
13,040 SUBSCRIBERS
20,443 COMP TICKETS ZIP CODES
166, 244 PERFORMANCE ATTENDEES
479 STAFF &
333 CREATIVE PERSONNEL
EMPLOYED
1,244 SERVED ACROSS THE COUNTRY
3,048 INDIVIDUAL DONORS
12,464 PARTICIPATED IN STUDENTS EDUCATION PROGRAMS
$30M IN LOCAL ECONOMIC ACTIVITY
Dear Friends,
Our 70th Anniversary Season exceeded all of our expectations – from the 12 incredible productions that appeared on our stages, to our youth programs and work within the community, we made tremendous progress on our mission to entertain, provoke, and inspire. Thank you for your continued commitment to Milwaukee Rep. You helped us create meaningful change through theater.
Our onstage productions represented the cultures and stories that make Milwaukee unique. From exploring the story of Milwaukee’s own femme fatale Lawrencia “Bambi” Bembenek to celebrating 50 years of hip-hop music and supporting Milwaukee’s Jewish community, our productions this season uplifted the stories and people that make our city the Good Land.
Education & Engagement programs expanded our productions beyond our walls and deepened their connections with our community. Our inschool Reading Residencies taught middle and high-school students to embrace their identity, while our community-wide Dinner Dialogues helped build a greater communal sensibility through conversation.
As we conclude our historic 70th Anniversary Season, we are continually reminded how lucky we are to be in a community that values live theater. Because of you, we are able to invest more in artists, education and communities now than ever before in our 70-year history. Milwaukee Rep is an outlier in this regard, as noted in a recent Wall Street Journal article highlighting the few theaters nationally that are thriving in a post-pandemic world.
This is because of you – our donors, subscribers, and our champions. Thank you!
Mark Clements Artistic Director
Chad Bauman Executive Director
SEASON PRODUCTIONS
The cast of Run Bambi Run. All photos by Michael Brosilow.
Hillel Rosenshine, Ron Orbach and Eli Mayer in The Chosen
Marvin Quijada and Amir Abdullah in Parental Advisory: a breakbeat play. Alexis J Roston and Matthew Harris in Nina Simone: Four Women.
Maya O’Day-Biddle and William Mobley in What the Constitution Means to Me.
ARTISTIC
Little Women adapted by Kate Hamill served as the third production in our Classics Initiative. Through this five-year initiative, we are committed to staging classic plays that connect audiences with the timeless themes of these works. By reimagining classic works in ways that resonate with modern audiences, Milwaukee Rep aims to make the classics accessible and exciting, ensuring they remain relevant and vibrant for today’s theatergoers.
The National Endowment for the Arts provided $25,000 to support our production of Little Women.
Nina Simone: Four Women was the final production to be produced in the Quadracci Powerhouse Theater, which has hosted nearly 200 productions over the last 36 years.
The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Chicago Tribune and CBS Sunday Morning all ranked Milwaukee Rep productions in their lists of the top shows in the country.
The cast of Little Women.
NEW PLAY DEVELOPMENT
Through the John (Jack) D. Lewis New Play Development Program, we staged two world-premiere productions: Run Bambi Run by Eric Simonson and Gordon Gano of Milwaukee’s own Violent Femmes, and Parental Advisory by Idris Goodwin. Additionally, we brought back Mark Clements’ smash hit Piano Men 2.
Our 2022/23 world premiere of The Heart Sellers by Lloyd Suh won the 2024 Harold and Mimi Steinberg/American Theatre Critics Association New Play Award. This prestigious honor recognizes the best new play that premiered professionally outside of New York City in 2023. The play was subsequently produced at the Huntington Theatre following its premiere at Milwaukee Rep.
Narea Kang and Nicole Javier in The Heart Sellers. Photo by Michael Brosilow.
Our youth education programs served 12,464 students from 235 schools in the Milwaukee area. These programs included:
• Reading Residencies
• School Subscriptions
• Rep Immersion Days
• Next Narrative™ Monologue Competition
• Saturday Youth Programs
• Backstage Tours
• Workshops and Residencies
Milwaukee Rep hosted the regional competition of the Next Narrative™ Monologue Competition, which highlights the voices of contemporary Black playwrights, and the two winners competed in the national competition in New York City. Milwaukee’s own Raichel West (Milwaukee Marshall High School) took home First Place and $3,000 in scholarship money.
“Because of this program I have grown and feel ready to try out more new things in my life.”
– Student
(from left) Lex V. Crump (Runner-Up), Dayanara Sanchez (2nd Place Winner) and Raichel West (1st Place Winner) at the Next Narrative Monologue Competition Regionals.
EDUCATION
We launched the Summer Youth Ensemble, a paid training program that encourages students to collaborate with professional artists in preparation for a career in theater. Participating students devised their own performance piece that was featured in Milwaukee’s Black Theatre Festival, Milwaukee Fringe Festival, and in our Stackner Cabaret.
Our Teen Council attended Create Wisconsin Day to learn about arts advocacy and how to talk with elected officials. Additionally, six Teen Council members attended the Theatre Communications Group National Theater Conference in Chicago during the summer of 2024 to learn about leadership and administrative roles in theater. They took part in fieldwide conversations and connected with teens at other theater companies including Berkeley Rep and Steppenwolf.
“I gained more information about the Jewish community as a whole and have more insight of the divides between the sects of Jewish religion.”
– Student
Members of Teen Council speak at Create Wisconsin Day in Madison, WI.
Students in the Summer Youth Ensemble rehearse and perform an original devised piece.
Our Engagement programs engaged more than 10,000 community members through Community Conversations, Resource Partnerships and Neighborhood Partnerships.
COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS
We continued our new Dinner Dialogue Series, giving patrons the opportunity to have conversations about the themes of select productions over a shared meal. A guest speaker started off each dinner with insights around the topic, then trained facilitators led groups through guided discussions reflecting on the production’s relevance to them personally and to the community. Dinner Dialogues took place during Run Bambi Run, Dial M for Murder, What the Constitution Means to Me, The Chosen, and Nina Simone: Four Women at restaurants throughout Milwaukee’s diverse neighborhoods.
Participants discuss the themes from Dial M for Murder at Lulu Cafe and Bar during a Dinner Dialogue.
ENGAGEMENT
We hosted our first Book Club featuring readings from selected books related to our 2023/24 Quadracci Powerhouse productions. After each reading, participants joined in a community discussion surrounding themes from each book.
We distributed 150 community tickets for the opening night performance of Nina Simone: Four Women. Additionally, we hosted a panel discussion featuring local Black musicians and a thoughtprovoking Dinner Dialogue led by Dr. Knox from Black Space. This special Dinner Dialogue emphasized the importance of mental health awareness for the 40 attendees, further demonstrating our commitment to holistic community engagement and using our productions to spark meaningful dialogue and create positive change.
RESOURCE PARTNERSHIPS
A Christmas Carol Families supported the work of Safe and Sound through donations by audience members. Additionally, 1,400 complimentary tickets to A Christmas Carol were provided to our community through our ACC Community Tickets program.
We partnered with the Milwaukee Jewish Federation on our production of The Chosen, hosting several special panel discussions exploring Jewish identities.
10 Milwaukee Rep
Residents of Metcalfe Park attend the Neighborhood Night for Nina Simone: Four Women.
To celebrate the 50th Anniversary of hip-hop music, we partnered with the Milwaukee Film 2023 Cultures & Communities Festival to host a special pre-show reception, performance of Parental Advisory, and a post-show panel (Speaking of Legacy: A Conversation about Hip-Hop’s Past, Present & Future) in the Stiemke Studio.
NEIGHBORHOOD PARTNERSHIPS
We produced a staged reading of Ralph Metcalfe: Fastest Human Alive by Sheri Williams Pannell on June 26, 2024. This play was commissioned from Sheri Williams Pannell in collaboration with Metcalfe Park Community Bridges, First Stage, and Artists Working in Education. This is the culmination of two years of work with Metcalfe Park residents to bring Ralph Metcalfe’s story to life.
(from left) Geraud Blanks, Dameon Ellzey, Element Everest-Blanks and Kyle Ashley participate in the Parental Advisory post-show panel discussion.
Metcalfe Park residents prepare for the staged reading of Ralph Metcalfe: Fastest Human Alive
UNITED PERFORMING ARTS FUND
The support that UPAF provides to its Member Groups is essential. Through UPAF’s Community Impact Programs, we were able to expand our impact and transform lives.
UPAF BRIGHTMINDS – ARTS EDUCATION
This initiative supported our Reading Residency program. More than 860 students from 15 schools studied the scripts from Little Women and The Chosen as a way to increase their literacy and social emotional skills. With relatable themes like familial conflict and self-worth, the program made for rich crosscurricular connections and greater learning outcomes.
UPAF CONNECT – ARTS IN NEIGHBORHOODS
With this funding, our Education & Engagement department worked with St. Joan Antida High School to create the first performance of their new Drama Club. Students rehearsed and performed The Crossroads, a one-act play by Jennifer Reif, demonstrating for their peers the importance of arts participation.
UPAF KASEY’S FUND – ARTS ACCESSIBILITY
Kasey’s Fund helped us provide our second All-Access Sensory-Friendly performance during Little Women. This unique performance featured all of our regular access services (ASL interpretation, captioning and audio description), plus lower sound levels, sensory supports, and designated calm spaces ensuring every member of our community can experience great theater. Milwaukee Rep is grateful to UPAF for the vital role they play in our community.
Students participating in our in-school Reading Residency program, with support from UPAF Brightminds.
Amidst other LORT theaters struggling across the country, articles in the Milwaukee Business Journal and the Wall Street Journal noted: “Milwaukee Repertory Theater has another story to tell — one of successful fundraising campaigns, growing audience numbers and overall enthusiasm in returning to the theater. Milwaukee Rep is a case study for what a professional theater company is doing right.”
&
$6,533,830 (44%)
(41%)
$874,573 (6%)
$760,000 (5%)
$632,503 (4%)
$14,888,679
Total: $13,980,570
(55%)
OVER THE DECADES, MILWAUKEE REP HAS GROWN INTO ONE OF THE LARGEST THEATERS IN THE COUNTRY.
While our current theater complex has served us well for four decades, it severely limits the types of productions we can stage, our ability to engage meaningfully with our community today, and does not serve the accessibility needs of our audiences. The Powering Milwaukee Campaign will fund the creation of a new fully-accessible complex, including three state-of-the-art performance spaces, a large unified lobby, and modern audience amenities.
The 2023/24 Season marked the third year of intense fundraising for the project. Thanks to more than 700 individuals, corporations and foundations, we are now 98% of the way to achieving our $78 million goal.
This season also marked a large shift in our production capabilities. We secured an offsite facility in Wauwatosa that will become the permanent home of our carpentry and paint shops, which will provide higher quality equipment and additional storage space. This move paves the way for the creation of The Herzfeld Foundation Education and Engagement Center in the former carpentry shop. This development will provide a dedicated space for our programs and allow us to reach more of our community.
With our new production facility ready to go and our fundraising targets met, we broke ground on the new Associated Bank Theater Center on May 11, 2024 before our record-breaking Curtain Call Ball.
We are especially grateful to our Capital Campaign Cabinet for all of their efforts to make this project a reality.
CAMPAIGN CO-CHAIRS
Tammy Belton-Davis
Sandra and William Haack
Sarah and Jeff Joerres
Mara and Craig Swan
CAMPAIGN CABINET, BOARD & SENIOR ADVISORS
Judy Hansen, President
Ayad Akhtar
Patsy Aster
Ivor Benjamin
Wendy Blumenthal
Ginny Bolger
Melanie and Steve Booth
Betsy Brenner
Bladen and Julia Burns
Mike Carter
Ellen and Joe Checota
Jane and Steve Chernof
Marybeth Cottrill
Amy and Fred Croen
Robert Duffy
Dr. Eric Durant
Frank Gimbel
Andrés Gonzalez
Jason Graham
Andy Harmening
Katie Heil
Christopher Hermann
David Herro and Jay Franke
Bryan House
John Hunzinger
Tom Irgens
Lynda Johnson
Deborah Kaerek
Michelle Kolp
John Kordsmeier
David Kundert
Dawn Lindsey
David Lubar
Joan Lubar
Kris Lueders
Rob Manegold
Ray Manista
Vince Martin
Linda Mellowes
Donna Meyer
Kerryann Haase Minton
Dr. Jeanette Mitchell
Rebecca Mitich
Anne Noyes
Gregory C. Oberland
Tonen (Sarah) O’Connor
Adam Peck
Anthony Petullo
James Phelps
Jim Phillips
Joe Pickart
Karen Plunkett
Beth Ridley
Ken Robertson
Allison Scrivner
Meredith Scrivner
Ed Seaberg and Patrick Smith
Clark Slipher
Christine A. Symchych and James P. McNulty
Rich Tennessen
Deborah Tomczyk
Nic and Sally Wahl
Peggy Williams-Smith
2023/24 BOARD OF TRUSTEES
OFFICERS
President Judy Hansen Broadway Producer
President-Elect
Adam J. Peck
Riverwater Partners Principal and CIO
Vice President, Trustees
Kerryanne Haase Minton
Michael Best Managing Partner
Treasurer
James Phillips Godfrey & Kahn Partner
Ayad Akhtar
Pulitzer Prize-winning Playwright
Tammy Belton-Davis Athena Communications, LLC Founder and Principal
Ivor Benjamin, MD Medical College of Wisconsin Director, Cardiovascular Center
Wendy W. Blumenthal Blumenthal & Associates
Julia Burns Pathways High School President of the Board
Joe Checota
Landmark Healthcare Facilities Executive Chairman
Jane Chernof Community Volunteer
Marybeth Cottrill
BMO Wealth Management Private Wealth Advisor
Amy Croen
Geneva Capital Co-Founder/Co-President
Robert H. Duffy
Quarles & Brady Partner
Dr. Eric Durant
Milwaukee School of Engineering Professor
Secretary
Bryan House
Foley & Lardner LLP Partner
Melanie Booth Community Volunteer At Large
At Large
At Large Andrés Gonzalez
Froedtert Medical College VP, Community Engagement and Chief Diversity Officer
TRUSTEES
Jay Franke Community Volunteer
Jason Graham Investor
John Halechko
Associated Bank Exec VP, Director of Branch Banking
