Milwaukee Repertory Theater – History and Mission

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Now in its 57th season, Milwaukee Repertory Theater is dedicated to providing the highest level of professional theater to Milwaukee and Wisconsin in addition to offering a wide range of educational and community programs. Led by Artistic Director Mark Clements and Managing Director Dawn Helsing Wolters, The Rep produces an 11-play season in its downtown 3-theater complex.

In 1954, Milwaukee native Mary Widrig John forged a plan to create a professional theater for the city. The result was the Fred Miller Theatre on Oakland Avenue [now home to the Miramar Theatre], so named after the head of Miller Brewing Company and chair of the theater’s fundraising campaign who died in a plane crash before the project was completed. The Fred Miller Theatre produced a standard repertoire of Broadway hits featuring well-known performers to draw initial audiences. In the early 1960s, the company re-organized by creating a resident acting company and expanding its repertoire to include classics and premieres of new works. The name Milwaukee Repertory Theater was chosen in 1963 to reflect this new philosophy. In 1968, The Rep moved into the 504-seat Todd Wehr Theater in the new downtown Performing Arts Center. The move spurred attendance and helped The Rep establish a firm operating base and a large pool of subscribers. In 1974, The Rep converted a small warehouse space into an additional 99-seat theater, and the Court Street Theater housed artistic exploration, the development of new work and plays suited to an intimate setting.

The Rep moved to its current home across from Milwaukee’s City Hall in 1987. A cleverly converted power generation plant, the Patty and Jay Baker Theater Complex houses three theaters, the Quadracci Powerhouse (720-seats), the Stiemke Studio (204 seats) and the Stackner Cabaret (118 seats), which is also a full-service, restaurant and bar. Together, these spaces offer a variety of staging options and host a wide range of dramatic fare. The complex also houses all of The Rep’s rehearsal facilities, production shops and administrative offices.

The Rep’s longevity and prestige can be largely attributed to several key leaders. Nagle Jackson served as Artistic Director for much of the 1970s, emphasizing new play development and beginning The Rep’s holiday tradition of producing A CHRISTMAS CAROL in the adjacent historic Pabst Theater. John Dillon continued a dedication to new play development, particularly regionally focused pieces. Dillon championed playwright Larry Shue, a member of The Rep’s Resident Acting Company, premiering THE NERD, WENCESLAS SQUARE and THE FOREIGNER at The Rep in the early 1980s. It was during Artistic Director John Dillon’s tenure that The Rep started to tour internationally with A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE and GLASS MENAGERIE to Japan and OUR TOWN and ACCORDING TO COYOTE to Russia. In 1993, Joseph Hanreddy assumed artistic leadership and strengthened The Rep’s commitment to a resident company of artists. He extended the company’s reach, touring internationally to Japan with the production SILENCE and workshops to Russia, as well as throughout Wisconsin. Award-winning international director Mark Clements assumed the reigns to launch the 2010/11 season, bringing exciting new artistic opportunity and a passion for community-wide collaboration to The Rep.

One of the founding members of the Fred Miller Theatre and later The Rep’s Managing Director, Charles Ray McCallum served for 20 years, spearheading The Rep’s early growth. Sara O’Connor succeeded McCallum, from 1974 through 1995, guiding the building of The Rep’s new state-of-the-art facility along the Milwaukee River in the heart of downtown Milwaukee [now named the Patty & Jay Baker Theater Complex.] Dan Fallon became Managing Director in 1995, while O’Connor stayed on to lead a $10 million Endowment Campaign. Tim Shields was appointed Managing Director in 1998 and began a process of modernizing The Rep’s administrative, marketing and fundraising systems that led to strong revenue gains. Dawn Helsing Wolters became Managing Director in 2009, working with staff and board to guide the theater out of a period of economic downturn into fiscal strength.

The Rep remains committed to producing new works for the stage. A relationship between The Rep and playwright Steven Dietz produced two world premieres written with The Rep’s Resident Acting Company in mind: FORCE OF NATURE (1999) and PARAGON SPRINGS (2000). In 2000, Eric Simonson and Jeffrey Hatcher’s WORK SONG premiered to high acclaim, and The Rep’s 2002 premiere of Simonson’s visceral adaptation of MOBY DICK was named by TIME magazine as one of the top ten theater productions in the nation. In 2007 Charles Randolph-Wright’s THE NIGHT IS A CHILD and Jeffrey Hatcher’s ARMADALE were both world premiere productions. The Rep has had several premieres in the Stackner Cabaret as well, including HULA HOOP SHA-BOOP, MARVELOUS WONDERETTES, ROUTE 66 and GRAFTON CITY BLUES, just to name a few.

The Rep supports a Resident Acting Company that allows the theater to develop complex and ambitious productions. The theater is also home to one of the oldest artistic internship programs in regional theater, welcoming year-long acting and directing interns who join the company full time in order to gain valuable experience in professional theater.

The Rep is committed to serving the broadest cross-section of its diverse community, maintaining a wide variety of programs to serve all ages. Our education programs serve over 20,000 students annually, with special student performances, pre- and post-play discussions, and study guides to help teachers integrate theater into their curriculum. The Rep also hosts behind-the-scenes opportunities, day-long theater immersion programs and sends teaching artists into schools, providing skill-development residencies and workshops. The Rep conducts a wide range of adult classes, a Summer Theater Conservatory and tours a one-act play tailored to issues facing middle and high school students to schools throughout the region each year. In the Quadracci Powerhouse and Stiemke Studio, the popular “The Rep In Depth” program offers first-hand insight from an actor or member of the artistic team prior to every performance. The Rep also provides hundreds of complimentary tickets to Milwaukee area charitable organizations, “Pay-What-You-Can” performances, audience talkbacks and a wide range of access services including audio-described performances, American Sign Language-interpreted performances and Captioned Theater performances. The Entourage program was developed to bring younger audiences to Rep productions. Entourage hosts several events through the course of season with pre-show mixers to introduce them to The Rep and live theater. The Friends of The Rep is a volunteer organization integral to the life of the theater. Friends contribute countless hours each year raising funds, providing artist hospitality and critical support to the theater’s operations. Through their continued effort and support, The Rep is able to continue to produce some of the best live theater available in the state of Wisconsin.

The Rep is governed by a dedicated Board of Trustees comprised of over 30 volunteer business and community leaders, focusing on strategic and long-range planning, fundraising, as well as overall stewardship of The Rep. The Board is committed to maintaining The Rep as an important community asset and upholding the mission of the theater ensuring that: “The Rep plays a vital role in the cultural life of our region through: creating theatrical productions of the highest standard which explore and illuminate the human condition; providing an artistic home for a diverse company of theater professionals, including a Resident Acting Company; and providing a variety of educational programs for all ages.”