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Milwaukee Repertory Theater – History and Mission
Click here to view The Rep's Photographic History,
1976 - 1994
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.”
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