Backstage at the Milwaukee Rep

Theater season is in the air! 

A couple weeks ago, I had the pleasure to hear from the Milwaukee Repertory Theater's Artistic Director, Mark Clements, as he welcomed new subscribers to the Quadracci Powerhouse. There are three stages at the Milwaukee Rep, the largest being the Powerhouse, followed by the intimate Stiemke Studio and the always-musical Stackner Cabaret Dinner Theater. The three sizes and styles of space allow the Rep to stage a broad range of works, and that's what makes this company so very unique to the Milwaukee theater scene. 

Our group was also treated to a backstage tour, where we ogled prop rooms stacked with tupperware housing things like tinsel and embroidery. We saw the vast workroom where artists turn fresh slabs of wood into intricate, aged, character-filled pieces of scenery. 

As for the costume and wig shop, there's a strict "hands off!" policy. It's strange how hard it is to keep your digits to yourself when gorgeous period gowns and wigs worn by Deb Staples are just begging to be touched. Even so, my personal favorite space was the cast break room, which is also where they store a slew of chandeliers. Not a bad spot to take five backstage. 

This season at the Milwaukee Rep kicks off with a play on each of the theater's three stages. In the Cabaret, it's Souvenir — the story of Florence Foster Jenkins. Jenkins was an eccentric Manhattan socialite who loved to sing, but really shouldn't have. The Stiemke Studio starts its season with The Who and the What — a play by Pulitzer Prize-winner Ayad Akhtar, whose Disgraced and Invisible Hand have also been staged at the Rep. 

In the Quadracci Powerhouse, we'll all be toe-tapping to the Tony-winning Guys & Dolls when it opens on September 19th. They say this is the musical for people who claim they don't like musicals. The songs are catchy, there are show-stopping numbers, and it's such a classic story that even the hardest hearts can't argue with its greatness. I'll be there on opening night, probably grinning like an idiot. 

For information on all future Milwaukee Rep productions and to purchase tickets, visit milwaukeerep.com.