Renaissance Theaterworks (RTW) has announced that they are moving their productions to the Next Act Theatre building, located in Walker's Point at 255 S. Water Street. “We’ve grown beyond the capacity of the 99-seat Studio Theatre at the Broadway Theatre Center, where we’ve enjoyed our 15-year residency,” says Managing Director Lisa Rasmussen. Seating capacity will increase by over 50% to a maximum of 152 on a thrust stage. A state of the art amplification system has recently been installed in the new space.
RTW and Next Act Theatre are not combining into a single artistic entity, rather collaborating to share the space. This will not be the first time the two companies will enter a housing partnership. They shared a performance space in the 1990s when they performed at the Off-Broadway building on Water and St. Paul streets.
The move will take place at the beginning of the 2020-2021 season. All RTW 2019-2020 performances will be staged at the Broadway Center as planned, and administrative offices will remain at the current Broadway location.
RTW is the nation’s second oldest theater company dedicated to promoting the work of women theater artists, and Milwaukee’s only women-run professional theater company dedicated to improving gender parity. Artistic Director Suzan Fete explains, “Only 20% of people who work in American theater are women—backstage, directors and actors. During the 2017-2018 season, RTW employed nearly 90 female theater artists, in addition to the administrative staff. And in 27 years of producing theater, RTW has never been in debt.”
In 2016, RTW won an award from the International Conference of Women Playwrights, presented to theater companies in recognition of their commitment to women writers. In August, RTW will participate in the prestigious Samuel French Off Off Broadway Short Play Festival in New York City.
