Photo courtesy of Milwaukee Rep
Mark Clements, the Milwaukee Rep's artistic director
In this Age of Pandemic, there’s one thing we can count on in the “next normal”: constant change. Day by day. Season by season.
And for the Milwaukee Rep, their current 2020-21 season is now being moved into 2021-22. Originally scheduled to open in late October 2020, the “2020-21 Season Reset” will now feature five works beginning in December 2020 with Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol, a one-actor version; Ella Fitzgerald: First Lady of Song; the return of McGuire; a world premiere, Antonio’s Song/I was Dreaming of a Son; and Nina Simone: Four Women.
“We, and everyone really, are at the mercy of this virus,” explains Rep Executive Director Chad Bauman. “While we do have to comply with city and state regulations on safety protocols and capacities, we also have to take into account our own personal feelings around safety of our staff, artists and patrons. All those factors combined, it became clear over the course of the summer we would not be able to produce our announced 2020/21 Season which was planned in a time when COVID-19 did not exist.”
Instead of the traditional Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, at the Pabst Theater, Rep patrons will now get a chance to see the magical holiday tale told from the perspective of Jacob Marley in Tom Mula’s one-actor version featuring Rep veteran Lee E. Ernst inhabiting the Powerhouse main stage (Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol was last performed in December 2017 by Acacia Theatre Company).
The “good news” in all of this?
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Rep subscribers and patrons have been turning out in solid support since the start of the pandemic, according to Artistic Director Mark Clements. “Since March we’ve been booking subscriptions at an alarming rate, it’s truly heartwarming and humbling to see our patrons value us as a cultural institution,” he says. “However, we know that everyone has their own personal feelings on safety, which is why the “Reset Season” is extremely flexible. You can come in person or receive a virtual streamed performance of the production. You can do that for one of the plays or all. It allows people to come in at their own pace.”
Protocols in Place
And the Rep has put a number of protocols in place to maximize safety for audiences, artists and staff. In addition to increased cleaning procedures, there will be paperless tickets, a face mask requirement and an enhanced HVAC system. In addition, all theaters will be limited to 35 percent capacity and patrons will be seated in a socially distanced manner.
“Covid-19 is the most existential threat Milwaukee Rep has faced in its 66-year history,” Bauman points out. “We’ve been closed for months and months and have had to slash budgets and staff in half.”
But, like the age-old entertainment proverb, “the show must go on”—and does, even in this Age of Pandemic. Much of the effort to push on has to do with the courage and determination of the artists, staff and certainly the audiences who support theater—virtually, in-person, in spirit.
Adds Clements: “Resiliency is second nature to most artists and I think we are seeing that come to play in a very major way here as we move forward”
For more information on the Rep’s 2020/21 Season Reset and its safety protocols, visit: www.MilwaukeeRep.com
