Following in the footsteps of other Milwaukee actors, well-known actor Reese Madigan is looking forward to spending his first summer onstage at American Players Theatre in Spring Green, Wis. Except it turns out that Madigan is not from Milwaukee. He’s a New York native who grew up in a small town north of Manhattan. He first graced local stages decades ago, and currently he is an Associate Artist with Milwaukee Repertory Theater.
Madigan has appeared in 16 Rep productions over the years, most recently as the impoverished clerk Bob Cratchit in Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol (a role he will reprise this December). He also has been seen at other Milwaukee theaters, such as Next Act and Renaissance Theaterworks.
Among his favorite roles at the Milwaukee Rep, Reese lists the troubled Brick in Cat On a Hot Tin Roof (1999-2000 season); Biff, a wayward son, in Death of a Salesman (2010-11 season), and legendary Green Bay Packers player Paul Horning in Lombardi! (2011-12).
But even if he’s only an occasional Milwaukee resident, he says the town is one of his favorite places to be. “It’s where most of my friends are,” he says during a phone interview held during a break between rehearsals in Spring Green.
Like so many things in life, the chance to act in Spring Green came unexpectedly. Earlier this year, he was asked by American Players Theatre (APT) favorite Colleen Madden to audition for the role of Paul, a tutor whose goal is to add some refinement to Billie Dawn (played by Colleen Madden) in Garson Kanin’s Born Yesterday. At the time, Madden was appearing in Black Pearl Sings! on the Rep’s cabaret stage, and Madigan was working with Renaissance Theaterworks.
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Madigan must have given one heck of an audition, because he was offered a job on the spot. “It was Reese’s willingness to ‘play’ in his scenes with Colleen, as well as the connection between them, that came across in the audition,” said Artistic Director Brenda DeVita, who will be directing Born Yesterday. (As Paul, Madden’s tutor, Madigan eventually falls in love with her.)
Offering a contract immediately after an audition isn’t something DeVita does very often. “I can only imagine a few cases (where I’ve done it) in the past 20 years,” she said. “We had auditioned a lot of people for that part. A lot of people. It was really clear to me that he was the one for the part.”
Also, DeVita said, Madigan had “great recommendations from everyone I talked to about him. That speaks volumes.”
Madigan describes his character in Born Yesterday as “a man who takes himself seriously. He’s intelligent, and he knows it. As an educator, he’s a passionate crusader for truth. He loves literature, language and learning - but he hates ignorance.” It’s the first time Madigan has tackled this many-faceted character.
In addition to his key role in Born Yesterday, Madigan will also have a small part in another APT show, Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure. “That is part of being in a repertory company (filling big and small roles), and I love it,” Madigan said.
APT will be a “new chapter” for Madigan. Previously, he has worked on Broadway, Off-Broadway and at established regional theater companies from Louisville to Arizona.
Both of Madigan’s APT shows will be held outdoor at the Hill Theatre, so named for the challenging hill one must climb to reach the stage (vans are provided for the elderly and disabled).
As the stage lights dim and the stars come out in Spring Green, Madigan may feel as though his career is coming full circle. His first “professional” performance was as a cast member in Shakespeare in the Park, produced by The Public Theater under the direction of the late Joe Papp. It was a thrilling experience for the 22-year-old Madigan, he says.
One senses the same excitement when Madigan talks about Born Yesterday, which plays from June 23 to Sept. 22 at APT. One of the theater’s taglines is, “Come play in the woods.” Madigan is set to do exactly that.
