Turning Up the Heat: Quasimondo Physical Theatre Brings New Life to North Milwaukee

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This fall, I was offered the opportunity to work as the editorial intern at the Shepherd Express. While I considered my main expertise to be in arts and entertainment, I hadn’t thought about the various forms it takes. I’m a music snob, so when I was handed a list of theater articles and reviews, I felt out of my element. My trips around Milwaukee have brought me to many extraordinary buildings, but nothing had compared to the feeling I had when I walked into the site of the North Milwaukee Arthaus.

As I opened the front door, I was met with a grand front staircase in the midst of an eerily dark atmosphere. “Hello?” a voice called out in the distant shadows. Soon, a figure had stepped to the top of the stairs. Brian Rott—producing artistic director for Quasimondo Physical Theatre, came into focus, bundled in a knit cap, scarf and gloves—stepped forward to greet me. The Arthaus, a formerly foreclosed fire house, has been under a full-scale remodel since its purchase back in April. “I hope you have plenty of layers on,” Rott warned, as I watched his breath trail from his mouth. “We are working with a bunch of space heaters at the moment.”

Upon walking into their rehearsal room, I was greeted by Don Russell, chair of Cooperative Performance’s board of directors and collaborator with Rott on their year-end premiere of Celsius 232, an interpretation of the Ray Bradbury novel Fahrenheit 451. The performance follows Guy Montag, a public servant in a post-truth dystopia who works to “protect” society from books and the actuality they provide. Through a chain of events, Montag begins to see through the guise that the government has propagated.

Celsius 232 may distract you with a cast full of clowns in firefighter gear, but its purpose is to serve as a spotlight on the sensitive topic of truth, which has become subjective. “We want to continue the discussion of credibility, and hopefully open some people up to the tactics those in power use to manipulate the information we see,” Russell said. “Dark humor has a unique way of representing controversial topics without a lingering sense of uneasiness.”

This play comes at a pivotal point in our country. Amongst various attempts by government employees to change the truth, the most recent came a day after the midterm elections. During a press conference with Donald Trump, CNN reporter Jim Acosta was ridiculed by the POTUS, and a White House intern tried to seize his microphone from him. In a video posted by press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ Twitter account, Acosta looks to be forcefully batting the associate’s hand away. But, after slowing down the footage, it was confirmed by experts that the video had been edited by removing a sequence of frames to make Acosta’s arm movement look more abrupt.

“It is situations like this where people need to take a step back and reconsider the news they view every day,” Rott said. “Just like Montag, I think we are slowly starting to uncover more truth and become more vigilant in our viewing habits.” Rott and Russell are not trying to attack any one group specifically; they reiterated that there are problems to be uncovered in all areas of society, and that people from any background are encouraged to attend the show.

Rise of the Arthaus

But, what about the exposed original brick and plastic-covered wall joints? Rott explained that, while there is still plenty of work to be done restoring the Arthaus, it will be functional for Celsius 232’s opening night on Friday, Nov. 30. After our interview, Rott took me on a tour of the building while Russell got their performers ready for a rehearsal. Walking through the stripped rooms reminded me of my grandparents’ house. The cracked plaster that hid the original brickwork gave light to character the building held. In one of the office spaces, Rott pointed upwards to a hole in the ceiling. “This is the opening to the original bell tower,” Rott said, “and if this rope still works… yep, the bell still rings!” The echo of the bell within the shell of the Arthaus gave it an unexpected warmth.

The seating is already in place on the first floor, but the building itself will function as much more than a theater space. The second floor will house offices for Quasimondo, two rehearsal spaces, as well as classrooms for theater enthusiasts in the surrounding community looking to learn. “We had looked at over 50 properties in the area before settling on this space, because there was a lack of arts outlets in the community,” Rott said. “I think there are eight schools in the area, with not a single location to serve those interested.”

Rott and Russell hope that, with Quasimondo opening up its doors, more businesses will follow suit and help revitalize this section of North Milwaukee. The North Milwaukee Arthaus currently sits next to an empty lot and across from two unnamed production buildings. “We need to preserve as much heat as we can until we get a permanent system put in,” Rott said. “But hopefully come springtime we can open up one of these fire house doors to invite more people in.”

Celsius 232 runs Nov. 30-Dec. 15 at the North Milwaukee Arthaus, 5151 N. 35th Street. For tickets, visit cooperativeperformance.org or quasimondo.org.