Being young doesn’t mean being ignorant. The youth see and process their situations like any adult does and being a teenager can be especially difficult. Antarctica, WI, a play that follows seven teenagers living in an unnamed but Milwaukee-like city, attempts to capture the universal challenges of being young. The play’s teenagers want to change the circumstances in their community that seem far out of their control. The central conflict arises from their desire to bring about change while not knowing how to break the status quo. First Stage will present the world premiere of Antarctica, WI by international award-winning Tasmanian playwright Finegan Kruckemeyer. Milwaukee’s Malkia Stampley directs the family friendly play.
“The play for me is a contemporary folktale inspired by conversations that the playwright, who is literally from the other side of the world, had with the youth of Milwaukee,” said Jeff Frank, artistic director at First Stage. “It’s a couple of days in the lives of seven teenagers and it’s about how much more challenging their lives are in Milwaukee right now.”
Two alternating casts will play the seven teens. The diverse groups of actors from many backgrounds come from all over the city and suburbs. The intention is to have an authentic representation of Milwaukee, Frank said. He explained that the city in the play is an amalgam of Milwaukee, but that Kruckemeyer intentionally kept the setting vague, the better to incorporate the elements of fantasy that are characteristic of all of his work. Audiences may remember, for example, his magical play The Snow, a highlight of First Stage’s 2015-16 season.
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“I hope the play opens people’s eyes to truths here in our community and also provokes thought and activates discussion,” Frank said. “The play ends on a hopeful note but not one that provides the answers.”
Sherman Park and Racial Politics
Frank commissioned Kruckemeyer to write the play after a meeting in New York several years ago. The playwright came here in the summer of 2016 and interviewed many young Milwaukeeans. Parts of the play echo the Sherman Park unrest that took place just before Kruckemeyer arrived for these interviews. He drew on his conversations with residents regarding the racial politics in Milwaukee to write Antarctica, WI.
“So as a Milwaukee citizen watching, it should feel personal and representational and respectful and applicable to you,” Kruckemeyer said about the play in an email. “But for another viewer, in another place, it should have elements which do the same.”
While the playwright is international, First Stage chose a local director for the production. Stampley is a professional actor and director and a founding member of the Bronzeville Arts Ensemble. This is her first time directing at First Stage. “Antarctica, WI is a special way to honor our teenagers in Milwaukee,” she said. “There are seven teenagers in the show and I find a piece of myself in each one of them. I’m hoping that our audiences can find that.”
She explained that while she’s thrilled to direct this play, it’s also a challenge. This is a new play and she is making the first decisions about its production.
“I’ve found that the scariest things are exactly the things I need to tackle and face head on, and this show is that for me,” Stampley said. While directing it, she found that her teenaged actors are passionate and educated about issues both in Milwaukee and nationally. She thought she would have to convince them about the politics and social problems in Milwaukee; instead, she found that she was listening to their perspectives.
Stampley also hopes that audiences will see the importance of community and friendship in the production. She added that people are struggling and having a group of friends or being part of a community means they won’t have to struggle alone.
“I hope that we remember that Milwaukee needs work,” Stampley said. “We have to be willing to listen. I think if we’re willing to listen and look at what we claim needs work, we’ll be in a better place.”
Performances are April 6-22 in the Todd Wehr Theater of the Marcus Center for Performing Arts, 929 N. Water St. For tickets, call 414-267-2961 or visit firststage.org.
