There’s something very special people experience when they come to Lake Country Playhouse, an unparalleled intimacy that enables the audience to catch even the slightest nuances, a gentle sigh, a slight facial expression, that otherwise might be missed on a larger stage. It’s for reasons like these that you’ll find Sandra Renick spending the majority of her free time at Lake Country Playhouse (LCP) on Capitol Drive in Hartland, Wisconsin, where she volunteers as artistic director.
Lake Country Playhouse is entering its third season of Summer Staged Readings, which has been steadily gaining momentum. Sponsored by Broadway producer Kit Seidel, the series provides audiences a unique opportunity to focus on text and the power of storytelling, while benefitting from an economically priced ticket. These readings are tailored for a mature audience, with Renick describing them as “Storytime, for adults.” This June, the selected staged reading is Making God Laugh by Sean Grennan. The playwright will attend the Saturday, June 10 performance including a talkback after the show with the audience. Fast forward to August 2023, and LCP has three more staged readings lined up:
Third by Wendy Wasserstein will be performed from August 11-13, followed by 33 Variations by Moises Kaufmann on August 18-20. The series will conclude with a performance of The Crucible by Arthur Miller on August 25-27.
The theater has often been met with skepticism from those who believe certain shows cannot be produced in such a small space. “My reaction is nearly always, Challenge accepted!” Renick stated. Her journey of directing at LCP kicked off with Sweeney Todd a decade ago in 2013 with her directing partner Breanne Brennan. Despite facing rejection from the board of directors, Renick persisted in proposing the show year after year. Eventually, former President Bob Hurd recognized Renick contributions to the theatre and declared, “If Sandra wants to direct Sweeney Todd, we will make it happen!”
Stay on top of the news of the day
Subscribe to our free, daily e-newsletter to get Milwaukee's latest local news, restaurants, music, arts and entertainment and events delivered right to your inbox every weekday, plus a bonus Week in Review email on Saturdays.
The audition for the production attracted a whopping 75 actors to the small theatre, and every single performance sold out. This marked the beginning of a cultural shift towards artistic experimentation at LCP. By taking more risks, the theater harvested a positive response from the audience, and as a result, now presents a diverse array of shows that balances financial cautiousness with creative exploration.
Visit: Lakecountryplayhousewi.org
Photo Credit: Erol Reyal
