“Honest to God, John, it’s one of the best plays I’ve ever read,” Susan Fete tells me as we talk about Renaissance Theaterworks’ 8th annual Br!nk New Play Festival. And as co-founder and artistic director of one of Milwaukee’s leading theater companies, now in its 29th season, she’s read a ton of plays.
She’s speaking of 30 Seconds by Jayne Deely, the first of two full-length works-in-progress by distinguished writers that Renaissance will present, free of charge, as “festival readings.” It will also be a kind of housewarming at the company’s new home at 255 S. Water Street, the longtime home of Next Act Theatre. Both companies will share the space now. In terms of seating capacity and staging opportunities, it’s a step up for Renaissance from the Broadway Theatre Center’s small studio theater.
30 Seconds is set in 1999. “Bill Clinton is president,” Fete reminds me. “It’s about a 13-year old girl named Max, and how she navigates the world, and just how hard it is to be a kid.” When Max receives a threatening note at school, she has just seconds to act.
The playwright is an MFA candidate in Playwriting at Indiana University in Bloomington. They describe themselves as a Puerto Rican queer storyteller. They also act professionally and have an impressive track record of productions nationally. This script has already attracted some national attention. It’s a perfect moment for the final tweaks a workshop performance can inspire.
Odysseus via Penelope
“And the other play is also outstanding,” Fete says with equal heart. That’s Queen of Ithaca by Aline Lathrop, a nationally produced and much awarded Chicago playwright. “It tells the story of Odysseus from Penelope’s point of view, what it’s like to be the person waiting.”
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Each script receives a week-long workshop with professional artists. “We focus on whatever the playwright wants,” Fete explains. “So it’s never geared toward the end result, which is hard for someone that produces. But it’s garnered good results over the years.” Renaissance can choose to do a full production later, of course, and that’s happened in the past. So, this is also a way for Fete to test the play with a Milwaukee audience. Audience members are invited to share responses.
The readings can take different forms. “It’s wherever we’re at when the day comes,” Fete says. Typically, actors develop strong relationships with the roles they’ve helped to deepen. Although they carry scripts, they often know the lines. A rough staging helps to explore the play’s physical aspects.
Fete’s excitement to share both plays has only grown through the year-long pandemic postponement. The 30 Seconds presentation is Tuesday, Sept. 7; Queen of Ithaca is Wednesday, Sept. 8; both at 7 p.m. There’s no cost but reservations will guarantee you a seat. Visit the Renaissance Theaterworks website for details.
