Situated off-campus, the recently remodeled Kenilworth Building extends the distinctive aesthetic feel of the university a bit further into the East Side than I remember it ever being in the past fifteen years. The crisp dusk of late autumn in the alley entrance to Kenilworth Square felt distinctively like State Street in Madison. That’s when I noticed the Urban Outfitters. Someone asked me if I was there for a residence (residents?) meeting. I shook my head. I was heading in to UWM’s Studio 508 for the UWM Lab/Works production of Pirandello’s Six Characters In Search of An Author. Studio 508 is a snug little black box studio space on the fifth floor of the Kenilworth Building. There isn’t a great deal of seating in the space, which didn’t make it any less impressive to see opening night of the Pirandello classic completely sold out. A large group consisting mostly of students waited for the theatre to open in a narrowly defined kind of lobby area. The theatre itself is general admission seating with a number of molded, plastic chairs set-up in something resembling a theater in the round format. The program is a single 8-1/2” by 11” sheet of paper folded in half with basic information about the show. It features a six -paragraph cameo appearance by noted local DIY actor Tim Chrapko in the role of Dramaturg.
Thus begun a remarkably satisfying show that runs through Sunday only. Inspired by the American Repertory Theatre’s 1997 production of the play (thank you Mr. Chrapko,) this is a rarely-produced 20th century classic that will probably sell quite well to UWM theatre students alone. Anyone on the outside interested in seeing this slightly flawed modern staging of a rare post-modern gem should probably work out whether or not they want to see it soonseating is very limited in Studio 508 and UWM does take advance ticket sales for the space.
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Tonight I go from one of this season’s many Theatre About Theatre shows to the second ‘08/’09 election-themed show to open in Milwaukee. Unlike the Rep’s State of the Union, which closed a few weeks back, Theatre Gigante’s The Perfect Candidate runs for only one week. It’s a busy week for local theatre with the Gigante production joining at least three other shows opening the weekend before Election Day. It’s going to be a long series of days . . .