Photo courtesy of Milwaukee Rep
Mark Clements, the Milwaukee Rep's artistic director
Live performances were alive and well and filling our area stages just a short time ago. Now, in this Age of Pandemic, how do “the shows must go on” when we shelter in place and practice social distancing?
For The Milwaukee Repertory Theater, there are plenty of virtual programs to engage at all levels of social media interest with a bounty of activities. But, just exactly where to begin? That was the challenge The Rep’s Artistic Director, Mark Clements faced in engaging audiences without an actual stage.
“After our season came to a shattering halt, we knew we wanted to maintain a connection with our staff, artists and audience during this time,” he explains (from a safe distance—email!). “We had an exciting run of shows on the docket to end the season and since they are not able to move forward, we looked at the breath of material—musical theater, new plays, education and engagement—and created content around what we do best.”
And the best part? The programming is free of charge. Some just require an RSVP. For those looking for a break from binge-watching recorded TV series or looking for a reason not to head back to the kitchen (again), The Rep has “food for thought” with “Wellness Wednesdays,” a series of online workshops and videos taught by The Rep’s Artistic, Community Engagement and Education staff members. The program recently featured a segment on “Stretching and Conditioning” by another Milwaukee artist with plenty of experience in that area, Itzel Hernandez, a company dancer with the Milwaukee Ballet.
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.
And for those who wanted to brush up on presenting monologues (think: putting together a speech by a single character), The Rep’s Joshua “JP” Pohja, School Programs Coordinator & Teaching Artist of Rep Education’s Basic Acting series, provided tips and techniques on putting it together.
Then there’s “What’s the Tea?” every Tuesday at 2 p.m. where Clements features different artists taking on a variety of subjects. “I chose people who I really enjoy listening to that, in turn assumed that others would appreciate,” says Clements. “People from all walks of life—writers, critics, actors who can offer a different perspective.”
The show debuted with Ayad Akhtar, Milwaukee native and Pulitzer Prize winner for his play Disgraced. Chicago Tribune theater critic Chris Jones recently appeared. Future guests include Australian playwright Andrew Bovell, author of Things I Know To Be True which the Rep performed last season.
“His [Bovell’s] conversation is interesting given his geography and that he’s behind us in terms of the timeline of this pandemic,” emphasizes Clements. And he also called up actor and friend Rob McClure, who was set to open in the leading role of Mrs. Doubtfire on Broadway.
The positive feedback to the online programming has certainly expanded Clements’ perspective on the benefits of such social media platforms. “It has made me much more open to it, I will say that,” he says. “Streaming of shows is never going to completely replace the live experience and shared experience of going to the theater together. I think it’s more of a stop gap for people right now,” he explains, adding, “On the plus side, it’s opening the live arts to people who may not have had the opportunity, for whatever reason, to engage with us on their own terms. I hope that it will encourage them to come back and experience us in person when we reopen.”
To learn more about the Rep’s social media programs, visit: www.milwaukeerep.com
