volume 30, issue 1 30, volume 2019 september “ Why THE REVOLUTIONISTS? by David Cecsarini There’s no doubt, I’m a first look and life’s last, here, Lauren Gunderson fan. We’ve every day. And you will see produced four of her plays yourself in it, or your fear, or recently: THE TAMING in 2016 your future before the play’s (remember when the beauty end. And you will test your Photo: Ross Zentner Ross Photo: queen candidate won the White heart against trouble and House?), SILENT SKY (Henrietta joy, and every time you’ll feel Leavitt measures the universe), a flicker or a fountain of feel- I AND YOU (two teens bond ing that reminds you that, for one lifetime), and now THE yes, you are yet living. REVOLUTIONISTS (a dream-fugue I’ve heard many explanations for take on an all-female French the purpose of theatre, and tried Revolution). So, what’s with the Bree Beelow in THE TAMING to formulate some of my own, Gunderson? but Henry’s meditation brings up Lauren Gunderson’s heroes are I also like Olympe because goose bumps. she’s a stand-in for playwright women. I think this, above all What was a tangential inquiry in Gunderson herself. There’s an other reasons, is why I’m a fan THE BOOK OF WILL has taken cen- unmistakable similarity of voice, and why I picked this play. Inter- ter stage in THE REVOLUTIONISTS. bright mind and inquisitiveness estingly, in the script’s cast list, Gunderson puts Olympe through in Olympe’s character which I Lauren initially describes each an arduous obstacle course of recognize from Lauren’s oth- of the four women as “badass.” challenges, creative frustration, er plays and her appearance at She’s serious about her heroes! fear, inspiration and revelation the Madison Public Library I had Without knowing anything about as she wrestles with the mean- the pleasure of attending a few Olympe DeGouges, the reluctant ing and value of art - specifi- years back. At that gathering, playwright-activist at the cen- cally, theatre. Responding early she took the opportunity to read ter of Gunderson’s revolution- on to accusations that theatre a selection from her very recent ary romp, I was readily drawn is nothing but fiction, and of no script, THE BOOK OF WILL (seen into her artistic and societal help to anyone in need, she says: struggles, empathizing with her as a reading at Next Act in 2018), doubts and fears and at last, cel- where two of Shakespeare’s It might be fiction, but it’s not ebrating her triumphs as an artist actors are contemplating the fake. meaning of theatre, sitting on the and proud member of the world’s The beating hearts in front of well-worn boards of the empty sisterhood. you are real. and dark Globe stage. The gathering of people is John: Why do we bother with real. any of it? The time we spend together, Henry: To feel again. Photo: Ross Zentner Ross Photo: this time, is real. John: I feel enough (says the The story is real when it man who has just lost his starts. dear wife to sudden illness). Continued, page 2 Henry: I said to feel again. Inside This Issue The faeiries aren’t real, but the feeling is. We play love’s In Tandem With You! Jane Flieller 3 Deborah Staples in SILENT SKY Renaissance is Moving to Next Act 3 The French Revolution 4 THE REVOLUTIONISTS is generously sponsored by Next On Tap 6 Larry & Patty Compton and Dr. David Paris Dentistry Challenging Visions 7 Why THE REVOLUTIONISTS continued In Tandem With You! by Jane Flieller, Development Director I’ve written before that the actor’s art is often als is storing up, to be released and processed as equated with lying. The comparison is in itself, a the play is freshly remembered. Here are a couple I promised myself I was going to sleep writing grants, hosting lie, clearly an opinion held by those who are as yet of tidbits: through the month of July and then rest in August. fundraising events, and innocent of the power of the ancient art of story- But my alarm clock went off early when David called getting to know patrons … a good deed needs a good story or else it telling which emanates from actors, on wooden to say that Next Act was in need of a Development and donors. All of these might vanish like nothing. ever. happened. planks, in a darkened room, to a gathering of in- Director. things will be part of what …let us laugh, and laugh too loudly and too I’ll do for Next Act. So quisitive minds and open hearts. Under those ex- For the past 21 years, along with my husband, often, and call out the hypocrites of our age while it may have been quisite conditions, the actors’ deep-seated grasp Chris, I was co-founder and Producing Director of of character and circumstance intertwines with until they are the butt of the joke. a little earlier than I had In Tandem Theatre. This past spring, we made the planned, I eagerly took the willingness of humans to imagine and believe, I mean, you can’t kill the writers — that’s decision to cease operations and leave our venue, and miraculously, truth appears. It’s the nature, the the job at Next Act this Democracy 101! the Tenth Street Theatre on Milwaukee’s near west past July. power of theatre. Fiction, not fake. side. While it was a difficult decision, it is one with As she writes in her script notes, “The play is based which we are happy. We believe we did the right My history with Next Act goes back a long way. Another admirable Gunderson trademark, very on real women, real transcripts and real executions. thing at the right time for the organization and for Prior to In Tandem, I worked as a freelance stage much present in THE REVOLUTIONISTS, is her deft But remember it’s a comedy.” And under Gunderson’s ourselves. In Tandem will live on as we continue manager, working with Theatre Tesseract, Next touch when it comes to touchy subjects. Her char- masterful supervision, that comedy is realized along with projects outside of our programming, such Generation Theatre and then for Next Act when the acters draw you in with their ebullient presence and with a deeply-felt exploration – no, celebration - of as training and providing actors to do role-play- two aforementioned companies merged. My dear smart repartee, and then suddenly one of them will the strength, resilience and generosity of the better ing exercises for students of social work through friend, Charles Kakuk, was my mentor when we be- emit the flash of an idea, a flip-sting comment, or half of this planet’s population. a profound and challenging truth which hangs in the Helen Bader School of Social Welfare and other gan In Tandem – teaching me the ins and outs of the air, impossible to miss or avoid. But then, on- Vive les femmes! small events. Who knows, perhaps we’ll put on a arts administration. The transition has been quite ward; Gunderson propels you forward, and as you show somewhere, some day (I hear Next Act rents easy, as I have the benefit of using the same pro- stay alert to the journey, the energy of her editori- their theatre...). Artistically, I do hope to direct again cesses and techniques that Charles instituted for in the future. Next Act and that he passed along to me. I also have known David, the Next Act staff, most of their Ibraheem Farmer Once Chris and I made our decision, it was time to & Cristina Panfilio in I AND YOU actors and designers, as well as many of their pa- decide what direction to take, career-wise. I began trons and donors for years. It all feels very familiar to think about all the things I did administratively and comfortable. with In Tandem and of the myriad of hats I wore, Photo: Ross Zentner Ross Photo: what I would miss the most. The answer kept com- I look forward to seeing old friends and making new ing back to development. I enjoy researching and ones as we launch Next Act’s 30th anniversary season together. Renaissance is Moving to Next Act Over the summer, Renaissance Theaterworks RTW then joined Next Act Theatre for “a couple (RTW), announced they would be moving to a new of fun seasons in the early 2000s” when Next Act artistic home at the Next Act Theatre building at Theatre established its first home, The Off-Broad- the beginning of its 2020-21 production season. way at St. Paul and Water Street. “We look forward THE REVOLUTIONISTS by Lauren Gunderson “We’ve grown beyond the capacity of the 99-seat to hosting RTW’s productions once again, and even though there is significant crossover between our SEPTEMBER 26 - OCTOBER 20, 2019 Studio Theatre at the Broadway Theatre Center,” audiences, we anticipate the added benefit of in- SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY shares Managing Director Lisa Rasmussen, “and we 26 27 28 are excited to seize this moment and embrace the troducing even more people to more good theatre.” Preview Opening demand for more opportunities for the community 4:30 7:30 7:30 8:00 to experience RTW. This bold move will allow us to 29 2 3 4 5 continue on a positive trajectory for many years to come.” 1:30 4:30 2:00 7:30 7:30 7:30 8:00 The move to Next Act Theatre is not the first time 6 9 10 11 12 the two companies have shared a space.