Welcome to Milwaukee Rep!More than sixty years ago, Milwaukee Rep was founded to produce world-class theater for local audiences. Today, nearly 200,000 theatregoers annually enjoy the shared experience of The Rep - sometimes laughing, often deeply moved, and always intrigued by thought-provoking work that can afford a new outlook on life as we know it. For our upcoming 2015/16 Season, I’ve selected plays that will continue to entertain and enlighten. From epic masterpieces to classics to world premieres, there is something for everyone. Please join us and don’t miss a single breathtaking moment!

Opening the Quadracci Powerhouse season, I will direct the record-breaking Broadway musical Dreamgirls, produced by the team that brought you Ragtime and The Color Purple. Next up is Agatha Christie’s classic The Mousetrap, the hit play which has been running in London’s West End for 62 years, making it the longest running play in the world. Ringing in the new year, we present my award-winning production of Of Mice and Men, which played to record-breaking audiences in Philadelphia and won eight Barrymore Awards, including Best Production. Finishing out the season is a Milwaukee Rep world premiere: American Song, by Joanna Murray-Smith featuring the incomparable James DeVita followed by August Wilson’s masterpiece, Fences.

In the Stiemke Studio, we bring you two extraordinary new works starting with The Lion, a story of the redemptive power of music told by one man and six guitars which was a New York Times’ Critics Pick. This is followed by Milwaukee native and Pulitzer Prize-winner Ayad Akhtar’s riveting political thriller, The Invisible Hand.

The Stackner Cabaret opens with another world premiere, Back Home Again: On the Road with John Denver, followed by the return of the wildly popular Guys on Ice. Rounding out the season will be The Devil’s Music: The Life and Blues of Bessie Smith, as well as the final world premiere of our season, Sirens of Song, where three female powerhouse vocalists will belt out songs that will capture your heart and stir your soul.

I invite you to become a member of The Rep family by subscribing today. The more plays you purchase, the more you save! You won’t want to miss a single show in this incredible season.

Many thanks for your new or continued support.

Warmly,

Mark Clements Artistic Director

www.MilwaukeeRep.com 414-224-9490

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Brit Whittle, Steve Sheridan, and Jeff Steitzer in Five

Presidents (2014/15 Season). Photo by Tim Fuller.

World Premiere Event

September 11 – November 8, 2015STACKNER CABARET

Created by the writer and music director of the 2014/15 Stackner hit Low Down Dirty Blues, this world premiere event is a celebration of folk musician John Denver’s life and music, including hits like “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” “Rocky Mountain High,” and “Leaving On a Jet Plane.” Featuring versatile musician David Lutken (Woody Sez), Back Home Again offers a rare glimpse of the man behind the music and the stories behind the songs.

A tribute to the man who shaped so much more than country music.

BY Randal Myler and Dan WheetmanDIRECTED BYRandal MylerEXECUTIVE PRODUCERS Wayne and Kristine Lueders

FEATURING REP FAVORITEDavid Lutken

www.MilwaukeeRep.com 414-224-9490

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“Mark Clements’ impeccable production mines all its human qualities…takes your breath away!”

- Philadelphia Inquirer

One of the most celebrated works in American literature, Of Mice and Men is a compelling tale of friendship and survival. George and Lennie are migrant workers who dream of settling down on a farm where the land stretches on forever and the soft rabbits need tending. This classic drama is a touching portrait of two underdogs in pursuit of the American dream. Mark Clements remounts his critically-acclaimed production using Milwaukee Rep favorites after a record-setting production in Philadelphia, where it won 8 Barrymore Awards (including Best Production).

An unlikely duo in search of a fresh start.

A Classic American StoryJanuary 19 – February 21, 2016 QUADRACCI POWERHOUSE

BY John SteinbeckDIRECTED BY Mark Clements ASSOCIATE PRODUCERSCarol and Rob ManegoldA CO-PRODUCTION WITH ARIZONA THEATRE COMPANY

9www.MilwaukeeRep.com 414-224-9490

“A thrilling evening in the theatre!” - NPR

FEATURINGJames Pickering

AND Jonathan Gillard Daly

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“[Murray-Smith shows] fresh imagination,

shimmering wit and emotional honesty”

- TIME OUT LONDON

BY Joanna Murray-SmithDIRECTED BY Mark Clements EXECUTIVE PRODUCERPeter Emch

World Premiere Event

March 15 – April 10, 2016 QUADRACCI POWERHOUSE

Andy Mancheski’s child left for school one morning and never came back. AMilwaukee Rep commission from award-winning Australian playwright, Joanna Murray-Smith, American Song asks what it means to be a father, a husband, and a citizen in a complex and changing world. It tells the story of an ordinary man who turned on the television news and knew the story of his happy life had shockingly and irrevocably changed. James DeVita, last seen in his tour-de-force performance of An Iliad, will star in this deeply moving examination of guilt and innocence, parental bonds, and life here and now.

One man’s look at what it meansto be a father in today’s world.

www.MilwaukeeRep.com 414-224-9490

FEATURING MILWAUKEE FAVORITE James DeVita

“Ramsey’s creation has a pertinence that links now

with long ago.” - THE PHILADELPHIA ENQUIRER

Celebrate the 20th Century woman through song! Fall under the spell of three powerhouse vocalists as they lead you on an uplifting journey of women’s defining moments in American history and their influences around the world. Experience stories of joy, sorrow, victory, and loss through powerful visuals and timeless songs such as “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” “I Will Survive,” and “Respect.” Created especially for The Rep’s Stackner Cabaret, Sirens of Song is a one-of-a-kind concert experience for all ages that will capture your heart and stir your soul!

A celebration of the songs and stories of womenthroughout history.

World Premiere Event

March 25 – May 29, 2016 STACKNER CABARET

CONCEIVED AND DIRECTED BY Kevin Ramsey

PRESENTED BY

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SUBSCRIBER ADD-ONS While not part of a subscription package, Subscribers have the first opportunity to purchase tickets before they go on sale to the general public.

December 1-24, 2015PABST THEATER

A CHRISTMAS CAROL BY Charles DickensADAPTED BY Joseph Hanreddy and Edward MorganEnjoy the music, dancing, and timeless message of hope, peace, and love, as Dickens’ classic masterpiece celebrates its 40th magical year at The Rep having played to more than 1.3 million people!

January 8 – 11, 2016 STIEMKE STUDIO

6th ANNIVERSARY PRODUCTION!

REP LAB SHORT-PLAY FESTIVAL Don’t miss the limited engagement of this one-of-a-kind night of theater featuring The Rep’s highly-lauded Intern Ensemble.

PRESENTINGSPONSOR

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40 THANNIVERSARY!

Amalia Cecsarini and Jonathan Smoots. Photo by Dan Bishop.

Teddy Spencer and Bri Sudia.

Laura T. Fisher, Tami Workentin, Laura Gordon, and Bernard Balbot in Good People (2014/15 Season). Photo by Michael Brosilow.

www.MilwaukeeRep.com 414-224-9490

Allyson Kaye Daniel and the cast ofThe Color Purple.(2014/15 Season)

Photo by Michael Brosilow

Deborah Staples in Harvey

(2014/15 Season). Photo by Michael Brosilow.

Jack Forbes Wilson as Liberace! (2014/15 Season). Photo by Michael Brosilow.

COVER (l-r): Christina Acosta Robinson and the Cast of The Color Purple (2014/15 Season); James DeVita in An Iliad (2013/14 Season); The Cast of Ragtime (2013/14 Season). Photos by Michael Brosilow.