Theater Forward

Theater artists across Wisconsin share stories about productions that had a profound impact on them as an audience member or as a creator. Volume 4 features Stage Manager Jacqueline Singleton, Director & Educator Tyler Marchant, Actress & Advisory Company Member Rána Roman, and Actress Angela Iannone.

When is an oldie no longer a goodie? We talk about the often-problematic classic Broadway musical, and how it fits into our contemporary thoughts about programming. 

Wisconsin theater artists share more great stories about inspiring productions. In this installment, we sit down with Educator/Director Dr. Baron Kelly, Director/Actor Mary MacDonald Kerr, Voice & Speech legend Susan Sweeney, and Director Joseph Hanreddy.

Keep your hands and feet inside the ride at all times. America is returning to in-person theater at a breakneck speed, amidst ambiguous safety protocols and union rules. We discuss our return to the stage and what it means for artists and audiences. 

Wisconsin theater artists share more stories about productions that made an impact on them as an artist. This episode features Milwaukee Chamber Theatre Artistic Director Brent Hazelton, American Players Theatre company member Brian Mani, Composer & Sound Designer Joe Cerqua, and Actor/Director/Producer DiMonte Henning.

We dive into one of our beloved-but-much-ignored assets in theater: the monologue. We talk about the role monologues serve, what makes them great, and which ones we love. We also give a nod to our upcoming monologue festival, ' Within These Walls: Stories of Home ,' presented June 24-27 at Overture Center for the Arts in Madison, WI. 

Our first in a series of summer podcasts that feature WI theater artists sharing stories about productions that made an impact on them, as an artist or as a creator. This episode features stories and conversation with Noele Stollmack, Laura Gordon, Jim Pickering, and Jo Chalhoub.

We sit down with Chicago theater pioneers and former Neo-Futurists Chloe Johnston, Genevra Gallo-Bayiates, Bilal Dardai, and Andy Bayiates - and discuss the creation of their genre-bending look at gender, race, and everything else your history teacher never taught you about America. 

We take a detour to discuss Forward Theater's recent announcement of their 2021-22 season, which includes plays by Adrienne Kennedy and Adam P. Kennedy, Jordan Harrison, Quan Barry, and Sarah Gancher.

The directors of 'Lewiston/Clarkston' discuss the unique process of creating this back-to-back theater experience in-person, confronting the challenges that theatermakers face as they return to the stage. 

The inside scoop from Carrie Hitchcock and Josh Krause, who describe the rigorous safety protocols required by Actors' Equity Association to rehearse and perform 'Lewiston/Clarkston' by Samuel D. Hunter. Presented as a stage-to-film production by Forward Theater Company.

The team debates whether an artistic urban/rural divide exists in America. From the types of plays that get produced outside of New York to playwrights that find great success in the absence of critical acclaim - does this divide exist, how does it play out, and why does it matter?

We share our thoughts on a recent article on "identity-conscious" casting, which looks beyond the concepts of color-blind and color-conscious casting and reimagines the lens through which we create. The article we discuss features an insightful conversation between Lavina Jadhwani and Victor Vasquez, which can be viewed here . 

It's a big question. After being knocked off our path due to COVID, what's in store for theater as we look at the months and years ahead? In this episode, we speculate wildly about the future of performing arts, and the role that digital/streaming will play in our industry going forward. 

We join nationally-recognized arts administrator and writer Howard Sherman to discuss his new book, "Another Day’s Begun: Thornton Wilder’s Our Town in the 21st Century." Of course, being theater nerds we end up talking about all sorts of stuff. A must-listen for stage fans. 

A chat with Christie Chiles Twillie, Composer/Sound Designer for 'The Niceties' at Forward Theater. We get to know this musical does-it-all, and gain some fascinating insight into her process of creating the themes for this intimate drama. 

In the face of a painful year for artists and arts organizations, this episode celebrates the bright spots in 2020, focusing on reasons for optimism and the opportunities that lie ahead for all of us. 

Michael Cotey is one of Chicago's most innovative new directors, and we were excited to sit down to discuss his new project, #Enough: Plays to End Gun Violence. This virtual festival of plays was written by high schoolers, selected by some of America's best playwrights, and performed by professional actors.  

You asked, we listened. This episode digs into questions we've received from our listeners, and we had a blast talking about everything from comedy, casting, and the future of unions to what historic productions we would time-hop to see. 

On the date of this interview (10/28), Milwaukee Rep was one of the first companies in the US to create a health and safety program that would grant them the ability to perform for live audiences. However, due to increasing COVID cases in WI their production will now be digital only (announced 11/5). This interview highlights the planning process of a company working around the clock to create liv...

With the 2020 election just around the corner, this is the perfect time to dive into our favorite political plays, and the thought process behind producing them for the general public. 

We dish about plays that made it to the top of our wish lists, but that we never ended up producing. Learn about the myriad of reasons that prevent a show from reaching the stage, regardless of how passionately a theater may want to produce it. 

Interview with the artistic team that coordinated, rehearsed, and recorded a fully remote production of 'The Lifespan of a Fact.' We discuss the entire project, from storyboards and rehearsal logistics to home recording rigs for actors. Insight for any theater looking to produce during the pandemic. 

In honor of the centennial of the 19th Amendment, we explore what's necessary to truly achieve gender parity in theater. Where has progress been robust, and where do we still have work to do? 

We sit down with DPT Artistic Director Courtney Burkett to discuss a company that has quickly become an artistic touchstone for Detroit artists and audiences. From commissioned plays headed to Broadway, to the inclusion of playwrights Dominique Morisseau and Noah Haidle in their Board of Directors, Detroit Public Theatre is making a splash for all the right reasons.