Blog Archives
WCT Joins The Green Ribbon Campaign
To recognize May as Mental Health Month, NAMI (the National Alliance on Mental Illness) is running an awareness campaign. The Green Ribbon Campaign piloted in 2013, in New York, as an anti-stigma initiative designed to facilitate open and honest dialogue about the topic of mental health in our communities. NAMI | Waukesha has many resources and events for those struggling with mental illness and those who wish to know more and support friends and family with mental illness. It is a nonprofit organization that provides free education, support, and advocacy to community members affected by mental health conditions.
WCT is partnering with NAMI | Waukesha by putting up green ribbons, and posting flyers about mental health for the month. We will also be running a series of articles on our blog about mental health and the arts, as well as using the hashtag #mentalhealthmatters in our social media posts. Stay tuned!
We are involved in this campaign as a way to be active in our community and to promote the well-being of all our community members. The goal of this campaign is to raise awareness of the prevalence of mental illness, work to erase the stigma associated with mental illness, and start conversations that could, ultimately, save lives.
Katie Danner
Marketing Director
A Note From The Playwright
I was asked by an ACAP member to think about doing a show about baseball, which is her favorite pastime. I was initially reluctant to consider a baseball show because sports movements are a bit tricky on stage. But before I dismissed the idea I researched some baseball productions and only found Damn Yankees as something usable. Mix that with a little A League Of Their Own and some baseball history of the 1919 Chicago Black Sox scandal and you get Darn Yankees.
Baseball is as American as it gets. And when gangsters try to corrupt it, you have the makings of a Frank Capra-style production. Capra was a lover of America and its institutions; all his films depicted the power-mongers gobbling up America until a humble, all-American boy (usually Jimmy Stewart) stops them in their tracks with nothing more than honesty and heart.
Our story follows that theme. It shows what happens when good meets bad, power meets virtue, and sophisticated-greed meets good old-fashioned honesty.
Many thanks to the wonderful cast and technical crew who turn written pages of text into a living breathing experience of love and joy before our very eyes. You gotta have heart and they all have miles and miles of it! So let’s play ball!
Mark Cage
Playwright
The Waukesha State Bank Art Gallery Presents: Jack Pachuta
Wisconsin artist Jack Pachuta takes a non-traditional approach to his subject matter. Combining printmaking techniques with the craftsmanship of pencil and ink renderings, his works are known for their vibrant colors and unique textures.
Jack says, “An artist’s challenge is to portray the usual in unusual ways and to make people see what they might not otherwise see.”
Having no formal training in art, Jack has always been able to draw. He holds a bachelor’s degree in radio and television from Kent State University, then earned master’s degrees from Michigan State University and the University of Southern California on the G.I. Bill, all the while pursuing art as a hobby.
Fourteen years ago, Jack found the art medium that has become the focus of his attention – printmaking. Working with Paul Yank at the Ozaukee Art Center, Jack has developed his own distinctive style and artistic perspective. A member of the Cedarburg Artists Guild, Jack is the president of the League of Milwaukee Artists and was a 2015 Featured Artist of MPTV’s Great TV Auction.
Jack met his English wife, Renira, over breakfast “on holiday” in Portugal while they were both living and working in Germany.They were married on Shakespeare’s birthday in 1976 and now have two daughters, a cat named Zoe, and a house that borders a Christmas tree farm. They have lived in Cedarburg since 1979. Jack’s works have been displayed in galleries throughout southeastern Wisconsin and he is a frequent exhibitor at art shows in the Midwest.
Jack is also a professional speaker, trainer, consultant, and the owner of Management Strategies, Inc. Plus, he is a murder mystery writer with consulting clients and a cadre of whodunit aficionados on six continents.
His work will be displayed in the Waukesha State Bank Art Gallery through April 16, 2018.
Spotlight On The Board Of Directors: The Complete Works Of William Shakespeare (abridged)
To be, or not to be, that is the question
-Hamlet, Act III, Scene I.
What quote could be more quintessential than this line from quite arguably the most renown English poet and playwright of all time, William Shakespeare. If you thought you were about to embark on an emotional journey of a tragic Shakespeare play, then the answer to the question is “not to be.” O…there will be emotion, not of a tragic nature but of a comedic twist on the plays that have shaped and influenced countless authors, playwrights, and screenwriters for centuries. Get ready to be taken on a witty paradoxical weaving of all 37 Shakespearean plays in 97 minutes.
We have many opportunities throughout the year to enjoy, in more than one way, the offerings at the Civic. If after seeing The Complete Works Of William Shakespeare (abridged) you want to dust off your acting skills, we encourage you to audition for any of our upcoming shows. If acting isn’t up your alley, purchasing tickets to our upcoming shows or donations are always a welcomed support of the theatre. We also have many opportunities for volunteering your time to the theatre to help keep it in the pristine state and experience you are used to after all of these years of entertainment.
So grab your tissue box–not for the traditional tears of sadness you get from Shakespeare but because you will have countless tears of joy from the non-stop laughter from this fresh take on these timeless stories. Please spread the word to your family and friends about the great works Waukesha Civic Theatre has to offer. Remember, we cannot provide this great entertainment without the support of our collective Civic family.
Rich Johnson
Treasurer
Board of Directors
Director’s Note: The Complete Works Of William Shakespeare (abridged)
I usually use this space to share with you the themes of the play, what they mean to me, and how they apply to our present time and culture. And indeed, the plays of William Shakespeare have had a profound impact on my life. It was seeing The Comedy Of Errors as a sophomore in high school that first got me interested in theatre and radically changed my life. I am working my way through seeing all his plays performed on stage or screen (only six to go!).
Well, forget all of that. Sure, The Complete Works Of William Shakespeare (abridged) is an appreciation of the playwright and his immeasurable impact on the world. But, don’t worry – no knowledge or love of Shakespeare is needed. I think The Today Show put it best when, reviewing the show they stated: “If you like Shakespeare, you’ll love this show. If you hate Shakespeare, you’ll love this show!”
So, prepare yourself for a whirlwind theatrical experience that is unlike anything you’ve seen before. This is going to be a high-speed roller coaster ride so buckle in and keep your hands and feet inside the theater at all times.
Oh, and one more thing… you best be ready. You never know when we might be calling on you for help tonight!
Director
PIX Flix Spotlight On The Board: Dirty Dancing
Dirty Dancing – A 31 Year Old Favorite
So if you’re looking for a movie to make you feel good, has toe tapping catchy music, sexy dancing, great acting and an awesome story line filled with a little spice and good girl falls for bad boy – Dirty Dancing is the film to see! Released in 1987, Dirty Dancing is one of the best dance/teen love movies ever made. It’s also the movie that catapulted the career of Swayze. Just three years later he went on to make the movie Ghost with Demi Moore (another awesome love story, but let’s stay focused!) Dirty Dancing is literally one of those movies you can watch again and again, and never get tired of it.
It’s been said that Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey had terrible chemistry off camera – but you’d never know that watching them on the big screen. The movie takes off when Baby Houseman and her family go on vacation to a resort in New York. After Baby meets the camp’s dance instructor, Johnny, and signs up for dance lessons…well, let’s just say sparks begin to fly. Some of the scenes between Johnny and Baby draw you in and leave a feeling of happy, sad, excitement – and might even make you think you could dance. There have been many movies made with music and dancing since 1987 – but none quite like Dirty Dancing. It’s in a category all by itself.
So bring a friend, relative or significant other to the Waukesha Civic Theatre to watch this nostalgic feel-good feature film. Future movies include The African Queen, Apollo 13, Rear Window, and the final PIX film feature – Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. In addition, there are many Mainstage performances to choose from.
Come see Dirty Dancing on Monday, February 5th at 6:30 pm and have ‘the time of your life’! See you at the PIX!
Anthony Ventress
Board Director
Introducing The Cast Of The Complete Works Of William Shakespeare (abridged)!
What actors in their right minds would agree to perform all 37 of William Shakespeare’s shows in only 97 minutes? When there are only 3 of them?
Turns out, JJ Gatesman, Nicholas Callan Haubner, & Jillian Smith are up for the challenge! Here’s a little bit about this phenomenal group of actors:
JJ is MFA from Western Illinois University. Currently in Milwaukee, his recent credits include Romeo & Juliet (Summer Stage Of Delafield), The Glass Menagerie (Company Of Strangers), and The Nautical Journey of Dick III (Quasimondo). JJ would like to thank all those folks for whom Shakespeare is challenging and came to the show anyway.
Previous WCT performances include 33 Variations (Mike) and Leading Ladies (Leo). Favorite Shakespearian roles include Much Ado About Nothing (Benedick) and Romeo & Juliet (Mercutio) with SummerStage of Delafield, and King John (Hubert) with Shakespeare & Company. Local favorites include Beauty And The Beast (Gaston), Of Mice And Men (Lennie), Same Time Next Year (George), and Oscar in The Odd Couple (2017 Footlights Performing Arts Award Winner-Best Actor). Training: BFA in Acting from UWM.
Jillian Smith
Jillian has spent the last decade making Soulstice Theatre her creative home on stage and off, serving as Artistic Director since 2013, and is thrilled to now be making her WCT debut! Her favorite role is Sarah in Children Of A Lesser God, while directing highlights include tick, tick… BOOM!, The Explorers Club, and Secret Garden. Jillian and her husband, Shannon, are raising beautiful theatre nerd daughters, Sydney and Zoe, in Milwaukee.
In the capable hands of director Dustin J. Martin, you know this madcap comedy will be smart, hilarious, and brilliantly executed. Join WCT for a foray into the Bard’s work like you’ve never experienced before! Performances are February 2-18, 2018, including two morning performances for school groups. Call or email kdanner@waukeshacivictheatre.org for more information about educational group rates. Tickets are available online 24/7 or at the box office (Tuesday-Friday, noon-5 pm) 262-547-0708.
“…it gives me great pleasure to announce that we are about to attempt a feat that we believe to be unprecedented in the history of civilization. That is, to capture, in a single theatrical experience, the magic, the genius, the towering grandeur of The Complete Works Of William Shakespeare.”