Director’s Note: Bad Seed

‘Is evil something you are? Or is it something you do?’ 

Bret Easton Ellis, American Psycho

 When a child is born, we look into their sweet faces and imagine all of the things they could become. We wonder what their future will hold. Will they be a doctor? A lawyer? A teacher? A mother or father? Will they have a family? When a child is born, it’s fun to think of all the things that could be. Opportunity is wide open to them to become whatever they want to be.

As the child grows, we quickly learn about their personality. Their likes and dislikes. Their strengths and weaknesses. But do these things define them and their future? Nature vs Nurture… what do you think?

I’m willing to bet that no one looks into an infant’s eyes and thinks… ‘They’re going to be a serial killer’. In today’s world of social media, we see – nearly daily – stories of kids that commit terrible crimes. If you read the comments, often times the parents are blamed. But should they be? How can a child brought up in a loving home with everything they need become a killer? How do kids in these homes grow up with what seems to be a complete lack of empathy?

I bring up these questions, not to start a debate, but to allow you begin to put yourself in the shoes of Christine in Bad Seed. Is Rhoda, a charming, smart, and sweet little girl, really a bad seed? What would you do if you were put in Christine’s shoes?

I think it’s easy for us to say how we would react to different scenarios life might throw at us. Or for us to say, ‘that would never happen to me’. The reality is that we don’t know what life will throw at us, and we certainly can’t say with certainty how we would respond.

I cannot thank my cast and production staff enough for their hard work, talent, and dedication to this production. We laughed, we cried, we had the hair stand up on our necks, and we discovered these characters and the show together. I hope you enjoy the show!

 

 

Kelly Goeller

Director

Note from the Managing Artistic Director: Bad Seed

Welcome to Waukesha Civic Theatre, and welcome to the 63rd Season, we are delighted to have you here. You heard me correctly – Sixty-three years of bringing our community together to enrich, challenge, and entertain, using the arts to connect people. You might wonder how it’s possible to for small non-profit theatre to continue to thrive for so long, and I will tell you that our secret is people like you, who provide support in multiple ways each year. Through financial contributions, robust volunteerism, community passion, and enthusiastic production attendance, we continue to grow into our 63rd Season, and what a season it will be! 

In the 63rd Season, we hope to delight your senses in several ways through our variety of show selections. We hope to tug at your heart strings, keep you on the edge of your seats, make you laugh, tap your toes, and let you sing along. We invite you to do more than watch a show here at Waukesha Civic Theatre, we encourage you to get involved and to become a part of our community.

There are several ways for you to join our community – as a patron, Season Subscriber, FLEX Member, donor, volunteer, artist, or an ambassador of the theatre. We invite you to attend our seven Mainstage Productions, five Random Acts of Entertainment, new Music on Main, two A.C.T Academy at Civic Theatre Productions, several Theatre Education opportunities, and the PIX Flix Film Series movie events. We hope you catch the Civic Broadway Singers or the Civic Senior Players around town. We invite you to attend our Annual Gala to celebrate our accomplishments, to our Season Preview to get a sneak peek at the 64th Season, various FUNdraising events, art gallery exhibits, the second annual Walk, Run, or Skip, and collaborative community events. 

In our efforts to enhance inclusivity and diversity, we are thrilled to be launching multiple Sensory Friendly performances, to provide a safe and engaging experience for our patrons of all sensory needs.

One of the best ways to support WCT is to spread the word about Waukesha Civic Theatre. Find us on social media, like and share, and help us spread the word. Buy your tickets ahead of time and give tickets as a gift! The gift of theatre is a treasure. 

Private Donors and Corporate Sponsors help keep us financially sound and looking to the future through gifts to the Annual Operating Fund, the Endowment Fund, by including us in planned estate giving, and through annual corporate sponsorships. Please contact us to make arrangements to support the theatre.

These are exciting times and we are thrilled that you are here with us. Enjoy the show! 

 

Rhonda Marie Schmidt

Managing Artistic Director (Lady MAD) 

Spotlight On The Board: Bad Seed

One of Broadway’s outstanding hits. “It is solely and honestly meant to entertain…As purely purposeful diversion it ranks with ‘Dracula’ and sometimes sets your spine to as much tingling…chilling.” NY Telegram.

Get ready for a spine tingling story about a sweet, charming, full of old-fashioned graces, loved by her parents, admired by all of her elders, little Rhoda Penmark.  Just in time for the Halloween holiday you will be captivated by this chilling play.

We have many opportunities throughout the year to enjoy, in more than one way, the offerings at the Civic. If after seeing Bad Seed 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 favorite person you bring to thrillers to hang onto for an exceptional telling of this old tale. 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

PIX Flix Spotlight on the Board: The Sound of Music

September is a great time to gather the family together and come to PIX Flix, in Historic Downtown Waukesha! We are thrilled to bring The Sound of Music back to the PIX Theatre, now the home of the Waukesha Civic Theatre, on Monday, September 16, at 6:30 p.m.!  I say “back,” because, while I wasn’t able to find historical proof, I feel certain this film must have been shown at what is now our amazing community theatre, back in 1965, when it was first released by 20th Century Fox.  The film, which debuted in sold out theatres around the country for over a month, was produced and directed by Robert Wise and stars Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer.  The film was adapted from the musical, and two new songs were written just for the movie, “I Have Confidence,” and “Something Good.”  Becoming an instant hit, it is no wonder this stunning film won five Oscars at the 38th Academy Awards!

Influenced by other successful movies of the day, such as Camelot, Mary Poppins, and Cinderella (all of which also starred Julie Andrews) the screenwriter, Ernest Lehman, used artistic license to convey the meaning and essence of the times in Salzburg, just as the Nazis were gaining power.  A small amount of historic exploration will uncover many ways that opulence and pageantry, which were not historically accurate, were employed to draw the audience deeper into the unfolding story and to create a visual masterpiece.  In reality, the von Trapps did not live in a mansion or play in the hills of Salzburg and the home they lived in was not actually their ancestral home, as is depicted in the movie.  However, the visual backdrop of the movie we have come to know and love is enchanting and it is almost impossible to imagine the story without it.

Then there is the music!  Who of us has not grown up with “Do-Re-Mi,” “Edelweiss,” “So Long Farewell,” and “Climb Every Mountain,” as part of our own personal soundtracks?  My family had such a thrill sharing these songs and the film with the next generation that our daughter was cast as Brigitta von Trapp in Waukesha Civic Theatre’s 2014 production of the musical!  These songs will forever be in our hearts.

We hope you will take this opportunity to bring your families, young and old, to see the cinematic treasure The Sound of Music at the Waukesha Civic Theatre on the big screen on Monday, September 16, at 6:30 p.m.  Always a value, our PIX Flix films are still only $5 per ticket and of course, we have popcorn and refreshments available too!  While you’re there, pick up an A.C.T. (Academy at Civic Theatre) brochure and discover all the amazing educational opportunities that await at our own community theatre, WCT.  You will also be able to find a calendar for our 63rd season Mainstage productions – the first of which, The Little Prince, opens September 13, 2019.  Mainstage Season Ticket Packages are available now and the lineup is outstanding!  We will also present Bad Seed, Elf the Musical, Come Back, Big Fish, Silent Sky, and The Secret Case of Sherlock Holmes this season, in addition to many Random Acts of Entertainment!  We look forward to seeing you at the Theatre.

 

 

Jenny Erato

Board Director

Spotlight On The Board: The Underpants

Welcome to The Underpants, a hilarious comedy by Steve Martin based on Die Hose, German play written in 1910 by Carl Sternheim. The play begins with a most unfortunate wardrobe malfunction that briefly leaves a young woman caught with her pants down, both literally and figuratively. Everyone involved in the incident, including her husband, gets their knickers in a knot as they try to iron out the wrinkles this delicate situation has caused. What’s revealed is an intimate piece of comedic schadenfreude that is sure to charm your pants off.
What I love about Waukesha Civic Theatre is the many opportunities available to get involved. In my tenure here at WCT, I have been an actor, costume assistant, stage crew, production director, and Board Director. This spring, I will take on a new role as Props Designer for The Giver (May 2-19, 2019).

This particular production of The Underpants continues the tradition of providing opportunities for participants to try some new skills. WCT audiences are used to seeing Gwen Ter Haar and Phil Stepanski playing various characters on stage. This time, they have taken on new challenges as Costume Designer and Director, respectively.  

If you’ve ever thought about volunteering at Waukesha Civic Theatre, please consider joining our team where you can share your talents or discover new ones!
Thank you for choosing to spend your time at Waukesha Civic Theatre and enjoy the show!

Peter Kao
Secretary
Board of Directors

MAD Corner: Billy Elliot The Musical

WCT is both proud and delighted to present Billy Elliot The Musical. Inspired by and based on the powerful movie from 2000, with additional music by Sir Elton John, this incredible musical tells the story of Billy, a boy torn between his unexpected love of dance and the disintegration of his family. Guided by Mark E. Schuster, one of WCT’s premier directors, and featuring a talented cast of actors from our community, I am confident that our production will astound everyone who sees it.

I would like to thank everyone that supports WCT! We wouldn’t be here without you. All of our volunteers help us out in any number of ways by acting, ushering, serving on the board of directors, providing maintenance or office support, or working on sets, costumes, props. Our patrons come to WCT see quality live entertainment, the fruits of our volunteers’ labor. Our donors help keep us financially sound by their gifts to the Annual Operating Fund, the Endowment Fund, or by including us in their planned giving.

The generosity of the Waukesha community astounds me, and I truly appreciate all the time, talent, and money that you give to WCT.

One way, and arguably the best way, to support WCT is to spread the word about Waukesha’s best kept secret. It always amazes me when I meet someone in Waukesha who has no idea what a fantastic organization we have right here in the heart of the community. Tell people about what we do and all we offer.

Enrich. Challenge. Entertain. That says it all, so keep watching, keep participating with, and keep supporting this cultural cornerstone. We couldn’t do it without you.

 

 

 

John Cramer

Managing Artistic Director

Cramer’s Corner: A Regional Premier!

If You Loved Les Miserables …
You MUST See The Hunchback Of Notre Dame!

History is being made at WCT! A premier, presented by almost 70 creative members of our community (including a live, 14 piece orchestra), a set that has to be seen to be believed, costumes, lighting, sound, and props that rival anything we have presented … a show YOU DO NOT WANT TO MISS!

The Hunchback Of Notre Dame, the second Mainstage show of the season, opens this Friday, October 27, and runs through November 12.  A Milwaukee area premier, this musical drama from the creators of Godspell, Pippin, The Little Mermaid, Beauty & The Beast, and Wicked, is based on Victor Hugo’s famous novel and the beloved classic Disney film.  This production is darker than the Disney film and not recommended for younger children.   Parental discretion is advised, and we recommend only ages 12 and up attend.

The show features a production staff of 17 led by one of WCT’s favorite directors, Mark E. Schuster, a cast of 20, a cathedral choir of 17, and a live orchestra of 14.  That’s right … nearly 70 incredibly talented people from our community are bringing this amazing story to life on our stage!  We have FIVE Pay What You Can performances during the run.  October 28 at 7:30 pm, November 5 at 2:00 pm and 7:30 pm, November 9 at 7:30 pm, and November 11 at 2:00 pm.  Click here for more information or to order tickets.

With the holiday season right around the corner, consider giving the gift of theatre to your friends, family, co-workers … or yourself!  Gift certificates are a great idea, or you could give a Festive Flex Four For $64, for sale October 26-December 31, with a 40% Savings off our adult ticket price.

Our fourth and fifth PIX Flix films of the season are Back To The Future on Monday, October 30, and The Princess Bride on Monday, November 13, both films at 6:30 pm.  Join Marty McFly and Doc Brown in this blast from the past … er … future … er … you know what I mean.  Starring Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover, and more!  And it is the 30th anniversary of The Princess Bride, which has become a verified classic, and one of the most quotable films of all time.  Starring Cary Elwes, Robin Wright, Mandy Patinkin,  Wallace Shawn, Andre The Giant, Chris Sarandan, Christopher Guest, Billy Crystal, Carol Kane, Peter Falk, Fred Savage, and more.

All PIX Flix tickets are $5.00, or groups of ten or more for $4.00 each.  And of course we have concessions available, including soda, water, beer, wine, cookies, beef sticks, and … wait for it … POPCORN!  Click here to buy tickets.

We are partnering with Waukesha Reads and presenting Mike Earp, retired U.S. Marshal, descendant of Wyatt Earp and author, as he speaks about the U.S. Marshal Service -including stories from his own career and what it was like to be a marshal during the time period of True Grit. Join us on November 2 with a social hour and book signing from 6:00 to 7:00 PM, and the presentation at 7:30 PM. Tickets are FREE!

Auditions for The Complete Works Of William Shakespeare (abridged) will be held on Monday and Tuesday, November 6 and 7, 7:00 pm both nights.

Share Your Heart!  Heart of Canal Street is Potawatomi Hotel & Casino’s signature community program. Half of each $3 or $7 Canal Street Bingo game purchased goes to the Heart of Canal Street fund, which totaled more than $1.1 million last year and provided funding to children’s charities in southeastern Wisconsin. Waukesha Civic Theatre is in the running to be a 2017 charity. Help give the gift of a promising future by playing now through December 14. Visit paysbig.com/heart.

Our first of three distinctly different Wisconsin Philharmonic Chamber Concerts will be presented on November 14 at 7:30 pm.  The Cadance Chamber Players present a collection of music through time for flute and strings. This diverse program features Mozart’s Flute Quartet No. 1 in D Major and Aaron Copland’s Two Threnodies for flute and string trio, as well as Pres-ent for flute and cello by contemporary composer Efrain Amaya. The concert will also include music of Figorello, Dohnányi, and Villa-Lobos.  The Cadance Chamber Players are an affiliate of Cadance Collective, a Milwaukee-based music and dance collaborative ensemble creating original performance pieces for the stage.  Click here for more information or to buy tickets.  If you are interested in the Tremendous Trio package call the box office to see all three concerts and SAVE 19%.

Waukesha Civic Theatre is looking for volunteers to participate in the Waukesha Christmas Parade on Sunday, November 19.  If you are interested please click on this link to sign up: 2017 Waukesha Christmas Parade.  If you have any questions please contact Phillip Alonge at ushercoordinator@waukeshacivictheatre.org.

Registration is open for our A.C.T. Winter and Spring Sessions, including Star For A Day, a one day camp on November 22.

Get up, get out, and #ShopSmall on November 25 during Small Business Saturday. Celebrate #SmallBizSat with us!

This year, on Tuesday, November 28, 2017, we are part of a call to action that will change the calendar and help make history. We are celebrating a day dedicated to giving ‐ when charities, families, businesses, community centers, students, retailers, and more will all come together for #GivingTuesday – a movement to celebrate giving and encourage more, better, and smarter giving during the Holiday Season that we are proud to be part of.  As a non-profit organization, Waukesha Civic Theatre relies on community contributions to raise approximately 35% of our operating budget. There are many ways that you can support the Waukesha Civic Theatre. We would like to encourage our patrons, friends, and fans to kick off the giving season on #GivingTuesday by making a donation to Waukesha’s Cultural Cornerstone, the Waukesha Civic Theatre.

Our current featured artist in the Waukesha State Bank Art Gallery is Patricia Gilman Graham.

Are you interested in helping WCT make decisions about everything we do?  Join A Committee and get involved.  We have lots of great committees to choose from:  Education and Outreach, Finance and Facility, Fund Development, Fundraising Events (Gala), Governance, and Marketing.

Our Play Advisory Committee and Board Of Directors have completed the selection process for our 62nd Season and we are thrilled to announce that we will be producing these shows in our 2018-2019 Season, starting in September 2018:

The Musical Comedy Murders Of 1940
      Billy Elliot The Musical
Candy Cane Tales And Holiday Carols
The Underpants 
   The Giver
Thoroughly Modern Millie
But Why Bump Off Barnaby?

And of course we are already four months into our 61st Season, with Season Tickets and individual tickets on sale now, so please join us for some great entertainment!

      The Hunchback Of Notre Dame
The House Without A Christmas Tree
The Complete Works Of William Shakespeare (abridged) 
   Clue: The Musical
Wait Until Dark
Father Knows Best

We also have our season ticket package for our Wisconsin Philharmonic Chamber Series (the Tremendous Trio).

Individual tickets for our Random Acts Of Entertainment, Education And Outreach shows, and Fundraising Events are on sale now!

Wisconsin Philharmonic Chamber Concerts
Joel Kopischke’s I Got Yule, Babe
The Four Guyz In Dinner Jackets
A.C.T. Combat Boot Camp
Singin’ In The Rain JR.
A.C.T. Live!
My Funny Valentine
Darn Yankees
Spring City’s Wild Card Saloon
A.C.T June Summer Showcase

Our PIX Flix Film series is also on sale now, including our new group rate!

Back To The Future
          The Princess Bride
It’s A Wonderful Life
Raiders Of The Lost Ark
Dirty Dancing
The African Queen
Apollo 13
Rear Window
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

And the artists that will be featured in the Waukesha State Bank Art Gallery in our lobby will be:

Patricia Gilman Graham
Christian Education Leadership Academy
      Waukesha South High School
Jack Pachuta
Manuel Alvarez Bravo, Nicolas Murray, and Edward Weston
The League Of Milwaukee Artists

And don’t forget about all the ways to save on quality, live entertainment.  WCT’s Ticket Promotions can’t be beat!

Super Six Subscription Package – Save 26%
Fabulous Flex Pass – Save 22%
Festive Flex Four For $64 – Save 40%
Perfect PIX 3 – Save 19%
Tremendous Trio Package – Save 19%
Subscriber Rate – Save 22 to 31%
Group Rate (Ten Or More Tickets) – Save 22 to 31%
Educational Group Rate (Ten Or More Tickets) – Save 31 to 63%
Student / Senior (60+) / Military Rate – Save 11%
Student Rush – Save 50%
Terrific Tickets – Save 50%
Pay What You Can – Name Your Own Price!

All subscribers also receive the Subscriber Benefits Card with discounts at 18 downtown Waukesha restaurants.  And your ticket stub can save you money too!

Thank you to all of the generous donors that have supported us so far this season.  If you would like to donate, you can choose from any number of ways you could help us not only maintain, but thrive, as Waukesha’s Cultural Cornerstone.

Please Consider Giving …
* A gift to our Operating Fund
* A matching gift through local sponsoring business employers
* A gift that will last a lifetime through your Will or Estate Planning
* A gift by donation to CARS
* A gift by shopping through Amazon Smile
* A gift by purchasing something on our Amazon Wish List
     * Choose WCT as your Thrivent Choice charitable organization
* Become a Sponsor of outstanding performances and educational programs

Join WCT’s Text Club to receive exclusive offers and updates!  Text WCT to 51660.

On a personal note, my son Jude will be appearing as Deputy Governor Danforth in The Crucible at WSHS, with performances on November 10-11.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving, and I’ll see you at the theatre!

 

John Cramer
Managing Artistic Director

Theatre Vocabulary

Theatre, like any other business, is full of jargon. If you’re onstage for the first time, will you know what to do when a director tells you to cheat out? Why is everyone talking about strike? Who is a choreographer and what do they do?

WCT has put together this handy list of theatre terms to help you out anywhere you might be, from the front of house to the green room.

ACTING

ARTICULATION: The clarity with which a person speaks. To speak with proper articulation is to speak clearly, pronouncing letters and words properly so the audience can understand.

BLOCKING: The actors’ movement and stage positions during a performance.

CHEAT OUT: When an actor turns his body so the audience has a better view. Two actors cheating out would not face each other directly, but turn enough so that the audience sees their faces and bodies instead of just their profiles.

CROSS: A move from one part of the stage to another.

CUE: For actors, the part of a script or show immediately before an actor’s line or action that signals the actor to proceed (i.e. entering, saying a line, answering the door, etc.)

CURTAIN CALL: The cast bow at the end of a show.

DICTION: The quality or style of speaking an actor uses to demonstrate his character. It includes elements such as accent, enunciation, and inflection.

IMPROVISATION: Acting done spontaneously and without a script; everything is made up on the spot. Often used in rehearsals to strengthen understanding of character.

PACING: The rate at which a scene is played.

PROJECTION: The volume at which you speak. If a director tells an actor to project, that actor is not being loud enough vocally to fill the space.

TECHNICAL THEATRE

COSTUME: The clothing worn by characters on stage.

CUE: In technical terms, the prompt (be it a line or an event) for an action to be carried out at a specific time. Lighting and sound cues are called for by the stage manager, following along in the script with the events of the show.

DESIGN: The plan or convention for the construction or creation of an element of a play. Sets, lighting, sound, costume, plots, and make-up all require designs.

LIGHTING: The deliberate use of light to illuminate the stage or convey a location or emotion.

PLOT: In technical terms, the plot refers to the design of the lights. The lighting plot maps out the color, location, brightness, and shift between lighting cues.

PROPS/PROPERTIES: The objects actors interact with onstage. Items such as books, knives, and parasols are props.

SOUND: The deliberate use of auditory effects, music, and voice to enhance the story told onstage.

STRIKE: At the end of the run of a show, when the set and all other technical aspects are taken apart, clearing the stage for the next show. Strike generally occurs immediately after the close of the last performance.

THEATRE PEOPLE

ACTOR: The person who portrays a character in a play.

CAST: The group of actors who play all the characters in a show.

CHOREOGRAPHER: The person who designs and teaches the dancing and other specialized movement such as stage combat.

DESIGNER: The person or persons responsible for devising and creating technicals aspect of the show such as lighting, sound, costume, make-up, or props.

DIRECTOR: The individual who oversees the mounting of a stage play. He or she is in charge of all designers, bringing everything together to a cohesive whole. He or she also oversees the actors and all action onstage.

DRAMATURG: This person deals mainly with research and development for plays and operas. He or she primarily deals with the historical and cultural aspects of the play.

HOUSE MANAGER: The person in charge of the front of house, including ushers, concessions, playbill distribution, etc.

PLAYWRIGHT: A person who writes plays.

STAGE/RUN CREW: The people behind the scenes who keep the play running. They change scenery, control the elements that fly on and off the stage, help actors with quick changes, and more.

STAGE MANAGER: This person has the overall responsibility of making a show run smoothly. He or she is in charge of all of the stage crew and technicians once the show begins, calling cues and overseeing scenery changes, etc. During rehearsals, the stage manager often acts as a prompter, keeping track of the script for the director and actors.

STAGE DIRECTIONS

CENTER / CENTER STAGE: The center position of the stage. Generally considered the most “powerful” position on the stage.

DOWNSTAGE: The section of stage nearest to the audience.

DOWN LEFT: The front left of the stage, when facing the audience.

DOWN RIGHT: The front right of the stage, when facing the audience. After center stage, this is generally considered the second-most powerful section of the stage as it’s the first place audiences trained to read from left-to-right usually look.

STAGE RIGHT: The section of stage to the actor’s right as he faces the audience.

STAGE LEFT: The section of stage to the left of an actor as he faces the audience.

UPSTAGE: The section of stage furthest from the audience.

UP LEFT: The back left section of the stage, when facing the audience. Generally considered the ‘weakest’ position on stage as it is the last place the audience is likely to look.

UP RIGHT: The back right section of the stage, when facing the audience.

THEATRE BUILDING

BACKSTAGE: The wings, or the parts of the stage off left and off right, unseen by the audience.

BOX OFFICE: The place where tickets are sold.

CONTROL BOOTH: Often in the back of the theatre behind the audience, this is the room where lights and sound are controlled.

COSTUME SHOP: The room where costumes are designed, built, altered, and mended.

DRESSING ROOMS: The rooms where the actors get into their costumes and make-up.

GREEN ROOM: A room backstage for actors to gather, relax, and prepare before or during a show.

HOUSE: The place where the audience sits to watch the performance. A “full house” means every seat for that performance is sold.

LOBBY: An entrance hall or area outside the theatre and house where audiences can wait before a show begins or during intermission.

MAINSTAGE: Usually the largest performance space in a venue and the place where bigger productions are staged.

SCENE SHOP: The place where play sets, scenery, and props are built and prepared for a show.

STUDIO THEATRE: A smaller performance space, often used for experimental productions.

 

Director’s Note & MAD Corner: Annie Get Your Gun

My very first community theatre show was Annie Get Your Gun in 1976 when I was 13 years old, and now I am directing it in 2016 for the community theatre that I have been leading for 13 years. Talk about full circle! I know I say it about every musical I direct, but this really is one of my favorite shows, if not my all-time favorite! In addition to being my first community theatre show, it was one of the first shows that I directed when I was fresh out of college in 1986, and my wife played Annie in Drury Lane Oakbrook’s production in 1996, winning a Joseph Jefferson Award for her performance. Kelli and I performed “Anything You Can Do” at the WCT Gala in 2006, and now our daughter is playing Annie in 2016 – one more full circle moment? Maybe. Maybe.

Based on the amazing and inspirational true story of Annie Oakley, Frank Butler, Colonel William F. Cody, Sitting Bull, and Major Gordon W. Lillie, and featuring one of the best musical scores ever written by one of the greatest American composers, it truly is a masterpiece. I’m a history buff, and I thoroughly research every show I direct. As I reacquainted myself with Annie’s story, I fell in love with her all over again. She was an amazing woman, and way ahead of her time.

The creators of the show did take quite a few liberties with the facts … this is afterall musical comedy! The show takes place over a span of ten months, and a lot of the story is based on actual facts, but the truth is that most of what you see in the show actually took place over a span of decades. Annie and Frank didn’t actually meet Buffalo Bill until 1885, ten years after they met in 1875. When they met each other Bill was 29, Sitting Bull was 44, and Pawnee Bill was 15. In 1885 when Annie and Frank joined Buffalo Bill’s show Annie was 25, Frank was 38, Buffalo Bill was 39, Sitting Bull was 54, and Pawnee Bill was 25. When Buffalo Bill and Pawnee Bill merged their shows Buffalo Bill was 62 and Pawnee Bill was 48. Annie and Frank were no longer with Buffalo Bill’s show, having left it seven years earlier. In the program I’ve included a timeline of some prominent moments in her lifetime.

I can’t thank the cast, crew, and staff enough for all of their hard work, focus, patience, creativity, and humor. We have had a marvelous time putting this incredible show together and I hope each and every one of you enjoys it as much as we have.

Our Spotlight On The Future is still active, and still needs your help! So far we have raised 45% of our $750,000 goal and have already put these donations to good use, implementing upgrades that enhance the theatre experience, increasing advertising revenue, decreasing operating expenses, and providing for building maintenance. Current improvements include a new HVAC unit, our new lighting catwalk, our new retractable movie screen and projector, a new sound board for the Mainstage, and new sound and lighting equipment for the Studio Theatre and Rehearsal Hall. We still need your help. If you haven’t given to the Spotlight On The Future campaign yet, please consider a gift! If you have already given, thank you, and please consider an additional gift to help us reach our goal.

The generosity of the Waukesha community astounds me, and I truly appreciate all the time, talent, and treasure that you give to WCT. Keep watching, keep participating with, and keep supporting this cultural cornerstone!

John Cramer

Director / Choreographer

Managing Artistic Director