the rep - 2014/15 season impact report

2014/15 SEASONI M PA C T R E P O R T

PROPELLING MILWAUKEE FORWARD

2 Milwaukee Repertory Theater

665 VOLUNTEERSin the Friends of The RepV O L U N T E E R E D19,248 HOURSof community service

$15.1 MILLION OF ECONOMIC ACTIVITYI N C LU D I N G A L M O S T $5 MILLION

IN EVENT-RELATED SPENDING AND$ 1 . 5 M I L L I O N I N TAX R E V E N U E

198,646patrons served,i n c l u d i n g

14,836subscribers

136WORLD

PREMIERESSINCE

1972

19,760 HOURSOF TRAINING PROVIDED

L A S T Y E A R T O O U RARTISTIC INTERNS

22,500 PEOPLE PARTICIPATEDin Rep-in-Depth, our free pre-showd i s c u s s i o n s f e a t u r i n g a c t o r s465

ARTISTS& STAFF

EMPLOYEDDURING

2014

$ $ $ $ $ $ $ $

630 PERFORMANCESrepresenting 1/3 of all the performances offered from the15 UPAF Member Groups

Milwaukee Repertory Theater has much to celebrate. Our 2014/15 Season was a tremendous success with broken box office records, three world premiere plays, an exquisite collaboration with the Jewish Museum Milwaukee that was featured in The New York Times, and the addition of Milwaukee’s own Pulitzer-Prize winning playwright Ayad Akhtar to our group of Associate Artists. It doesn’t get much better than that!

One of the best kept secrets in the country, Milwaukee is a city on the move, and the cultural scene in our region is second to none. We know that a world-class city deserves a world-class theater, and we aim to play a leading role in our community by:

• Producing Meaningful Art. We bring communities together through shared live experiences, passed from actor to audience, that examine diverse viewpoints, celebrate our commonalities, and help us envision a better tomorrow.

• Growing Milwaukee’s Creative Economy. We serve more people in the five county region than any other producing performing arts company playing to more than 1 million people from 3,400 zip codes in the last 5 years.

• Improving Education. More than 20,000 students in 250 schools participate each year in our programs that improve literacy and develop creative thinking.

• Nurturing A Local Artistic Community. As a collective of more than 200 theater professionals that live and work locally, we’re deeply invested in Milwaukee and are committed to giving to a community that gives so much to us.

• Serving as an Ambassador for the City. We have produced 136 World Premieres that have toured the world from London to São Paulo and all over the country reinforcing Milwaukee’s position as a world-class incubator of creativity.

To honor your investment in us, we are committed to delivering transformative impact in a financially responsible manner. For our efforts, we’re the only non-profit performing arts organization in the state to receive Charity Navigator’s coveted 4-star rating for managerial excellence, and for a second consecutive year, received UPAF’s “Good Steward” Award as well.

To you, our closest friends and strongest supporters, we thank you. Your faith in our work inspires us. Your unwavering support sustains us. And together, we are making a profound difference in our region.

32014/15 Season Impact Report

Mark ClementsArtistic Director

Chad BaumanManaging Director

4

2014/15 SEASON

Milwaukee Repertory Theater

after all the terriblethings I doA. Rey Pamatmat’s beautiful new play received its world premiere on October 3, 2014 in the Stiemke Studio achieving critical acclaim on its way to becoming a finalist for the Steinberg Award for New Plays. After a successful run in Milwaukee, it moved to Boston’s Huntington Theatre Company in the spring of 2015.

From Zonya Love’s showstopping performance as Celie in The Color Purple to Jon Daly’s brilliant portrayl of Elwood P. Dowd in Harvey and Laura Gordon’s memorable Margie in Good People, the 2014/15 Season was full of extraordinary performances leading to a five year spike in subscriber attendance and sold-out houses. Of particular note was our focus on new plays, with three world premiere productions thrilling local audiences and transferring to theaters all over the country:

Liberace!Due to popular demand, Brent Hazelton’s wildly popular world premiere was remounted in the Stackner Cabaret in our ongoing effort to tell local stories with a national resonance. It set the record for best-selling show in the Cabaret and then moved to Philadelphia’s Walnut Street Theatre.

Five PresidentsCommissioned by The Rep in 2011, Rick Cleveland’s remarkable new play about the five living Presidents at Richard Nixon’s funeral has played sold-out engagements in Arizona, Wisconsin and New York. After receiving its premiere at The Rep in March, it transferred to the Bay Street Theater in New York, where it received positive reviews, including from The New York Times and was extended twice.

Low DownDirty Blues: Sugar Ray Rayford was nominated for a BB King Blues Entertainer Award

Good People: Utilized new scenic automation equipment to move the large set pieces without a crew

The Doyle &Debbie Show: The bag for “Daddy’s Hair” was the most technically complicated prop ever used in the Stackner

The Amish Project: Members of the Oak Creek police and the Sikh Temple participated in panel discussions

The Doyle & Debbie Show | The Color Purple | after all the terrible things I do | Liberace!

Harvey | A Christmas Carol | The Beautiful Music All Around Us | Good People | The Amish Project

Five Presidents | Rep Lab | Low Down Dirty Blues | Peter and the Starcatcher


“Milwaukee Rep helps shape our sense of who we are as Milwaukeeans. At its best, theater creates a sense of shared experience in a way that no other art form can. New stories change our ideas of who we are and

offer us new ideas about who we can be.”– Ayad Akhtar, Pulitizer Prize Winner and

Milwaukee Repertory Theater Associate Artist

ARTS EDUCATION


In-School ResidenciesThe Rep’s Reading Residency program worked with 540 middle school students to develop reading comprehension, interpersonal, and creative thinking skills using a unique theater-based curriculum to engage students. Our Scriptworks program guided 300 high school students through detailed script analysis of our plays. Independent assessment specialists from UW-Milwaukee have confirmed these programs demonstrate significant impact on improving literacy.

After-School ProgramsThe Rep hosted after-school programs at 11 sites in Milwaukee, where students used themes from our plays to explore real world situations. Our production of Good People served as a catalyst to explore career readiness. Students completed skill assessments to understand their strengths and to develop a roadmap for future success. Field trips included trips to see plays, a showcase of student work in the Stackner Cabaret, and a campus tour of UW-Milwaukee.

Rep Immersion DayRep Immersion Days offer students the opportunity to participate in interactive, behind-the-scenes demonstrations featuring our professional artists before they attend one of our plays. They are provided lunch, participate in a post-show talkback and interact with the actors. Last year, more than 2,300 students

experienced a Rep Immersion Day during The Color Purple and Peter and the Starcatcher.

Artistic Intern Program Celebrating its 50th Anniversary, The Rep’s Artistic Intern Program is one of the most prestigious training programs in the country, bringing the best emerging artists to The Rep to work with our professional artists full-time for an entire season. The program provides a rare opportunity to bridge academic training and professional practice in a supportive learning environment. This season, 11 acting and 2 directing

interns served as understudies and performed in ensemble and principal roles throughout the season.

2014/15 Artistic InternsAndrew Carlyle Illinois State University

Katherine Duffy Indiana University

Hannah Greene Northwestern University (Director)

India Gurley University of Minnesota/Guthrie Theater Actor Training Program

Taurean Hogan Wayne State University

Jennifer Latimore University of Georgia

Kristina Loy University of Illinois

Philip Muehe University of North Dakota (Director)

Nick Narcisi University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Josiah Laubenstein University of South Carolina

Chris O’Reilly Marquette University

Leeanna Rubin University of South Carolina

Vallea E Woodbury Northwestern University

“I think The Color Purple was important because

it showed that people

loved each other, and it

showed that at the end

of the day people can

come together and not

have hate.”-Student

“This residency allowed

students to consider the

character through

multiple lenses and to

construct what elements

make a character. They

are more keen to realize

how the plot (experience)

shapes life.” -Teacher

COMMUNITY OUTREACH


Through onstage programming and work within the Milwaukee community, we strive to model a world we all want to live in by creating programs that enrich and enlighten in an environment that is welcoming and inspirational to all.

Featured CollaborationJewish Museum MilwaukeeWe collaborated with the Jewish Museum Milwaukee on the exhibit “Stitching History from the Holocaust,” and crafted original dresses based on the designs of Hedvink Strnad, who died during the Holocaust. In addition to the exhibit last fall, this collaboration was featured on a national PBS broadcast, in The New York Times and will tour nationwide.

Diversity & InclusionWe are committed to celebrating the rich diversity of our region through our programming. Last season, 51% of our

actors and 40% of Artistic Interns

were persons of color, and more than half of our guest directors were women. In addition, a Community Committee was created by our board to help connect our work to the communities we serve. More than 20 community

leaders represented a wide range of organizations and formed partnerships with 54 organizations last year.

Rep-in-Depth, Panel Discussions and TalkBacksYour voice is powerful, and we want to hear it! Last year, 22,500 patrons attended

Rep-in-Depth, our artist-lead conversations before every performance in the Quadracci Powerhouse and Stiemke Studio. In addition, panel discussions curated by community leaders focused on thematic issues found in our plays from violence prevention to human trafficking and creating strong communities. These conversations carried over to our social media platforms where we interacted with more than 20,000 people last year.

A Holiday to RememberEach year, we provide thousands of free tickets to A Christmas Carol to underserved children and families who would not be able to attend otherwise. In 2014, 2,255 tickets were given

to 25 community partners to distribute on our behalf. In addition, we select one community organization to support through our holiday drive. Last year, $46,000 was raised by A Christmas Carol audiences to support the work of COA Youth and Family Centers.

FINANCIALS (Unaudited)


REVENUES:Total Revenue: $10,031,658

EXPENSES:Total Expense: $9,855,531

6%

37%

53%

4%

Contributions & Grants

Box Office Revenue

Food & Beverage

Other

Artistic & Education Programs

Marketing & Development

Food & Beverage

Administrative/General

Occupancy

Reserves

3%

7%

54%16%

5%

12%

Government

UPAF

Foundations

Corporations

Individuals

Restricted Gifts

Events

Friends of The Rep

36%

16%

29%

10%

5%

3%

2%1%SOURCES OF CONTRIBUTIONS:

“GOOD STEWARD”AWARD WINNER

2013, 2014

PHOTOS: Page 4 (left-right, top-bottom) - Erin Parker and Michael Accardo in The Doyle & Debbie Show; Deborah Staples in The Amish Project; Laura Gordon in Good People; Caron “Sugaray” Rayford in Low Down Dirty Blues; Jack Forbes Wilson as Liberace! (Photos by Michael Brosilow). Page 5 - Brit Whittle and Steve Sheridan in

Five Presidents (Photo by Tim Fuller). Page 7 - “Stiching History” photo by the Jewish Museum Milwaukee. All other photos by Milwaukee Repertory Theater Staff.

2014/15 BOARD OF TRUSTEES


OFFICERS

TRUSTEES

PRESIDENTS’ COUNCIL

SecretaryGregory C. Oberland

Northwestern MutualPresident

TreasurerEdward SeabergRockwell Automation

Vice President

At LargeMatt Bartel

Digital MeasuresCEO

At LargeRobert H. Manegold

Community Volunteer

At LargeCatherine Robinson

Community Volunteer

PresidentJames E. BrazaDavis & Kuelthau

Partner

Immediate PastPresident

Judy HansenBroadway Producer

Vice President,Trustees

Joseph A. RockKPMG

Managing Partner

Vice President,Development

Stacy P. WilliamsRobert W. Baird & Co.

Sr. Investment Consultant

Patsy Aster Community Volunteer

Eliza AudleyCommunity Volunteer

Mark Benskin US Bank

Managing Director

Wendy W. BlumenthalBlumenthal & Associates

Warren Buliox Gonzalez, Saggio & Harlan, LLP

Partner

Jane Chernof Community Volunteer

Mark J. Diliberti Foley & Lardner LLP

Partner

Robert H. DuffyQuarles & Brady

Partner

Norman DyerMVP SalesPresident

Patrick Gallagher Siegel-Gallagher Inc.

CEO

Stephen A. GigotMichael Best & Friedrich LLP

Managing Partner, Milwaukee

Cecilia Gilbert Department of Public Works

City of Milwaukee

Kathleen A. Gray Quarles & Brady

Partner

John Greene Johnson Controls

VP, Workforce Diversity

Pete Hotz Briggs & Stratton

VP, Engineering Design

John Hunzinger, P.E.Hunzinger Construction Company

President

Stephen IsaacsonNorthland Securities

Senior Vice President,

J. Patrick KeyesWisconsin Energy

Executive Vice President & CFO

Kristine LuedersFoley & Lardner

Estates & Trusts Specialist

Randall McKennieAurora Healthcare

Vice President

Dwight L. Morgan Community Volunteer

Abigail J. Nash Community Volunteer

Dr. Mark NiedfeldtMark Niedfeldt, M.D., LLC

ModernMed

Shelley PaxtonHarley-Davidson Motor Company

VP Global Marketing & Brand

Harry Richard Quadracci Ewens Quadracci, Vieux & Sons Coffee

President

Micky SadoffCommunity Volunteer

Patrick SmithCommunity Volunteer

Stephen VanderBloemen VanderBloemen Group

CEO

Nicholas P. WahlGodfrey Kahn

President and Managing Partner

Howard Williams Wells Fargo

Regional Managing Director

T. Michael Bolger • Joyce Broan • Lloyd A. Gerlach • Judy Hansen • Jacqueline Herd-BarberLarry Jost • John L. Kordsmeier • Frank Krejci • Susan A. Lueger • Robert H. Manegold

Vincent L. Martin • Patricia McKeithan • Donna Meyer • W. Kent Velde

Milwaukee Repertory Theater

108 E. Wells St

Milwaukee, WI 53202

the rep - 2014/15 season impact report

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