The donor newsletter of Milwaukee Repertory Theater
Issue 6 • Fall 2017
New Plays
“I don’t think it matters if it’s a new play versus a classic or a well known play, but it’s important that theaters produce new scripts with enough regularity that audiences are accustomed to the idea of seeing a play about which they know absolutely nothing.” These words from playwright Jeffrey Hatcher ring true within the walls of The Rep. We share his philosophy — that new plays for the American theater are just as important as keeping alive the classics we have come to know and love. “Because The Rep nurtures new plays from inception all the way through development to production, we get to know playwrights on a deeply personal level. In addition to Hatcher, they include Pulitzer Prize-winner and Milwaukee native Ayad Akhtar, Rick Cleveland, Eric Simonson, and Catherine Trieschmann,” says Artistic Director Mark Clements.
Linda Stephens and Grant Goodman in the 2011/12 Quadracci Powerhouse production of Ten Chimneys. Photo by Michael Brosilow.
Over the years, The Rep has developed a strong relationship with Hatcher, producing five of his plays in the last two decades: The Turn of the Screw (1997/98); Work Song: Three Views of Frank Lloyd Wright (world premiere cowritten by Eric Simonson, 2000/01); Armadale (world premiere, 2007/08); The Government Inspector (2009/10); and Ten Chimneys (2011/12). This season, The Rep will produce Hatcher’s Holmes and Watson, a new play which recently made its world premiere at the Arizona Theatre Company with productions in Tucson and Phoenix. Hatcher’s return to The Rep provides an exciting opportunity to catch up with the playwright and ask him about his personal approach to new play development. continued on page 4
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