Month: January 2026

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World Premiere Wisconsin: A Yearlong, Statewide, Celebration Of New Plays And Musicals Returns For 2026!

I became aware of World Premiere Wisconsin sometime last year but I wasn’t totally in tune with just how big and far reaching they are. Happily, World Premiere Wisconsin’s Samantha Martinson, Festival Producer, and Allie Babich, Assistant Festival Producer, sent me their press release for 2026! So here’s looking at you kids!!

Three years ago, World Premiere Wisconsin (WPW) launched its inaugural statewide festival, bringing together nearly 50 theater companies, hundreds of artists, and thousands of audience members from across Wisconsin to celebrate bold new work created right here at home. The 2023 festival not only energized the state’s creative ecosystem—it captured national attention. Among the six finalists for The American Theatre Critics Association (ATCA) 2024 Harold and Mimi Steinberg/ATCA New Play Award were two plays, The Heart Sellers by Lloyd Suh and I Carry Your Heart With Me by Jennifer Blackmer, which proudly premiered at Milwaukee Repertory Theater and Third Avenue PlayWorks, respectively, as part of the groundbreaking World Premiere Wisconsin initiative. The festival was recognized in outlets such as American Theatre Magazine and The New York Times for its innovation and statewide impact.

In 2026, World Premiere Wisconsin returns—bigger, bolder, and now spanning an entire year. Festival Producer Samantha Martinson and Assistant Festival Producer Allie Babich, in tandem with the board of directors, are spearheading WPW’s second incarnation. Now a newly-minted not-for-profit, WPW continues its mission to build connections amongst Wisconsin artists, strengthen the state’s creative economy, and showcase the vibrant arts, culture, and tourism that make this an extraordinary place to live and visit.

WPW remains the only statewide festival of its kind in the country—a coordinated, multi-institution effort focused exclusively on launching new theatrical work. Its model has been cited by arts leaders nationwide as a potential blueprint for collaborative revitalization in the performing arts sector. The 2026 festival aims to build on that success, demonstrating that Wisconsin remains a national leader in new-play development and community-centered arts innovation.

“WPW proved in 2023 that when Wisconsin’s theater community comes together, remarkable things happen,” said WPW Founder and Board Chair, Jen Uphoff Gray. “The success of that first festival exceeded our hopes—it built new relationships, amplified Wisconsin on the national stage, and celebrated the incredible storytelling happening in every corner of our state. In 2026, we’re expanding that work across a full year, deepening our investment in local artists and inviting even more people to discover the power of original Wisconsin-made theater.”

WPW Festival Producer Samantha Martinson added: “WPW continues to show what’s possible when creative artists get together to build something new. This festival proves that Wisconsin theaters know how to lead the way forward.”

About the 2026 Festival

The 2026 World Premiere Wisconsin festival will run January 1 – December 31, 2026 and feature new world premieres from theater companies statewide; workshops, readings, and productions supporting both emerging and established writers; community partnerships that link theater with cultural tourism and local businesses; and statewide events designed to engage audiences and highlight regional arts ecosystems.

As in 2023, WPW will highlight the breadth of Wisconsin’s theater-making—urban and rural, emerging and established, experimental and traditional—inviting audiences to travel, explore, and celebrate stories born from Wisconsin communities. WPW welcomes any and all theaters, producers, and artists to join the festival and produce new works throughout the year with no financial barriers. 

WORLD PREMIERE WISCONSIN 2026 FESTIVAL SCHEDULE

WPW Festival Schedule

Please refer to the website for additions and any updates to the full WPW festival schedule. Listings are subject to change. For specific production updates, please refer to the producing theater’s website for the most up-to-date information, including runtimes and how to purchase tickets. 

This list captures the world premiere productions that are currently announced. Additional performances from other participating theaters will be provided as theaters release information and season announcements. 

Currently announced productions:

MILWAUKEE/SOUTHEASTERN WISCONSIN

MADISON/CENTRAL WISCONSIN

DOOR COUNTY/NORTHEASTERN WISCONSIN

Current full festival participant list: https://worldpremierewisconsin.com/join/ 

Extra Credit Reading: World Premiere Wisconsin FAQs

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PSA: American Players Theatre Announces Their 2026 Season!

I haven’t been keeping up with everything that I’d like to and I’ve had this announcement in my in-box for a few weeks and every few nights around 3 A.M., I chide myself for procrastinating and promise to publish it the next day. And I forget or get distracted but never fear, APT reminded to me today. SO, as we drift into mid-winter doldrums lets dream again to a summer of exquisite theater…outdoors and in! So let’s get started:

American Players Theatre (APT) has published the 2026 performance calendar for the company’s 47th season. The schedule highlights the theater’s signature rep style with multiple productions running concurrently in the Hill and the Touchstone Theatres. The first performance of the season is set for Saturday, June 6.  

This season’s production line up was announced in October 2025 ( see I told you I was late) and features two titles from Shakespeare’s cannon in addition to a mix of other classic and contemporary works. In August, eight plays will be in rotation prior to the outdoor season closing on Sunday, October 6. The ninth and final production of the season will play in the Touchstone Theatre from October 22 to November 15. Last season, the theater implemented a new, earlier start time for fall performances to accommodate seasonal daylight changes. This year, APT will once again shift performances earlier starting in September.

The 2026 Plays
In the Hill Theatre
As You Like It 
By William Shakespeare 
Directed by Laura Rook 
Rosalind and Celia are best friends and cousins. But when Celia’s father, the Duke, begins to see Rosalind as a threat to his daughter’s future prosperity, the two women prepare disguises (with Rosalind pretending to be a boy named Ganymede) and escape to the Forest of Arden. Meanwhile, Orlando, a young gentleman who had previously fallen for Rosalind, is also forced to flee to that very same forest. There, he meets “Ganymede,” who promises to teach him how to woo Rosalind. All that plus a band of merry forest-dwelling misfits make for a great Shakespearean comedy. 

The Matchmaker 
By Thornton Wilder 
Directed by Brian Cowing 
Prepare to be dazzled by Wilder’s sparkling farce about love and class. At the heart of the story, the resourceful Dolly Levi, a professional meddler with a knack for arranging other people’s lives (and she may just uncover a few surprises for herself while she’s at it). When Dolly is called upon to find a wife for infamous curmudgeon Horace Vandergelder – hilarity ensues. Fueled by chaos and mistaken identity, with twists and turns a plenty, The Matchmaker celebrates the delightful messiness of human connection and the notion that everyone deserves a little adventure. 

Uncle Vanya 
By Anton Chekhov
Adapted by Nate Burger 
Directed by Brenda DeVita
A crisp, entertaining new adaptation of Chekhov’s timeless story about longing, regret and missed opportunities. On a quiet country estate, Vanya and his niece Sonya have worked the land for years to support Sonya’s father Serebryakov, a self-important professor who now resides at the estate with his free-spirited new wife, Yelena. Tensions simmer and desires ignite among the denizens of this little plot of land, as they debate and needle; dream and love beneath the shadow of impending change. Contains adult themes and language. 

The Two “Gentlemen” of Verona 
By William Shakespeare
Adapted & Directed by Aaron Posner 
Renowned playwright Aaron Posner breathes new life into one of Shakespeare’s earliest comedies. Proteus and Valentine are childhood friends, but the time has come for them to set out to explore their future prospects. Proteus follows his heart toward Julia, while Valentine follows his to Milan to seek his fortunes. But when Proteus is forced by his father to follow Valentine to Milan, they both fall in love with Silvia. Promises will be broken and relationships tested, but with a little help from the ladies, a couple clowns, a charming dog and a group of outlaws, most may yet be put to rights. A lively coming-of-age story last seen at APT over a decade ago. 

Sueño 
Translated & Adapted by José Rivera
From the play by Pedro Calderón de la Barca
Directed by Marcela Lorca 
A theatrical exploration of fate vs free will, Prince Segismundo is imprisoned from birth, based on a prophesy that claimed he grow into a tyrant. But as time passes, his father, King Basilio, has regrets. So he decides to release Segismundo to test if he’s really all that bad. And if it turns out he is? They’ll just return him to his prison and tell him his freedom was all a dream. Throw in a damsel in disguise, a salty servant and power-hungry couple with relationship issues, and you get a funny, absurd and strangely beautiful take on a 17th century classic. Contains adult themes and language. 

In the Touchstone Theatre 
Casey and Diana 
By Nick Green
Directed by Michael Herwitz 
In 1991, as the AIDS epidemic devastates the gay community and stokes global stigma, a Toronto hospice prepares for a remarkable visitor: Princess Diana. Her arrival offering a glimmer of hope for understanding and compassion. As patients and caregivers prepare for the big day, they share stories, fears, and moments of joy—reminding each other of their strength and humanity in the face of loss. A tender, unflinching drama about resilience, dignity and the small acts of grace that hold the power to change lives. Contains adult themes and language. 

The Chairs 
By Eugène Ionesco
Directed by Vanessa Stalling
It’s been a few years since APT has had an absurdist on stage (Exit the King, 2018), and Ionesco is among the best of the genre. An elderly couple waits in a remote house for an Orator to lead a grand, scientific lecture. As the guests begin to “arrive,” the couple scrambles to seat them all while holding increasingly surreal conversations. A “tragic farce” – clownish, quirky and existential – just the way we like our Theatre of the absurd. Featuring Colleen Madden and James Ridge, and directed by Vanessa Stalling (Constellations, 2024). Contains adult themes and language. 

Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea 
By Nathan Alan Davis 
Directed by Tyrone Phillips 
Dontrell is a teenager with a bright future and an ancestry haunted by water. As he prepares to leave for college, he’s pulled inevitably toward his family’s mysterious history, and an ancestor lost at sea long ago. Driven by dreams, Dontrell searches for connection to his past as his family attempts to anchor him in the present.  A lyrical, funny and theatrical exploration of love, legacy and self-discovery. Contains adult themes and language. 

Opening in October
Witch 
By Jen Silverman
Directed by Keira Fromm 
The Devil is making the rounds in Edmonton, trading favors for souls. And business is booming. Everybody wants something – love, power or just a little validation – and they’re willing to pay dearly. But Scratch may have met his match in Elizabeth, a woman living on the outskirts of town who people believe to be a witch. As they play a flirty cat and mouse game, events in the village take on a life of their own. Jen Silverman’s (The Moors, 2022) wickedly entertaining retelling of the story of The Witch of Edmonton, hitting the Touchstone just in time for spooky season.  Contains adult themes and language.

About the Theatre 
American Players Theatre (APT) is a professional repertory theater devoted to great and future classics. Founded in 1979, APT continues to be one of the most popular and critically acclaimed outdoor classical theaters in the nation (2025 recipient of Newsweek’s Best Outdoor Theater Performance.) 

APT is located in Spring Green, Wis., on 110 acres of hilly woods and meadows above the Wisconsin River. The outdoor amphitheater sits within a natural hallow atop an oak-wooded hill surrounded by prairie. Under the dome of sky, world class artists perform for a house of up to 1,075. In 2009, APT opened an indoor space, the Touchstone Theatre, offering a different, more intimate play-going experience for 201 audience members. 

So there you have it…start dreaming…then start planning…and see you in Spring Green!

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THE NUTCRACKER! Milwaukee Ballet’s Incredible Holiday Tradition

There are two touchstone seasonal traditions in the fine arts world…in Milwaukee they are the Milwaukee Rep’s A Christmas Carol and the Milwaukee Ballet’s The Nutcracker. In both instances the Milwaukee presentations are based solidly on the legacy literature but personally molded and directed by the local artistic directors to great effect!

I don’t remember the last time that I saw The Nutcracker…certainly this century but maybe not during the Michael Pink era. Much to my dismay. So my wife and I decided to revisit the Marcus Performing Arts Center and catch up with the Milwaukee Ballet as part of our 20th Anniversary celebration. Yes, the music is always memorable and rewarding and the dance a whirling giddy spectacle, but what I hadn’t remembered was the magic. Not the magic in the story, but the magic in the storytelling. I wasn’t prepared to choke up at times or have a tear come to my eye as the dance and the music and the sets spoke to my heart…and my soul.

photo from The Milwaukee Ballet’s website

The set was simply amazing. Designs and painted surfaces were readily influenced by Art Deco, Art Noveau, and fairy tale design from everywhere. And the colors went from muted to brilliant depending on how the lighting director focused on them at each phase in a dance sequence. Plus buildings flew, trees grew great, and secret entrances and exits appeared to admit to or remove characters from the stage at will. And the costuming was gorgeous and over the top just as you’d expect from grand ballet. I was simply in awe throughout the performance. Milwaukee gets a fair share of credit across the board for the talent in their acting, dancing. performing, and directing. But I don’t think we give enough credit the lighting and set designers at any level of the arts nor to the costumers without whom the others couldn’t as effectively tell their stories. So props to Lighting Designer David Grill, Scenic Designer Todd Edward Ivins, and Costume Designer Gregory A. Poplyk.

photo from The Milwaukee Ballet’s website

Of course there is no storytelling in ballet without the dancers. Pink’s ensemble is simply as artistic and coherent as any dance troupe I have ever experienced. There is grand storytelling here and this is what I felt throughout..a simple but profound sense of awe that stayed with me the rest of the evening. Most amazing of course is the dream sequence but we weren’t just watching them perform the dream dances…we were totally assumed into the dance and became the dreamers too. I had a hard time going to sleep that night when we returned to our room at the St. Kate’s Hotel.

photo from The Milwaukee Ballet’s website

The cast varied depending on the night of performance, but given the talent and skills displayed the evening we attended, I doubt that any other evening would have felt any different. But I do want to mention one dancer: Garrett Glassman who danced Drosselmeyer. He was so limber and fluid it appeared that he didn’t have a bone in his body (and I coveted his purple velvet coat).

AND: the live orchestra right down in front, was simply sublime!

I promise that I won’t repeat my great mistake here and put off seeing The Nutcracker again in the future. And I resolve to visit the Milwaukee Ballet for some of their other performances in 2026.

photo from The Milwaukee Ballet’s website

Extra Credit Reading: The Nutcracker Audience Guide