Associated Bank Theater Center – Page 3

February 14, 2026

Wisconsin Premiere of Ayad Akhtar’s McNeal. A.I.A.I. Oh.

Ayad Akhtar’s McNeal is ostensibly about artificial intelligence. But I am here to suggest it was written with artificial intelligence. There are a number of intimations and subtexts that might suggest so. Some of them apparent by the queries fed into an AI app as displayed across the top of the set and the replies then received. All very realistic and wholly believable for the current state of AI.

The Cast of McNeal. Photo by Michael Brosilow. Photo courtesy of the Milwaukee Rep.

We know that Jacob McNeal’s latest novel is written by AI. He admits as much after telling his agent that it only took two days to write. And we know it is true since we saw his prompts along the top of the set and the volumes and volumes of output that he received back. What is the novel about? Well I have a guess and I suggest that Akhtar fed it back into his AI app and got the play McNeal out of it. SPOILER ALERT: A sad, twisted, retelling of Hedda Gabler with the genders re-assigned and relationships altered…but there are tell tale signs (well other than the queries into AI which are blatantly displayed), like the ‘missing’ and burned manuscript, the wish to ‘recreate’ it from scratch, and finally when a major female character eats her pistol after waving it around at McNeal, all in a hallucination, yet.

Jeanne Paulsen, Peter Bradbury. Photo by Michael Brosilow. Photo courtesy of the Milwaukee Rep.

And this feels like a one character play…yes I know there are six other characters…but the focus is so intensely on McNeal and his feelings and actions are so focused on McNeal that all other characters seem to fade away (which is also much like Hedda Gabler). And given the computer based nature of our discourse, where computers work via the manipulations of ones and zeroes, lets just say that Jacob McNeal is a ONE and everyone else is a ZERO.

There is something else here that speaks to today. We first meet McNeal as he is using AI to determine his place in the pecking order for winning a Nobel Prize in Literature. Not getting the responses he wants, he keeps editing his prompts until they give him what he is looking for. It is clearly an obsession. Unlike that other guy you are thinking about, McNeal eventually wins. And that starts a whole new set of experiences for the audience as director Mark Clements and his production staff cosplay with AI and project McNeal into a reward ceremony and later morph his face into Ronald Regan and Barry Goldwater and back. Certainly very equivalent to videos we often see on social media and maybe a little reminiscent of certain Forrest Gump experiences some thirty years ago?

N’Jameh Camara, Peter Bradbury. Photo by Michael Brosilow. Photo courtesy of the Milwaukee Rep.

But yes, the play revolves around the myriad questions we all hold about AI. So plagiarism, influences, truth, disclosure, what is art, what is an artist, and what is art making. However, you will not find any answers here.

Interestingly, Akhtar delineates McNeal with the stereotypes we have accumulated around male novelists: moody, depressive, brilliant, reclusive, grouchy, compulsive, anti-social, misogynistic, suicidal, and alcoholic. Chekhov is rolling over in is grave. Amazingly Peter Bradbury takes that all in stride and makes it too very real on stage. From orator to falling down drunk to troubled spouse and parent, Bradbury is wholly believable and makes us feel McNeal. I am not sure if we have any empathy for him or not…I don’t think that I can find that in me…but I know Bradbury’s McNeal is real. I know it!

Peter Bradbury. Photo by Michael Brosilow. Photo courtesy of the Milwaukee Rep.

Jeanne Paulsen plays McNeal’s agent Stephie Banic, as an appealing tough cookie who takes care of her client professionally but has a soft spot as well that Paulsen shows the audience in her questions and care of McNeal…but something, I think, McNeal remains unaware of even when he’s doing something she urged him to do and he stoutly refused to do initially (I assure you that this run on sentence wasn’t written my AI). She’s impressed with the Nobel but more interested in the commercial opportunities it may provide. Paulsen stays cool under fire. The other character who provides some push back is Natasha Brathwaite, played by N’Jameh Camara. Camara comes on like the NY Times special feature reporter she portrays here, but she softens as her interview with McNeal continues even admitting she liked his books more than she expected. Camara knows when to be direct and knows when to shift to coy in playing Brathwaite. Bridget Ann White is feisty and intense as Francine Blake but this part isn’t big enough to showcase her whole talent. Hopefully we will see her here on a Rep stage again!

Sara Sadjadi, Peter Bradbury, Jeanne Paulsen. Photo by Michael Brosilow. Photo courtesy of the Milwaukee Rep.

McNeal is more than just a play premiere. It also celebrates the grand opening of the Herro-Franke Studio Theater. It replaces the Stiemke Studio Theater. And it is a major improvement…better seating (comfy!)…better and additional restrooms…and a real bar and better traffic flow through the lobby. And for this very first show, the seating bowl is shaped in a L-shape with the stage occupying one corner of the studio. And for McNeal the gnomes and elves in the Rep shops have created a rotating stage that facilitates the change in scenes and moods and environments. And they are breaking the third and fourth wall. I don’t want to leave out the lighting and sound crew who project and highlight the action but project scenic backgrounds with our change of locales…some of it AI generated since I recognized some buildings but they didn’t seem to be where they actually reside…and city noises in city scenes and rustic noises in rural ones. Sounds easy to miss given the concentration required to fully appreciate the story…but marvelous attention to detail.

and finally, to paraphrase Akhtar’s AI conjured ‘Prospero’ in his closing soliloquy: “Is it real or is it not real?” Well, I can’t tell you.

McNeal continues from now until March 22nd, 2026 at he Herro-Franke Studio Theater in the Associated Theater Center. More information and Tickets Here!

Running Time: Approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes with no intermission.
Recommended Age: 16 and up

Extra Credit Reading: The Program

January 12, 2026

The Fisherman’s Daughters Opens A New Year At The Stackner Cabaret!

But you didn’t expect it to be 1908, did you? The Fisherman’s Daughters comes to the Stackner directly from the Northern Sky Theater, fully voiced, fully fleshed out, and with the polish and elan we have come to expect from Northern Sky. But what I didn’t expect was The Fisherman’s Daughter. Often Northern Sky Theater presents cabaret musicals playing off of the stereotypes of’ ‘up north’ and relying heavily on comedy in both story line and music. But this time Katie Dahl’s remarkable book, music, and lyrics bring us a drama worthy of what we might consider more serious theater with nuance and complexity that is quite exquisite. And director Molly Rhode is clearly aware of the subtleties here and brings them all to the fore…well maybe not…some subtleties remain subtle and you will be rewarded for maybe paying closer attention than you are used to doing in the Stackner.

Now don’t get my wrong, this is still the Stackner Cabaret after all. And Dahl’s songs are memorable and telling and playful all at the same time and her lyrics tell us an enchanting story that goes deep and one that we will want to hear. And there is laugh out loud humor!

L to R: Eva Nimmer and Kelly Doherty. Photo by Michael Brosilow and courtesy of The Milwaukee Rep

Dahl’s story is loosely based on real Wisconsin history, the formation of Door County’s Peninsula State Park, coincidentally the home of Northern Sky Theater. It is 1908 and an emissary for Governor James O Davidson, a Progressive, arrives via steamer in Fish Creek to assemble the land for the park by soliciting the locals to sell their farms and homesteads to the state. And like any public attempt at assembling a large bit of property it is both well and ill received. The two major protagonists here are sisters, daughters of a local fisherman who has passed away. Nora and Sarah Peterson have different views on life, how to live life, and where to live it and it has become something of a wedge between them. Nora returns to Fish Creek just as John Murphy arrives to work on assembling acreage for the park. Their conflict is central to our story and there are any number of side glances and surprise events that transpire during the play.

L to R: Chase Stoeger, Kelly Doherty, Eva Nimmer. Photo by Michael Brosilow and courtesy of the Milwaukee Rep

Sarah is embodied by Kelly Doherty, who is seemingly sentimental and attached to their home and carries some resentment at Nora for heading off to Chicago. Doherty’s portrayal is loud and direct and may seem a bit rude at first but she eventually melts and makes the biggest surprise transition of the characters here. Brush up on your Norwegian if you want to keep up with her.

Eva Nimmer is Nora Peterson and she has just returned to Fish Creek from Chicago. Nimmer portrays a confident and self assured woman but as the story continues we understand that she is a bit conflicted and keeps more to herself that we imagine. And Nimmer’s voice easily carries across the room!

Alex Campea plays the new arrival from Milwaukee, John Murphy. They just create an excitement on stage of someone getting their first big opportunity and their first chance at a big adventure. But Campea also exhibits a fair amount of naivete for a city boy plopped down in rural Door County.

L to R: Alex Campea and Chase Stoeger. Photo by Michael Brosilow and courtesy of The Milwaukee Rep.

And Chase Stoeger plays Charlie. I am not quite sure what Charlie does for a living…he is constantly on the move, always delivering things, and always talking talking talking to everyone. He admits to talking too much. Stoeger’s Charlie never stops moving, has boundless energy, is as fluid and graceful as a dancer, and is just simply electric. And he has a crusade of his own that he is endlessly trying to get Murphy behind. Stoeger is remarkable!

Ostensibly the play is about the building of Peninsula State Park. But that’s just the over story. Dahl’s true story telling embraces small town versus big city. Some of the funniest bits for us in the Stackner are a couple of swipes at Milwaukee for being dirty and crowded (in 1908?). But the friendly vibe of the small town is clearly at the fore. And the ‘ineffable beauty’ of Door County is mentioned several times in earnest and in jest. And the coming of a more modern era is indicated by building a park for all by uprooting the ‘original immigrant’ residents of the area. And of course the Peterson family story is the pivotal story as we discover the dynamics between sisters and of course their memories and even though he’s gone, their relationship with their father and his legacy. And lastly, our feeling of place and memory. Something that particularly struck home for me.

One bit to watch for…which relies on a great tune from Dahl and a great bit of directing and choreography from Rhode…is the recurring song at the fish pack…with great singing, dancing, and percussive sounds that present a happy bit of the fishing village’s life cycle.

The Fisherman’s Daughters continues through March 1, 2026 in the Stackner Cabaret in the Associated Bank Theater Center. Ticket info here!

Extra Credit Reading: The Program

And don’t forget to celebrate Leif Erikson Day!

November 5, 2025

Milwaukee Rep’s It’s A Wonderful Life “Radio Play” Play

Since its release in 1946, Frank Capra’s movie It’s A Wonderful Life has worked its way into the heart of the American holiday traditions around Christmas. So I imagine nearly everyone present at the Rep’s opening of It’s A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play in the Stackner Cabaret is familiar with the story and the palpable excitement in the room is the anticipation on how is the Rep going to present all of the drama, pathos, and visual excitement of the original film on the small stage. For those of you not familiar with the story, never fear, all will be revealed!

Left to Right: David Flores, Daniel Arana, Eva Nimmer, Melinda Parrett, and Wade Elkins. Photo by Mark Frohna and courtesy of the Milwaukee Repertory Theater.

So where should we start…well…let’s start with what we see first, Caroline Dischell’s incredible set. Completely evocative of Radio City Music Hall or the Rockefeller Center of the 1930s and 1940s, Dischell has mined the best of the Art Deco styles from the period with gilt geometric filigrees, seemingly textured and patterned wallpapers, horizontal motifs and lighting fixtures, and of course the classic ON AIR and Applause prompts sign! Welcome to the radio drama studio of WMKE (side note: was there ever a WMKE in Milwaukee? It seems like a natural but I don’t remember one).

And then director Jonathan Hetler starts the play as the house lights flash and the overhead announcer calls the cast to the stage and says that we are 10 minutes to air. And the cast members individually hurry from the back of the house to their places on the stage, waving to friends, making brief comments as they pass by, and greeting each other as old friends do. And at that moment we all magically transform from being members of the Stackner audience into the excited radio studio audience at WMKE.

Left to Right: Eva Nimmer, Wade Elkins, David Flores, Melinda Parrett, and Daniel Arana. Photo by Mark Frohna and courtesy of the Milwaukee Repertory Theater.

One last thing before we get to the drama itself. Bobby Sharon’s costumes, just wow. The cut, the colors, the styles, are just so indicative of the period in my mind. And the hats that characters Sally Applewhite and Lana Sherwood are wearing on entry are to die for.

Places, places, and we count down three, two, one, On Air and David Flores as Freddie Filmore in his role as MC gives us the introductions and we are off and running. This gets complicated very fast because our five intrepid Rep actors play the actors at WMKE who play multiple characters in It’s A Wonderful Life. So if I misidentify a role, my apologies. Flores is a jewel as Filmore, switching from the MC role to Mr. Potter to a number other roles all at the drop of a hat. He is the most engaging actor on stage. Eva Nimmer is Sally Applewhite, and Applewhite’s main role is Mary Bailey, our protagonist’s love interest and eventual wife…but she plays a number of other roles as well. Nimmer very effectively describes the confident and secure and undaunted Mary when she is courting George and then starting the actions that save his day and then playing that same role but the Mary who never knew George Bailey and was depressed, withdrawn, and a bit fearful in her life.

Wade Elkins plays Harry Haywood who gets to play a number of prominent roles including , George’s brother, Harry Bailey. But most importantly Haywood is Clarence, the a bit confused, yet empathic, and well meaning guardian angel sent to help George through his personal trials and failings. Spot on Mr. Elkins! Melinda Parrett is Lana Sherwood…again playing multiple roles…a delightfully saucy Violet in the main story and then moving to a desolate woman in the life without George section. And then she gets to transition to Clarence’s mentor and fills in George’s backstory for Clarence and the studio audience so we understand the measure of the angel and the man, George Bailey. Although a number of actors double as Bailey children, Parrett efforts are really really cute and giggle provoking.

Left to Right: David Flores (rear), Eva Nimmer and Daniel Arana (foreground). Photo by Mark Frohna and courtesy of the Milwaukee Repertory Theater.

Jake Laurents is George Bailey and Jake Laurents is played by Daniel Arana. It is nearly impossible to play George Bailey without sounding a bit like James Stewart. And while Arana isn’t doing Stewart directly, there are hints of Jimmy in his swagger and sway, his vocal timbre, and of course he’s been made up to enhance his slight resemblance to Stewart. Arana is perfect for the role. And he easily moves from the ambitious dreamer to the practical unintended patriarch of the family to the stoic business man to the desperate lost soul we see just before the happy ending.

Wade Elkins. Photo by Mark Frohna and courtesy of the Milwaukee Repertory Theater.

In my mind, an old time radio play would be actors sitting at tables in front of microphones with foley sound effect masters at one end and the musicians at the other. But that’s just for the radio…here we have a play…so it feels more like a staged reading as the players move front to center to stage left or right to interact as they recite their dialogue. And the actors all take turns playing the accompaniment on the piano and perform the sound effects…from police whistles to clomping feet to chimes to balloon pops to uncounted door slams! Part of the humor inherent in Hetler’s staging is the over the top actions employed when the actors are creating the various sound effects. Voila. But I fear for the longevity of the two front and center microphones as they are repeatedly adjusted up and down to accommodate the varied height of the cast.

Yes there is a happy ending as nurture and friendship wins out over greed and avarice and love once again conquers all.

And I almost forgot to mention that there are ads within the radio broadcast of our play within the play. They are ingenious and refer back to the movie and to the city of WMKE!

It’s A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play will be presented by the Milwaukee Rep in their Stackner Cabaret Theater until December 21, 2025. Ticket information here!

Running Time: Approximately 1 hour and 40 minutes with no intermission. Recommended Age: 10 and up

Extra Credit Reading: The Playbill!