Category: First Stage

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First Stage Provides A Stunning: An Enemy Of The People!

Besides the boisterous and invigorating musicals that they present for children of all ages, by children of all ages, at the Marcus Performing Arts Center, First Stage also features their Young Company, young actors of high school age, in their black box theater in the round at the Milwaukee Youth Arts Center. The Young Company is ambitious and tackles mature adult plays usually without adult actors involved…and for me…the results are always delicious.

First Stage Young Company Cast in AN ENEMY OF THE
PEOPLE. First Stage, 2024. Photo by Paul Ruffolo.

And this time they have taken on Henry Miller’s adaptation of the Ibsen classic, An Enemy Of The People. Although set in late 19th Century Norway, the story has resonance today. After being away for a short time, Dr. Thomas Stockmann returns home and becomes the medical officer at the newly created medicinal baths that will bring fame and economic growth to his small town. His brother, Peter Stockmann is the town’s mayor and head of the committee running the baths. Thomas does a bit of research and discovers that a series of mysterious illnesses that have been inflicting visitors to the baths is the result of pollution and bacteria in the water that are coming from a tannery up the mountain. He is convinced that once he shares his discovery with the town, that they will stand firmly behind him and fix the issue. But he’s being incredibly naive here. Instead, Peter takes up the opposition and through a series of partial lies, innuendo, and subterfuge, undermines Thomas and it doesn’t end well for the doctor or his family.

John Eash-Scott (Center), and cast in AN ENEMY OF THE
PEOPLE. First Stage, 2024. Photo by Paul Ruffolo.

Dr. Thomas Stockmann is played by John Eash-Scott with an incredible amount of vigor and determination. Totally sure of himself and totally sure of his position, he forges on in his determination to expose the issues around the baths. And as he rounds up support from the local press and small business men, he becomes ever more sure of himself…and Eash-Scott clearly brings that to life on the stage. And even as his brother starts to bring doubt into his mind, he doubles down, and Eash-Scott brings that all to bouncing life.

William Kastner (Left) and John Eash-Scott in AN ENEMY OF THE
PEOPLE. First Stage, 2024. Photo by Paul Ruffolo.

There is certainly a small amount of sibling rivalry here and despite his important position in the town, William Kastner as Mayor Peter Stockmann, makes that plain to see. And it also comes into play as he tries to dissuade he brother from publishing his claims of pollution…is it real civic duty or a bit of envy? And when the brutal bits of open conflict begin, Kastner ramps up Peter’s position of power and clearly becomes the pompous ass that the role requires.

And then there is the press that initially support Dr. Stockmann, but go all in against him when the mayor turns on the heat. Chief among them is editor Hovstad, Elena Marking, who presents the enthusiasm of every young editor about to have the big scoop as they prepare to publish Dr. Stockmann’s report…until they are confronted by Mayor Stockmann, and Marking gives us the unflinching portrayal of the wishy washy turncoat with no feeling or compunction about what is being done. And Hovstad’s change in position is one of the most damaging for Dr. Stockmann, both publicly and personally. And similarly situated is Aslaksen, a town small business leader and publisher of Hovstad’s paper. Madison Jones gives us the properly slippery and slimy turncoat too!

Madison Jones in AN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE. First Stage, 2024. Photo
by Paul Ruffolo.

One of the side issues revolves around the doctor’s family…as he pushes on with his quest…he loses sight of how it will affect them all. His wife Catherine is aware of what may happen and voices her fears quite clearly. Maya Thomure plays Catherine and easily moves from the happy and carefree hostess and matriarch, to the concerned and warning helpmate. Her daughter, Petra, is an adult and teacher in the local school and Reiley Fitzsimmons gives us an assured and determined young teacher who is willing to support her father and take up his cause against the town.

John Eash-Scott in AN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE. First Stage, 2024.
Photo by Paul Ruffolo.

The First Stage Young Company’s An Enemy Of The People runs through April 28, 2024 at the Milwaukee Youth Arts Center. The play runs for two hours plus intermission and is recommended for teens and adults. For more information and to order tickets, click here.

AND, as always, extra credit reading: The Playbill!! and The Enrichment Guide!

This is a Young Company Performance Project — an
actor-driven presentation using elemental production
values. By stripping down to a nearly bare stage, the
connection of actor to audience is enhanced, and
the words of the play come alive in exciting ways,
allowing our award-winning students to showcase
their graduate level skills with full length material,
from Shakespeare to American classics to pieces
commissioned specially for them.

Brinn Hill
Interim Education Director

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First Stage: The Lightening Thief, The Percy Jackson Musical

Percy Jackson? I had never heard of this phenomenon until I heard about it from my grandson who is a big fan. And then about a year ago, Percy came up in conversation during the Mythology class I was attending at UW-Milwaukee. My grandson was amazed that the books he was reading were being mentioned in college. So of course when I had an opportunity to attend First Stage’s presentation of The Lightening Thief, I had to see for myself.

Well, it seems like I was the only one in the theater who was at a loss about the story and our hero, Percy Jackson. But that just made for a very appreciative crowd who loved every moment of this musical. And this is quite a musical…and musicals are a special strength for First Stage…but in my memory this one is particularly driven by the music and singing and choreography…the story is just propelled by the music.

Nadja Simmonds, Austin Nelson, Jr., and cast in THE LIGHTNING THIEF: THE PERCY JACKSON MUSICAL. First Stage, 2024. Photo by Paul Ruffolo.

But the story itself is complicated…just like any story that involves Greek Mythology…but with added twists and turns as we celebrate the trials and tribulations of the modern day gods and their offspring in contemporary America. So this is why Percy grabs the imaginations of young people and is the gateway to learning about western thought and arts. What a wonderful introduction to the world.

Jamey Feshold (center), Silver Anderson (left), Abram Nelson and Calleigh Mills in THE LIGHTNING THIEF: THE PERCY JACKSON MUSICAL. First Stage, 2024. Photo by Paul Ruffolo.

Percy is a confused young person being thrown out of school…again…through no fault of his own. But it is because of his person and the other worldly powers who are out to get him. So he encounters things that seem to occur in dreams and that others around him don’t seem to see or understand in the same way. The stuff that makes up our myths.

And unfortunately, other than the love and support of his mother, his current home life leaves a lot to be desired. So it might seem that his conflicts come from that…until we find out that he is a halfblood…the child of his human mother and a Greek god.

Percy doesn’t come into his own until he mother places him in summer camp, Camp Halfblood, where all of the other campers are in the same predicament. But here is where he starts to understand his own story…until he is forced to take on a hero quest to Hades! We are all surprised that it is currently located in Los Angeles, but for some reason Percy isn’t. So he and his friends set out to LA and all types of mayhem ensue. I won’t divulge anymore other than there are heroics and cameo roles from multiple Greek gods.

Calleigh Mills, Abram Nelson, and Silver Anderson in THE LIGHTNING THIEF: THE PERCY JACKSON MUSICAL. First Stage, 2024. Photo by Paul Ruffolo.

Other than the musical itself, there are some other amazing things at play here. As you can see from the photos the set and stage are amazing and easily imply a feeling of ancient Greece. And as always the set does multiple duty to depict different locales at different times…scenic designer Madelyn Yee did a marvelous job and I am just in awe of the stage floor. Costumes designer, Yvonne Miranda, also gave us over the top costumes for our halfbloods, the humans in their midst, and the gods…and then add the puppets that represent gods and monsters and such…extremely clever and colorful…thank you Nikki Kulas. And what a marvelous job by choreographer Ami Majeskie. There is an incredible amount of complex dance moves that work just so incredibly smoothly. And as I said the fight scenes were exaggerated and over the top and ever so fluid as well…and the credit here goes to fight director Jamey Feshold and Bree Kazinksi. And I can’t believe quite how easily this whole production seems to work, but I am sure it the result of a lot of hard work on the part of director Jeff Frank!

So if you have a child or grandchild who is aware of the Percy Jackson stories, you can’t afford to miss The Lightening Thief. If you have a child or grandchild who isn’t a Percy Jackson fan yet, this is the perfect time to introduce them to Percy and mythology and great musical theater at the same time.

And like other First Stage musical productions, this one doesn’t live by the music and the overall story alone. There are clear messages about community, friendship, and family in each of them…and it is again happily apparent here!

Sanaiah Hibbler and Ben Nowacek in THE LIGHTNING THIEF: THE PERCY JACKSON MUSICAL. First Stage, 2024. Photo by Paul Ruffolo.

And a couple of side notes: First Stage rotates two casts during a run of their bigger productions at the Todd Wehr. I have included photos provided by First Stage from each cast. And after the production, the actors will take 3 or 4 questions from the audience…and in this case I was surprised that two out of the four questions were about scenes that were apparently skipped that appear in other versions of the story. So this story clearly resonates with young people.

As you will note from the photos there is some swordplay and battle scenes. They are slow motion and wildly exaggerated so no one of any age should feel threatened by them…but they certainly help provide the drama that the musical demands!

The Lightening Thief, The Percy Jackson Musical, runs through March 10 2024 in the Todd Wehr Theater at the Marcus Performing Arts Center. Additional information and tickets can be found here.

Extra Credit Reading:

Digital Play Bill! Enrichment guide and social story!

article © 2024 The New World Digs

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First Stage’s Young Company Presents Shakespeare’s Henry IV (Part 1)

I am sure that I have attended a performance of Henry IV, Part 1 in the past but it was obviously some time ago. But I can’t imagine a more determined and enthusiastic presentation of Henry IV than the one performed by First Stage’s Young Company.

Thomas Bastardo, Alice Rivera (center) Maya Thomure, and cast in HENRY IV, PART 1. First Stage, 2023. Photo by Paul Ruffolo.

First Stage is well known for its boisterous colorful story telling through large ensemble musicals that feature young through adult actors. The Young Company has a different role at First Stage and Milwaukee theater in general. The company features high school age actors, often members of the First Stage Theater Academy, working through significant dramas and original plays. In many cases, Shakespeare, as we have here with Henry IV and previously with a very strong and complete Macbeth (see my response here). And instead of performing at the large Todd Wehr Theater at the Marcus Performing Arts Center, these dramas play out at the Milwaukee Youth Arts Center in a very intimate stage in the round. And since it is usually general admission here, my biggest decision is where to sit! LOL!

And given the size and intimacy of the stage, very few props or set pieces come into play, and they often are rearranged to play multiple roles on set. And this just brings the text and the acting that much more in focus for the cast and audience.

Alice Rivera (front) with Paxton Haley and Thomas Bastardo in HENRY IV, PART 1. First Stage, 2023. Photo by Paul Ruffolo.

So, Henry IV! The king is played by Alice Rivera, who maintains the regal bearing of a King of England, even in the face of doubt…as plans to Crusade to the Holy Land fall apart as a local uprising against the crown needs immediate attention. Rivera shows us a king who can rally his troops, make strategic decisions, be a bit pompous and unbending, and then be cruel in conquest.

And although Henry IV is the name of the play, the actual major character is Henry, or Harry, or Hal, the Prince of Wales and the future king. Hal is played by Maya Thomure who gives us the perfect blend of youth seeking fun and recreation away from the court, while also feeling at times the weight of his position on his shoulders, but who willingly takes up his responsibilities as a defender of the crown when his father finally calls. Of course in his rebellion against his ‘lot in life’, he has an anti-father companion in Sir John Falstaff who he loves well…although he feels free to tease him constantly.

Abram Nelson, Max Larson (center) and Elena Marking in HENRY IV, PART 1. First Stage, 2023. Photo by Paul Ruffolo.

And Lola Onorato presents the Falstaff that we expect to see in the Henry plays. Big of imposture, big in braggadocio, big in appetites, and a true friend of Hal, Onorato brings it all to the stage.

And this is a Shakespeare history play, so there is swordplay and battle scenes. Director Marcella Kearns and Fight Director Christopher Elst, have provided action galore and obviously grounded the cast in the use of epees and rapiers. The clank clank of metal on metal was a delight for any fan of Shakespeare and/or knightly combat.

Paxton Haley and Elena Marking in HENRY IV, PART 1. First Stage, 2023. Photo by Paul Ruffolo.

There is a lot of activity here and a lot of text. Kearns keeps the troupe moving and involved and they presented two hours of Shakespearean dialogue, clearly, cleanly, and engagingly! One technique that I enjoyed was at scene change, when a principal character lingers on stage for a moment longer while their cohort makes their exit…and for just a moment shares the stage with the new characters entering to take up the next scene. That small stroke added some gravitas and continuity to the action and the acting for me.

Evie Patrick and William Swoboda in HENRY IV, PART 1. First Stage, 2023. Photo by Paul Ruffolo.

Henry IV part 1 is being performed through December 17, 2023. More information and ticket info can be found here. Run time is about two hours plus an intermission. Recommended ages are teen to adult.

Extra Credit Reading: The Playbill This includes more info on cast, characters, and crew!!

Part 2?